Social News Headlines 6/3 Endangered monkeys rescued in Binh Duong Six endangered monkeys were rescued in southern The two red-faced monkeys (Macaca arctoides) and four pig-tailed ones (Macaca nemetrina) were being illegally held by the management board of the Binh Duong New City Project in Thu Dau Mot city. These animals belong to Group IIB, the group of rare animals restricted from being held in captivity, hunted, traded or killed, according to Deputy Head of the Forest Protection Sub-department Tran Van Nguyen. Driver arrested in hit-and-run crash The police in Ha Noi Citys Dong Da District yesterday arrested a driver for injuring a student in a hit-and-run accident and for violating traffic regulations. The driver, Do Tu Anh, 32, of the districts Ton Duc Thang Street, crashed his vehicle into a student of the Ha Noi-based Banking Academy of Viet Nam Nguyen Thi Quyen, 21, who is from the central Nghe An Provinces Vinh City. The accident took place on Quyen received serious brain and chest injuries. The victim was rushed to Anh tried to escape in his car after the accident but several local residents chased him and caught him later. Anh admitted to having had alcohol in Long Bien District before driving the car. He has been said by some witnesses at the accident site of deliberately running over the victim again after crashing into her. The local police are investigating the case further. Cell phone card swindlers arrested A group of four was arrested on Monday for using cell phone cards to commit high-tech fraud. Truong Van Chi and Nguyen Tuan Anh, 23, Tran Xuan Hung, 20, and Nguyen Thi Xuan, 57, all from the north-central They told him he had won a motorbike as well as VND137 million (US$6,500) and asked him to buy cell phone cards worth VND10.5 million ($505) and send them the serials, which they later sold. Police crack down on waterway violations A three-week campaign starting next Monday will crack down on inland waterway traffic violations. Waterway traffic police will conduct inspections with local police in the They will punish those operating without rescue facilities, life jackets or lifebuoys, safety and firefighting equipment. New regulation for road digging The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued a new document banning electricity, telecommunications, water supply and drainage firms from digging up completed roads to expand the electricity and telecom network. The document allows repairs and upgrades for roads in use for a specific period of time – three, four or eight years depending on the material the roads are made of. When carrying out underground construction on the central artery or national highway, contractors will have to excavate the soil by automated processes. Rice delivered to overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia The People’s Committee of Tan Chau district in southern Tay Ninh province has distributed over 30.9 tonnes of rice from the Government to 157 households of overseas Vietnamese living in On March 4, 145 tonnes of rice were handed over as relief aid to 2,547 overseas Vietnamese migrants who have returned to live in the province. According to the provincial People’s Committee, most of the beneficiaries have led difficult lives.- Over 2,000 receive free mouth surgery in HCM City Over 2,000 children with cleft lips and palates at Children’s Hospital 1 in Cleft lips and palates are facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy, while the baby is developing inside the mother. Cleft results when there is not enough tissue in the mouth or lip area, and the tissue that is available does not join together properly. Most scientists believe that clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Another potential cause may be related to the medication a mother has taken during her pregnancy. Statistics reveal that the malformations affect one in 1,000 babies in Asia and one in 700 in Over the past five years, the The programme has also targeted hospitals in the southern Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of the HCM City Department of Health, expressed his hope that the programme will come to remote and far-flung areas as well as those in difficulties to bring smiles to unlucky children. The HCM City-based hospital has also opened a club named “Children’s smiles” which serves as a bridge for doctors and families of children with the condition. Book on Higgs boson to be released soon A book giving readers an insight into the discovery of the Higgs boson, which is considered as a monumental event in the history of particle physics, will make debut in March. The book, the title of which roughly translate as ‘Higgs boson and the Standard Model – A fascinating scientific adventure’), is being issued by the Tri Thuc (Knowledge) Publishing House. The Higgs boson is named after Peter Higgs, who suggested the existence of such a particle in 1964. After decades of researching by thousands of scientists, the prediction was proved to be true in 2012 and brought Higgs and François Englert a Nobel Physics Prize one year later. The book was compiled by Vietnamese and foreign authors, many of them coming from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and directly engaged in the discovery, for example Cao Chi, Chu Hao, Pierre Darriulat, Pham Xuan Yem, and Nguyen Xuan Xanh. Prof. Cao Chi said particle physics is one of the trailblazing scientific branches, adding that he hopes lessons from stories of the Higgs boson will fuel Vietnamese young people’s enthusiasm for science and knowledge.- Avian flu strikes in 22 provinces Poultry infected with the A/H5N1 virus have been reported in 22 provinces this month, according to the National Steering Committee on Avian Flu Control. This was announced at a meeting yesterday, in which relevant agencies discussed measures to control the spread of the disease. So far, more than 80,000 chickens have been culled. The Steering Committee said the flu mainly affected single households and had been mostly brought under control. However, epidemics were reported in central Khanh Hoa and southern The Animal Health Department is now completing procedures to import 60 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. JICA grants loans to power plant upgrade The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to provide JPY7.5 billion (roughly US$73.5 million) in official development assistance (ODA) for upgrading a power plant in Dong Nai province. Under an agreement recently signed between representatives of JICA and the Vietnamese government, the Da Nhim Hydroelectric Power Plant will be installed with more generators to double its electricity generation output, especially during peak time. The upgrade is expected to be completed by August 2016. The funds will be used for purchasing and installation of equipment and consulting services for the project. Da Nhim plant was built by JICA has pledged to continue supporting With the rising sea level, saltwater has reached further inland in the Mekong Delta affecting agricultural production for farms. Saltwater has penetrated 34-38 kilometers inland along Ham Luong, Cua Dai and Co Chien River in This salt intrusion will prolong until the end of May and affect 12,000-14,000 hectares of farming land, according to the Irrigation Department in the provinces. President Truong Tan Sang believes the Mekong Delta is in need of restructuring of agriculture to cope with climate change issues. President Sang suggests that the Southwestern Region Steering Committee and provinces in the delta should incorporate other indigenous plants into rice fields and build sea dyke systems to prevent saltwater from encroaching inland. Truck drivers’ health checked as per Minister’s guideline The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, Vietnam Register, Department of Transport and Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association were ordered to conduct an audit of truck driver’s health, bus station management and registration in accordance to Transport Minister Dinh La Thang’s guidelines. The audit will be assessed starting now until April 30. Drivers with health issues will be dismissed from the work force. The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam will send reports to the ministry before May 31. The purpose of this audit is to raise quality of truck drivers in the country. The Vietnam Register and Department of Transport will set up a hotline for receiving complaints of issues at registration centers before March 30. Vietnam Airlines continues to halt flights from Thanh Hoa Vietnam Airlines is contemporarily delaying flights from Twenty flights from Vietnam Airlines has increased flights from Lack of vaccinations cause measles outbreak A number of children in Most of the children infected have yet to receive vaccinations, said Professor Tien Dung, head of Pediatrics Ward of Bach Mai Hospital in The ward is treating 30 children with serious cases. Three of the children have developed severe pneumonia. The wet weather in the north is a favorable condition for the virus, said Nguyen Nhat Cam, director of the To prevent further infections, parents and teachers with infected children should quarantine them from public areas until completely healed. AIDS Control Committee has new member PM Nguyen Tan Dung has assigned Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, to the member of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control. The National Committee helps the PM establish strategies and projects, launch, integrate and coordinate programs and resources as well as evaluate activities of ministries, departments and localities on AIDS, drugs and prostitution prevention and control. It also helps the PM direct international cooperative activities in the field. Many activities held in response to Earth Hour 2014 The “Earth Hour” Campaign 2014 will officially take place at August Revolution Square from 8 pm to 9.30pm on March 29. According to HN Portal, with the message “Use your power to make change a reality – EARTHOUR BLUE”, this campaign aims to call upon local people to save energy by turning off lights and unnecessary electrical equipment for one hour, raising awareness of energy conservation and get individuals to make major changes to their lifestyles to battle climate change. Ha Noi will switch off its lighting system in a number of public areas and streets from 8 pm to 9.30 pm on March 29 to support this year’s Earth Hour. The lights in Ha Noi’s key areas surrounding It's the sixth time “Stop Using Rhino Horn” campaign launched A campaign “Stop Using Rhino Horn” was launched on March 3 in This is an international campaign in the framework of the program “when the buying stops, the killing can too”, which will be carried out in “We are committed to support this meaningful campaign by using our communication channels to change behaviours and educate the public on laws related to endangered species, and join with international communities in saving these species for an ecologically balanced Earth,” Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Information and Communications, said at the launching ceremony. The largest markets for rhino horn in the world are In addition, use of rhino horn has also become somewhat of a status symbol for some people who are members of wealthy and successful class by using expensive ‘medicines’. However, rhino horn is keratin, the protein in human fingernails and horn of buffalos. There is no scientific evidence it cures diseases or ailments. If we buy only a small piece of rhino horn, we have to pay for the killing of an rhino. If you see rhino horn advertised and traded, inform a local authority or call free hotline 1800 – 1522 or send email to hotline@fpt.vn to prevent illegal action. Mine clearance meeting to take place in Hanoi The conference aims to raise public and international awareness of the National Action Programme on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) for the 2010-25, said Major General Xuan at an international press conference in Without international aid, The meeting will provide a detailed overview of the country’s pollution by bombs and mines. The programme currently prioritises mine clearing in heavily affected areas, particularly borders and six Preliminary statistics show since 1975, UXOs have claimed more than 40,000 lives and left about 60,000 injured, mostly rural people and children. The volume of mines and UXOs left by the war is now estimated at 800,000 tonnes, contaminating over 20% of the country’s land. The situation is particularly dire in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien- This year, the Vietnam Mine Action Centre will make its debut with the aim of coordinating funds and establish a website regarding the National Mine Action Program to deal with the Unexploded Ordnances known as Program 504. In April 2010, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the programme with the aim of mobilising domestic and international resources to clear ordnance. This in turn will help better ensure safety for the people living in localities plagued by UXOs and indirectly aid the country’s socio-economic development. A delegation from the Vientiane Women’s Union, led by its Chairwoman Lamphoy Siakkachan, paid a working visit to Hanoi on March 4 to learn about the implementation of legal documents among women’s associations at all levels. Through the visit, the Lao side hopes to gain lessons from In reply, Nguyen Cong Soai, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, affirmed that women have played an incredibly important role in the city’s development. He added that with more than 7.3 million residents, At the meeting, the RoK supports Vietnamese contestants at World Skills Competition Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) and Samsung Skills Training Centre (SSTC) will sponsor and train Vietnamese contestants in preparation for the 43rd World Skills Competition (WSC) in Saul Paulo, A document to this effect was signed in Accordingly, SEV and SSTC will provide training for Vietnamese contestants and experts in Mechanical Engineering & Design (MED)– CAD and IT software solutions. SEV will select candidates from the 8th national skills contest 2014 in MED-CAD and IT software solutions to train at SSTC in one year. It will also support the jury of the two skills with training in the RoK three months before the WSC. SEV will provide financial support for Vietnamese contestants in the two aforementioned skills during their training in the RoK and the WSC in Sharing int’l experience in health insurance Keizo Takemi, president of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), introduced He said Each locality funds a portion of the cost based on their individual needs and desires through voluntary contributions. “The government legalizes health insurance by adopting the bottom-up approach, and as a result, the law enforcement proves effective,” said Takemi, who is also a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. Addressing the workshop, Truong Thi Mai, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs (CSA), noted health insurance for all is one of key pillars in Currently However, raising the rate to 75% in 2015 and 80% in 2020 requires more policies to be put in place. Mai added that The biggest challenge lying ahead is to coordinate access to health insurance services, she stressed. Sienkiewicz promotes Vietnam tourism in Russia The Moscow State Institute for Industry of Tourism (MGIIT) recently posthumously honoured Yuri Aleksandrovich Sienkiewicz for his significant contributions to promoting The gathering was attended by a large number of representatives from the Russian Tourism Association, Russian travel agents, Vietnam Airlines and Vietnamese and Russian friends. Eleven years ago Sienkiewicz produced a film about Vietnam which quickly gained wide notoriety throughout Russia, touting famous tourist destinations in the country, including HCM City, Cu Chi tunnels, Hanoi, and world heritage sites of Hoi An and Ha Long Bay. The film was subsequently screened at an untold number of exhibitions and tourism fairs in Participants at the gathering reminisced about Sienkiewicz’s trip to Nguyen Huu Tung, Chief Representative of Vietnam Airlines in The impressive growth shows that The Sienkiewicz’s film delegation could not imagine the impressive impact its film would generate. Private healthcare sector faces critical constraints The healthcare service sector in The private sector is not well placed to exploit this potential because of several constraints including capital, space and human resources, they add. Citing a StoxPlus report, the Dau Tu (Investment Review) newspaper says healthcare revenues in In addition, Vietnamese people also spend over US$1 billion on overseas healthcare services every year. Furthermore, industry insiders say the real turnover at hospitals is likely to be 1.5-5 times higher than the figures they announce. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has estimated that public spending on health in The significant patient overload at public hospitals also indicate opportunities for strong development of the private healthcare sector in Analysts say growth of the domestic healthcare market is driven by economic growth, higher incomes, higher awareness of health issues, improved living conditions. However, the number of private hospitals in the country is still modest and concentrated mainly in major cities like Ha Noi, In 2011, private hospitals accounted for just three per cent of the total number of hospital beds in the country. Of 1184 hospitals, just 135 were privately owned. Private hospitals treated just 4.2 per cent and 5.1 per cent of the total number of inpatients and outpatients recorded in 2011. An investor in the healthcare service sector, who declined to be named, said that many reasons could be used to explain the slow development of private hospitals in the country, one of which was the huge capital investments required. A hospital project needs between US$20 and 25 million, with medical equipment accounting for half. The profit margin for investments in hospitals is about 20 per cent per year and it takes investors eight to 10 years to recoup their capital, according to the investor. Dr. Nguyen Huu Tung, former director of the Hoan My Medical Corporation, said at a recent seminar held by the Investment Review that the scope of private hospitals in Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, rector of the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, said that to successfully invest in private hospitals, three crucial factors are: skilled staff, "perfect" infrastructure and modern equipment. Apart from the capital investment needed to meet these conditions, there are other difficulties that are hindering growth of the private healthcare sector in The biggest problem for investors is finding suitable space to build private hospitals. Administrative procedures for setting up private healthcare establishments in Binh Duong works to treat solid waste The southern The locality discharges around 1,000 tonnes of residential solid waste on a daily basis, mainly from households, schools, hospitals, and administrative bodies, with a mere 10 percent collected and recycled. Meanwhile, the volume of industrial solid waste is estimated at 7,700 tonnes per day, 290 tonnes of which are hazardous and around only 30 percent of which is disposed of. To realise the target of recycling 80-85 percent of solid waste by 2020, local authorities have activated a plan on sorting through waste to select the best treatment solutions. The officials have also decided to increase the number of people tasked with encouraging residents to maintain public hygiene through regular garbage collection and reporting cases of littering on the streets. Binh Duong is home to 28 industrial zones and sees its population grow 10 percent per year, thus increasing the need for treating domestic and hazardous industrial waste. Ca Mau prepares for climate change The southernmost Accordingly, it will launch several sub-projects under which over 20 billion VND (approximately 950,000 USD) will be earmarked for three coastal resettlement areas containing more than 2,000 households. Other homes will be redesigned to sit on stilts up to two metres from the ground. Coastal production areas will be zoned off for activities involving forestation and aquaculture. Moreover, Ca Mau plans to hold educational campaigns which will raise public awareness about the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels. The local authorities have also sought government support to upgrade its dyke network. With a coastline of 252km, Ca Mau has an eastern sea dyke linked with Ganh Hao in the southern This has adversely affected production and livelihoods of thousands of local households./. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV |
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