Vietnam Breaking News

Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to check ‘buy buttons’ off their holiday wishlists

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to check ‘buy buttons’ off their holiday wishlists <a href='http://bit.ly/1FHiucl'><img alt="1596966-twitter-dufb" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="332" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1pBpUde" width="500"/> </a> “Buy” buttons are coming to your stream someday, but most Facebook and Twitter users will be safe from the ultimate impulse-purchase mechanism during this holiday season. While the social media giants have been testing “buy” buttons with some users’ since the summer, the feature won’t be introduced widely for now, according to interviews with Facebook and Twitter executives. Advertisers have been asking the companies for months in the run up to the holiday-shopping frenzy when they’ll be able to sell products directly to people as they browse their social networks. The companies could benefit from finding new ways to generate revenue, especially after Facebook and Twitter each reported disappointing earnings last quarter. Americans are expected to spend more than $100 billion shopping online during the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation, a trade association. This would have been a perfect time to launch the new shopping feature and grab a bigger slice of consumer spending. The companies won’t get a better opportunity for another year. Advertisers like the idea of a “buy” button because it can help determine whether an ad is effective. Currently, they can tell how many users were shown or clicked on an ad, but they don’t always know whether someone ended up buying the product. Beyond improving measurement, the buttons could drive more sales. Advertisers are optimistic that the feature could increase spontaneity in online shopping, which has traditionally been driven by people searching for items they already know what they want on Amazon.com or Google. Facebook and Twitter acknowledge that they’re missing out on a potential new revenue stream during the biggest shopping season of the year. But Nathan Hubbard, Twitter’s e-commerce head, said he wants to create the right tool before making it available to everyone. “Interest from sellers is not our challenge now,” Hubbard said in an interview. “It’s how we roll that out at scale and really optimize the user experience.” On Twitter’s Oct. 27 earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Dick Costolo said the company is continuing to explore how to take advantage of “in-the-moment commerce.” Kevin Weil, Twitter’s vice president of product, said at the company’s analyst day on Nov. 12 that tests are going well. “We’re enthusiastic about the response we’ve seen,” Weil said. Facebook’s top executives have offered similarly positive comments about the potential for quick purchases that don’t require users to leave the company’s app or website. “Commerce is really important and is a growing important part of our business,” Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer, said on Facebook’s July 23 earnings call. “The more people buy online, the more people buy things they discover through their mobile phones, the more people discover things from News Feed and go on to purchase, the more important we are in driving e-commerce, and I think we are increasingly important.” That’s probably why advertisers have been hounding Facebook about the “buy” button they’ve been waiting on for month. Nicolas Franchet, Facebook’s head of e-commerce, said when many companies ask him when they can start using the feature, his response is, “Not yet.” “We are very clear,” Franchet said in an interview. “It’s a small test, limited to the test, and our job is to continue testing.” Franchet said Facebook is concerned about confusing retailers by offering something that may not end up being an option for them if tests don’t go well. Instead of the “buy” button, he’s pitching them standard ads that send people to shopping sites. “We don’t want to complicate the picture for them,” Franchet said. “The ‘buy’ button gives them a glimpse of where we may be going in the future—but maybe not.” Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to check ‘buy buttons’ off their holiday wishlists Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1pBpUde" width="200"/> </div>

Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to check ‘buy buttons’ off their holiday wishlists

Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to check ‘buy buttons’ off their holiday wishlists “Buy” buttons are coming to your stream someday, but...

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Warnings against residue of banned substance on tra fish

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Ngoc Hung The EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last month detected 11 batches of tra fish from the country with Nitrofurazone, a prohibited substance, according to the National Agro – Forestry – Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD). In addition, South Korea’s National Fishery Products Quality Management Service (NFQS) said it would enhance inspections of substances in the Nitrofuran group on tra fish imported from Vietnam. Inspections will be applied on 3% of batches arriving there between November 5 and December 31 this year. This is the first time Vietnamese frozen tra fish being found with residue of a banned substance. In previous years, only frozen shrimp was found to have prohibited antibiotic residues such as Trifluralin and Ethoxyquin. At some point, Japan checked 100% of frozen shrimp batches from Vietnam. NAFIQAD has ordered local tra fish producers and processors to inspect and monitor fish farming to ensure farmers’ compliance regarding the use of chemicals and antibiotic substances as permitted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. On the other hand, companies must control antibiotic residues, especially Nitrofuran and Chloramphenicol, during their manufacturing processes. In a related development, NAFIQAD has stopped checking Triphosphates in fried fish and surimi, Polyphosphates in tra fish and basa fish fillet and frozen shrimp. Meanwhile, Trifluraline inspection in seafood is reduced to one per 20 batches. Warnings against residue of banned substance on tra fish Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Warnings against residue of banned substance on tra fish

Ngoc Hung The EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last month detected 11 batches of tra fish from the country with Nitrofuraz...

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Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festival 2014 to open on November 29th

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'> Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festival 2014 to open on November 29th Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1z4eD59" width="200"/> <table> <tr> <td>(CPV) - The Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festival 2014 is set to take place at Calidas Landmark 72 Keangnam Hotel, Hanoi from November 29th – 30th. Aiming to introduce local people to the culinary specialties and typical agricultural products of Korea, various Korean enterprises will take part in the event, including Namyang diary, Paldo noodle, K-Mart, Star Korea, and others. Visitors will also have the chance to enjoy special Korean foods, such as kim chi, and will learn how to cook Korea dishes. “After 5 consecutive successful operations, this year’s festival will see many Korean restaurants in Hanoi to join and introduce their specialties with reasonable pricing, so that visitors can come and try good and diversify dishes. The Vietnam-Korea Family Association will also prepare various dishes for this annual event”, said Mr Park Noh Wah, the Korean Embassy’s Minister Counselor, during a press conference held in Hanoi on November 20th. <div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1593450'><a href='http://bit.ly/1vwY9VV'><img alt="Mr Park Noh Wah (middle) at the press conference. (Photo: ATP)" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="379" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1z4eD59" width="500"/> </a> Mr Park Noh Wah (middle) at the press conference. (Photo: ATP) </div> Apart from exploring the beauty of traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai and Korean Hanbok, St. 319 (a K-pop dance cover group from Hanoi) and singer Van Mai Huong are set to perform during the festival. Last year’s event saw the participations of over 60,000 visitors, colleting USD7,000 from tickets and contribution from businesses. The fund spent on supporting victims of natural disasters (USD5,000) and providing scholarships for disadvantaged pupils (USD2,000). Co-organized by the Embassy of Korea in Vietnam, the Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA), the Korea Agricultural Products Distribution Corporation (AT), the Korea International Exchange Fund and the Korea Tourism Administration, the two-day festival 2014 is expected to attract some of 80,000 visitors. Kids are also beneficiaries from a very interesting child’s corner. Entrances are free. All proceeds from voucher sales (VND20,000/voucher) and other donations will go to the victims of flooding in the Central region./. </td> </tr> </table> </div>

Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festival 2014 to open on November 29th

Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festival 2014 to open on November 29th Related image(s) (CPV) - The Vietnam – Korea Food and Culture Festi...

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Social News 20/11

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>New campaign fights violence against women Ministries and the UN in Viet Nam launched a national campaign yesterday in Ha Noi asking the public – especially men – to take action to end violence against women. The initiative’s timing marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the UN in Viet Nam and other development partners organised the campaign, which will host workshops, exhibitions, runs, street dances and other activities between Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 in 12 provinces and cities across the country. Huynh Vinh Ai, the deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Viet Nam had a solid legal framework in place to address gender equality and gender-based violence. However, more needs to be done to ensure that the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control is further reinforced and implemented, he said. “Let’s work together to ensure that Vietnamese men and boys ‘raise hands to hold, not to hit,'” he said. The National Study on Domestic Violence Against Women, released by the General Statistics Office and the UN in Viet Nam in 2010, found that 58 per cent of married women experienced at least one form of violence – physical, mental or sexual – at some point in their lives. About 50 per cent of victims did not tell anyone about the violence they endured, and 87 per cent did not seek help from public services. Gender-based violence cost Viet Nam nearly 1.5 per cent of national GDP in 2012, in out-of-pocket expenditures and lost earnings, a recent UN study found. “If we want to reduce violence, we have to socialise boys and girls differently, and we will have to rethink the idea of what is male and what is female,” said Pratibha Mehta, resident co-ordinator of the UN in Viet Nam. “We will have to develop partnerships between men and women.” Teachers in disadvantaged areas honoured on traditional day Teachers and educators nationwide, particularly those who are working in disadvantaged areas, were honoured in an exchange on November 19 on the occasion of the Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (November 20). Officials from the Ministry of Education and Training and many central agencies joined outstanding teachers at the event. The exchange gave viewers an insight into the hard work and devotion of teachers in remote and poor areas, where economic hardship and long distance discourage many children from going to school. In order to get the children to go to school, the teachers spend a lot of time and efforts to persuade children and their parents and try to find the best teaching way to stimulate students’ interest in learning. Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Nguyen Vinh Hien affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State always value the key role of teachers in the success of education, adding that teachers should be the role model for students. The Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (November 20) officially came into being in 1982. Motorcycle driver killed in Son Tinh A motorcycle driver was killed after he was hit by a train in Son Tinh District’s Tinh Tho Commune last Monday. Local police said Le Van Cuong, 25, a district resident, was driving a homemade motorcycle across the North-South Railway near Dai Loc Railway Station in the district when the train rushed by. Cuong failed to see the train in time and died after suffering from a direct hit. Pham Tien Dung, head of the Dai Loc Railway Station, said there was no barrier at the spot where the accident happened, and large trees also blocked people’s view of the railway, making it quite dangerous for those who have to cross. HCM City clinics need more doctors The head of HCM City’s Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs has urged the Health Department to increase the number of doctors at ward and commune’s health centres, many of which have only one doctor. Huynh Cong Hung, head of the committee under the city’s People’s Council, said that only 13 out of 318 health centres in wards and communes have two doctors, and the remaining have only one. “One doctor is not enough,” Hung said at meeting of the committee and Health Department. Each ward and commune health centre should have at least two doctors, he said. To ensure health care and disease prevention, the wards and communes should be given priority to invest in facilities, equipment and human resources, he added. Nguyen Tri Dung, head of the city’s Preventive Health Centre, said the health centres had few doctors for several reasons, including low salaries. “Even a few doctors have left some centres,” Dung said. The department has recruited doctors from the city University of Medicine and Pharmacy to work in the ward and commune health centres, he said. “But we are worried they will work for just a short time,” he said. It is estimated that the city needs at least an additional 1,015 healthcare employees, including doctors for health centres at wards and communes, according to Le Minh Hung, deputy head of Health Department’s Medical Affairs Division. He said the department needed VND178 billion (US$8.5 million) to build and upgrade substandard health centres at communes and wards next year. Of 318 health centres at communes and wards, 282 meet building and equipment standards. Thi Thi Tuyet Nhung, deputy head of the Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs, has asked the department to give funding priority to substandard health centres. Hung said the Preventive Health Centre was also seeking ways to eliminate dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease in districts 8, Binh Chanh, Binh Tan and Thu Duc, where there is a high incidence of the diseases. Japan to teach farmers use of high-tech equipment Japanese entrepreneurs plan to teach Vietnamese farmers advanced farming technologies so they can enter export markets with strict food-safety standards and improve the value of their produce. During a seminar held last weekend in HCM City about the cooperation potential between Japan and Viet Nam, entrepreneurs and experts from both countries discussed how Viet Nam could improve the quality of its produce. The Vietnamese agricultural sector includes mostly small-scale, households that generally produce an unsatisfactory quantity and quality of farm products, which has created a hurdle for farm produce to enter the strictly regulated market of Japan. Japan, which is experienced in hi-tech farming, exports farm produce such as beef and apples to Viet Nam, while the amount of Vietnamese farm produce exported to Japan remains limited. In Da Lat, two Japanese farmers began working with a local company to produce vegetables in November last year. According to the investors, they face three challenges in the city: a long rainy reason, outdated equipment and low quality of human resources. Takaya Hanaoka, general director of An Phu Lacue Limited, said the company wanted to use high-tech equipment and send Vietnamese to Japan to learn how to use advanced technologies. “Viet Nam has nice weather and people, but we cannot buy advanced technology equipment and materials here. We can buy them easily in Japan. Vietnamese farmers don’t know how to use Japanese farming technology. I want to teach them. I hope to bring young students to Japan to study,” he said. In the past, several Japanese enterprises in Viet Nam have visited the country to strike deals to export local products to Japan and to other countries with strict standards. Nakajima Satoshi, Consul General of Japan in HCM City, told local media on the seminar’s sidelines that Viet Nam, for example, was now delivering tuna to Japan. “Leaders of some provinces in Japan have also visited Viet Nam to seek partners in the agro-forestry-fishery sector,” said the consul general. Nguyen Trung Dung, trade counselor for the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, said Vietnamese vegetables were in high demand in Japan but food safety rules were hindering entry. “It’s good to export Vietnamese mango to Japan, but we have to improve the strains as well as cultivation and processing technologies. In Japan, I visited a greenhouse encased with glass with mangoes planted inside, and outside was thick snow. A 350g mango sold for US$50,” Dung said. The trade official urged Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate with Japan in acquiring technologies and different strains. Bringing the equipment to Viet Nam is prohibitively expensive, but Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) has promised that it would ship some equipment to Da Lat. Nguyen Huu Dat, director of the Post Import Quarantine Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said better technologies would open doors to Vietnamese exports, but approval for export entry takes time. Between 2008 and 2009, Viet Nam began exporting dragonfruit to the US and Japan. Now, the country has exported roughly 1,400 tonnes of dragonfruit to the market every year, according to the centre. Yasuzumi Hirotaka, managing director of JETRO’s HCM City Office, said in order to attract more investment in Japan, Viet Nam should further reform administrative procedures. Only two Japanese companies have successfully invested in agricultural sectors in Viet Nam, he said. The others have been reluctant to do so because of cumbersome administrative procedures and the quality of human resources. Endangered animals rescued from traders The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is caring for six endangered animals seized from illegal traders in the central province of Quang Binh, its management board said. The animals – three stump-tailed macaques, two Assam macaques and a reticulated python – are in bad health, having suffered various injuries. All the rescued animals are listed as endangered species in the Viet Nam Red Book, which means they require strict protection. Cement factories leave residents covered in dust Thousands of people in Kien Luong Town’s Tam Thuoc Ward in this Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang have been suffering from the severe dust pollution of five cement factories for years. The factories are Kien Giang Cement Factory, Ha Tien-Kien Giang Cement Factory and Ha Tien Cement Factory, each with a capacity of 82,000 to 200,000 tonnes per year; and Kien Luong Cement Factory and Holcim Cement Factory, each with a capacity of one million tonnes per year. Most of the factories apparently failed to comply with environmental protection regulations. “Dust can be seen everywhere. It even sticks to our bodies and creates much discomfort,” said resident Nguyen Thi Ha. She admitted having to repeatedly wash her face to remove the cement dust that kept sticking to her nose. La Nhu Ty, another resident said: “I often collect about 300 to 400 grammes of cement dust on my house floor every night.” Cement dust was also blamed for the health problems of numerous residents, added Ty. A representative of the ward agreed, noting that many residents; most of them cement factory workers, had died of cancer of either the lung, skin or nasopharynx since 2003. Resident Tong Quang Quyen said all people at the ward were expecting concerned agencies to quickly solve the problem by either building a system to treat cement dust or doing something to restore the fresh air there. Truong Minh Sang, head of the district natural resources and environment office, revealed that he had submitted a proposal for solving the problem to the provincial natural resources and environment department and Viet Nam Environment Administration. Germany supports forest protection in Viet Nam The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the German Development Bank (KfW) yesterday signed a financial agreement to support the project titled “Protection and Inclusive Management of Forest Ecosystems in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai”. The seven-year project, worth about EUR11.3 million (US$14 million), included EUR8 million in official development assistance. The project will focus on maintaining the ecological integrity and biodiversity of natural forest ecosystems in Viet Nam’s central and central highland regions while raising local living standards. The project will cover 28,000ha of natural forests in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said the two countries had co-operated effectively in many fields in previous years. The German Government via the German Development Bank had contributed EUR120 million ($150 million) to Viet Nam to plant forests and manage natural resources since 1995, he said. Tuan said the projects had helped to increase the rate of forest coverage, sustainably develop the ecological system and raise incomes for thousands of households in mountainous and rural areas, especially people from ethnic groups. The rate of forest coverage had increased from 28 per cent to 41 per cent since 1995, he said. Christine Heimburger, director for East Asia and the Pacific for KfW, said she highly appreciated the Vietnamese Government’s commitment, and looked forward to long-term co-operation with Viet Nam. Issue of child abuse requires greater attention The Vietnam Woman’s Union hosted a workshop on the role of parents in preventing child abuse on November 18, discussing relevant facts and figures as well as practical measures to address the pressing issue. Participants considered neglect, limited social responsibilities and low levels of self-defence as the main reasons for violence against children. Speaking at the event, representative of the union Pham Thi Tuyet Mai said despite playing a crucial role in raising and protecting the next generation, many parents did not properly understand children’s rights, while others used physical violence to discipline their children. There is therefore an urgent need for more awareness raising programmes and parenting forums, she added. According to Pham Quoc Nhat, an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a recent research conducted by the ministry revealed that in Vietnam mothers were more likely to abuse their children than fathers. He also noted that the government was implementing a programme against domestic violence this year in an effort to tackle the issue.- Friendship association promotes Vietnam-Hungary ties The Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Association (VHFA) will continue its people-to-people diplomacy mission along with promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially on economy, trade, culture, education and science technology. The association’s task for the 2014-2019 tenure were agreed upon at its fourth national congress in Hanoi on November 18. Addressing the event, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Thi Hoang Van hailed the VHFA’s achievements in developing Vietnam-Hungary ties during the previous tenure. She also urged the association to continue enhancing its connections with Hungary-based friends, partners and Vietnamese communities, acting as a bridge between the two countries and their peoples. Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Torda Eszter said the embassy will actively work with the VHFA to develop relations between the two peoples. The congress elected a 46-member executive committee, with former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Dang Vang as President. On the occasion, several VHFA units and individuals were honoured for their active contributions to people-to-people diplomacy. Vietnam modernises industrial waste water observation Studies related to the observation of industrial waste water discharged from industrial zones (IZs) in Vietnam through mobile analysing stations were introduced at a seminar in Hanoi on November 18. Prof., Dr. Bui Duy Cam said this is the first time the country has had observation stations designed as mobile laboratories, which help analyse immediately all toxins and dangerous agents in waste water such as acidity, alkalinity and conductivity, thus drawing appropriate treatment measures. Vietnam sees the increasing number of industrial parks, and almost all fail to have sustainable solutions to industrial waste water, he said. In order to meet the demand of treating waste water in IZs, a pilot project has been carried out in Tra Noc Industrial Zone in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho , which is expected to pave the way for upcoming projects in other zones nationwide. Scientists and management agencies will be responsible for assisting enterprises operating in IZs in applying waste treatment technologies, Cam said, adding that businesses should focus on upgrading infrastructure facilities for the work. Studies presented at the seminar are part of a 2.5 million EUR project aimed at promoting waste water treatment for industrial zones in Vietnam, which was jointly funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The project has been implementing by eight German research institutes and nine Vietnamese partners from 2010-2015. Mekong Delta builds climate change adaptation irrigation system The Mekong Delta localities have planned to build irrigation works in a bid to better respond to climate change in the coming time, according to the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region. Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the committee, said from now to 2020, the localities will focus on developing and upgrading infrastructure facilities to protect vulnerable urban areas from flood, while reinforcing breakwater and embankment systems. They will also build drainage and irrigation works, and take non-structural measures to deal with climate change. Projects to control salt intrusion and store fresh water for aquaculture, and others to ensure the safety for farming areas shall be developed and upgraded. Immediately, anti-flood measures will be implemented in major cities in the region such as Can Tho, Ca Mau and Vinh Long, Quang said. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Mekong Delta has five water reservoirs and a great number of irrigation stations and canals capable of watering 3.1 million hectares (80 percent of the region’s farmland area). In addition, it also boasts nearly 26,000 anti-flood embankments and 460 km of breakwater. Beauty services bloom at year’s end Various kinds of service have been opened and attracted a large number of customers to beauty salons. Since early November, many discount programmes for lip tints or full body care have been offered. Vouchers worth VND500,000 (USD24) to VND5 million have been being handed out to attract more customers. Anh Hong, a HCM City local, said she often bought long-term service this time around because it was cheaper. “At the end of the year, beauty salons are often crowded, but their services are more diverse,” she said. These shops attract not only domestic customers, but also overseas Vietnamese who return for beauty services, especially around Tet. Nguyen Thanh Van, director of Thanh Van Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, said the number of overseas Vietnamese customers could increase by 30-40%. South Korean technology is especially sought-after. An American-Vietnamese said her favourite procedures are facial treatments. “Previously, surgery was required to tighten the skin, but now, non-surgical face lifts are available.” A Canadian-Vietnamese woman also said she chose “V Lift”, a non-surgical skin tightening and face-lift technology, because the cost in Vietnam is about one-tenth of than in Canada. Many beauty salons even act as conduits to connect customers with doctors. Customers often pay double to ask a South Korean doctor to come Vietnam. The director of one beauty salon said that non-surgical treatments are becoming increasingly popular. He predicts that the number of customers would surge by the end of the year. Law book cover angers comedian Comedian Cong Ly expressed his displeasure after a publishing house issued a law book using a photoshopped picture of him, nearly in the buff, on the cover. The newly-published book, Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014, was issued by Labour Publishing House with 1,000 copies. The cover is a curious image of a smiling man in his underwear holding what appears to be the balance scales of justice. In reality, the man is a comedian named Cong Ly. “I’ve heard the news, but haven’t seen the picture yet. I don’t think it’s right for a publisher to use a picture of me without my permission. They are using my image to sell their products without consideration on the impact to my image. Some might get the impression that I sold that picture for money,” said Cong Ly. He went on to say that he would appreciate a cooperative attitude from the publisher in resolving the issue, such as a public apology. “I want to know how many copies of this book have been withdrawn and what their plan is for buying back the rest,” he said. On November 17, Nguyen Huy Chanh, a representative of Labour Publishing House, said they discovered the mistake several months ago and immediately attempted to recover the copies. However, for some reason, some are still being sold in bookstores in the South. “Most copies have been recovered, but after hearing the story in the media, we’ll do our best to comb through store inventories to get back any missing copies,” he said, adding, “We apologise and have assigned employees to oversee this process.” Chanh said that the company would have to review the printing before giving any further public statements. The Labour Publishing House has now claimed that their partner, Labour Bookstore, added the photoshopped picture of comedian Cong Ly without his consent or their agreement. Vu Anh Tuan, deputy head of Labour Publishing House, said the book, Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014, is the product of a collaboration between the publishing house and Labour Bookstore in HCM City. They noticed the mistake with the cover only after the books are printed. On July 22, they issued a recall on the copies. Tuan said, “The Labour Bookstore was responsible for submitting the legal deposit copy. We found out later that the Labour Bookstore changed the approved content.” In addition, the original name of the book was supposed to be Learning about Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014. According to Tuan, they asked permission to print 1,000 copies but in reality, only issued 500. As of November 17, only 270 copies had been recovered. Tuan admitted that they had been careless for not overseeing the printing process carefully and would work with Labour Bookstore to locate and recall the remaining copies. Upon learning that his image of him wearing only underwear was used for the cover of a law textbook, comedian Cong Ly voiced his displeasure and asked for more cooperative attitude from publisher. Teacher’s small survey indicates lack of extracurriculars education An unofficial survey of 45 students in Ha Tinh Province carried out by a teacher suggests that Vietnamese students may spend too much time studying and not enough learning real life skills. Tran Dinh Tro, is teacher of the 12th grade at Huong Son High School. After questioning his students, Tro recorded all the answers and learned that most of them were unable to perform a shocking number of everyday things, such as cooking. None of them regularly read anything but textbooks, even though Tro keeps a free library for them. In fact, the two students who did borrow books were made to stop when their parents found out. Their general goals were all similar – to graduate university and work for the state. Tro’s explanation was that parents keep such strict control over their children in order to give them better career options in the future. Many schools hold extra classes to better prepare them for this path, but they take away time for students to socialise and develop other healthy interests. “I’m very surprised that parents would prevent their children from reading books in order to force them to study only textbooks. Parents try to do as much as they can for their children, but this may prevent them from learning life skills,” said Tro. He added that this is a really warning sign for the education system in Vietnam and that unemployment among university grads could continue to rise unless real efforts are made change the situation. Small classroom nurtures high hopes Doong Village, Quang Binh Province is an area that only has seven students and special teachers. The head of the village said that before the class was set up, the first teacher stayed and lived in the village for two years. The villagers only knew him as Vinh from Nghe An Provinc. “It’s lucky that we met him because the nearest school is very far from our. We pooled money together and paid him VND700,000 a month. But he spent most of the money on books and school supplies for the students,” he said. After two years, literacy improved in the village, but after Vinh’s health did not allow him to travel, he returned to his hometown. Until 2012, a small classroom with just a blackboard and two long tables was set up. Currently, there are seven students, including one in the first grade, two in the third grade and four fifth grade. In order to provide for the needs of all the children, the Ethnic Boarding School Tan Trach assigned two teachers. Sau, one of the teachers, said, “In the village, there is no phone signal, electricity, clean water or clinic. In addition, the roads are difficult. It takes me several hours to reach the village.” Both teachers and students are hardworking but the classroom is still quite run down. The head of the village said, “Next year, we will have secondary and high school students and maybe even university students. Even though the living conditions are harsh, I want the children to have a proper education.” VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND Social News 20/11 Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Social News 20/11

New campaign fights violence against women Ministries and the UN in Viet Nam launched a national campaign yesterday in Ha Noi asking the pu...

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Cocoa sector in search of fresh way forward

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>HCM CITY (VNS) – The agricultural sector, companies, and researchers should do more research into the cocoa market, analysing its value chain and socio-economic impact, and utilise the by-products of the crop to develop the sector, a seminar heard in HCM City yesterday. Le Duc Thinh, deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Cooperative Economy and Rural Development, said not much research is done into cocoa and the industry lacks professional researchers. Most researchers in the field are from other sectors, he said, and much of their studies is impracticable, he told the seminar organised by the Cao Nguyen Xanh Joint Stock Company. They focus on particular problems to cope with short-term challenges related to production, improving quality, expanding cultivation area, and diseases, while basic research to achieve greater understanding of the fundamental aspects of the sector is lacking, he said. The Government has invested in research but that mainly focuses on seedling and farming techniques, and few studies are done on developing the domestic cocoa market, marketing strategies, or developing the value chain, he said. This should be changed, and the Government should collaborate with the private sector for such research and strengthen co-operation with international cocoa research organisations, he said. Nguyen Van Hoa, deputy director of the Department of Crop Production, said though cocoa trees were introduced to Viet Nam in the 1950s, cocoa plantations did not prosper until 10 years ago. Since cocoa is still a relatively new crop in Viet Nam, more research is needed to come up with better cultivation techniques to improve efficiency, he said. The area under the crop has increased from 2,000-3,000ha in 2003-04 to nearly 20,000ha now. Those areas applying proper farming techniques achieve very high yields, he said. Experts said the industry has new opportunities thanks to the growing global demand, which is expected to cause a shortage of one million tonnes by 2020. The seminar was held as part of the “Cooperation for enhancing sustainable cocoa development,” a Viet Nam-Netherlands public private partnership project for sustainable cocoa development, which aligns the public efforts with those by Rabobank Foundation, Mars Incorporated, Cargill and others. – VNS Cocoa sector in search of fresh way forward Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Cocoa sector in search of fresh way forward

HCM CITY (VNS) – The agricultural sector, companies, and researchers should do more research into the cocoa market, analysing its value chai...

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Ministry issues instructions to stop H5N8 reaching VN

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>HA NOI (VNS) – The Ministry of Health has instructed the public to follow precautionary measures to prevent the A/H5N8 bird flu strain from spreading to Viet Nam after several cases were reported in European and Asian countries. The virus had not been detected in Viet Nam so far, but there was a high risk of it spreading to the country, said deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Animal Health, Dam Xuan Thanh, at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control on Tuesday. He explained that unusual climate change would reduce animals’ resistance to the virus, while more poultry was being transported to meet the increasing demand during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. To prevent the virus from spreading, people are advised not to slaughter or eat sick or dead chickens and ducks, and to inform local authorities of such cases. They should also seek medical help if they contract flu-like symptoms after contact with poultry. The Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and international organisations to keep a close watch on the spread of the A/H5N8 virus in poultry and humans. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, no cases of A/H5N8 in humans had been recorded in the world so far. However, the virus led to the destruction of millions of farm birds in Asia, mainly the Republic of Korea , China and Japan , after an outbreak earlier this year. – VNS Ministry issues instructions to stop H5N8 reaching VN Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Ministry issues instructions to stop H5N8 reaching VN

HA NOI (VNS) – The Ministry of Health has instructed the public to follow precautionary measures to prevent the A/H5N8 bird flu strain from ...

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Social News 20/1

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>New campaign fights violence against women Ministries and the UN in Viet Nam launched a national campaign yesterday in Ha Noi asking the public – especially men – to take action to end violence against women. The initiative’s timing marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the UN in Viet Nam and other development partners organised the campaign, which will host workshops, exhibitions, runs, street dances and other activities between Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 in 12 provinces and cities across the country. Huynh Vinh Ai, the deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Viet Nam had a solid legal framework in place to address gender equality and gender-based violence. However, more needs to be done to ensure that the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control is further reinforced and implemented, he said. “Let’s work together to ensure that Vietnamese men and boys ‘raise hands to hold, not to hit,'” he said. The National Study on Domestic Violence Against Women, released by the General Statistics Office and the UN in Viet Nam in 2010, found that 58 per cent of married women experienced at least one form of violence – physical, mental or sexual – at some point in their lives. About 50 per cent of victims did not tell anyone about the violence they endured, and 87 per cent did not seek help from public services. Gender-based violence cost Viet Nam nearly 1.5 per cent of national GDP in 2012, in out-of-pocket expenditures and lost earnings, a recent UN study found. “If we want to reduce violence, we have to socialise boys and girls differently, and we will have to rethink the idea of what is male and what is female,” said Pratibha Mehta, resident co-ordinator of the UN in Viet Nam. “We will have to develop partnerships between men and women.” Motorcycle driver killed in Son Tinh A motorcycle driver was killed after he was hit by a train in Son Tinh District’s Tinh Tho Commune last Monday. Local police said Le Van Cuong, 25, a district resident, was driving a homemade motorcycle across the North-South Railway near Dai Loc Railway Station in the district when the train rushed by. Cuong failed to see the train in time and died after suffering from a direct hit. Pham Tien Dung, head of the Dai Loc Railway Station, said there was no barrier at the spot where the accident happened, and large trees also blocked people’s view of the railway, making it quite dangerous for those who have to cross. HCM City clinics need more doctors The head of HCM City’s Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs has urged the Health Department to increase the number of doctors at ward and commune’s health centres, many of which have only one doctor. Huynh Cong Hung, head of the committee under the city’s People’s Council, said that only 13 out of 318 health centres in wards and communes have two doctors, and the remaining have only one. “One doctor is not enough,” Hung said at meeting of the committee and Health Department. Each ward and commune health centre should have at least two doctors, he said. To ensure health care and disease prevention, the wards and communes should be given priority to invest in facilities, equipment and human resources, he added. Nguyen Tri Dung, head of the city’s Preventive Health Centre, said the health centres had few doctors for several reasons, including low salaries. “Even a few doctors have left some centres,” Dung said. The department has recruited doctors from the city University of Medicine and Pharmacy to work in the ward and commune health centres, he said. “But we are worried they will work for just a short time,” he said. It is estimated that the city needs at least an additional 1,015 healthcare employees, including doctors for health centres at wards and communes, according to Le Minh Hung, deputy head of Health Department’s Medical Affairs Division. He said the department needed VND178 billion (US$8.5 million) to build and upgrade substandard health centres at communes and wards next year. Of 318 health centres at communes and wards, 282 meet building and equipment standards. Thi Thi Tuyet Nhung, deputy head of the Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs, has asked the department to give funding priority to substandard health centres. Hung said the Preventive Health Centre was also seeking ways to eliminate dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease in districts 8, Binh Chanh, Binh Tan and Thu Duc, where there is a high incidence of the diseases. Japan to teach farmers use of high-tech equipment Japanese entrepreneurs plan to teach Vietnamese farmers advanced farming technologies so they can enter export markets with strict food-safety standards and improve the value of their produce. During a seminar held last weekend in HCM City about the cooperation potential between Japan and Viet Nam, entrepreneurs and experts from both countries discussed how Viet Nam could improve the quality of its produce. The Vietnamese agricultural sector includes mostly small-scale, households that generally produce an unsatisfactory quantity and quality of farm products, which has created a hurdle for farm produce to enter the strictly regulated market of Japan. Japan, which is experienced in hi-tech farming, exports farm produce such as beef and apples to Viet Nam, while the amount of Vietnamese farm produce exported to Japan remains limited. In Da Lat, two Japanese farmers began working with a local company to produce vegetables in November last year. According to the investors, they face three challenges in the city: a long rainy reason, outdated equipment and low quality of human resources. Takaya Hanaoka, general director of An Phu Lacue Limited, said the company wanted to use high-tech equipment and send Vietnamese to Japan to learn how to use advanced technologies. “Viet Nam has nice weather and people, but we cannot buy advanced technology equipment and materials here. We can buy them easily in Japan. Vietnamese farmers don’t know how to use Japanese farming technology. I want to teach them. I hope to bring young students to Japan to study,” he said. In the past, several Japanese enterprises in Viet Nam have visited the country to strike deals to export local products to Japan and to other countries with strict standards. Nakajima Satoshi, Consul General of Japan in HCM City, told local media on the seminar’s sidelines that Viet Nam, for example, was now delivering tuna to Japan. “Leaders of some provinces in Japan have also visited Viet Nam to seek partners in the agro-forestry-fishery sector,” said the consul general. Nguyen Trung Dung, trade counselor for the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, said Vietnamese vegetables were in high demand in Japan but food safety rules were hindering entry. “It’s good to export Vietnamese mango to Japan, but we have to improve the strains as well as cultivation and processing technologies. In Japan, I visited a greenhouse encased with glass with mangoes planted inside, and outside was thick snow. A 350g mango sold for US$50,” Dung said. The trade official urged Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate with Japan in acquiring technologies and different strains. Bringing the equipment to Viet Nam is prohibitively expensive, but Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) has promised that it would ship some equipment to Da Lat. Nguyen Huu Dat, director of the Post Import Quarantine Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said better technologies would open doors to Vietnamese exports, but approval for export entry takes time. Between 2008 and 2009, Viet Nam began exporting dragonfruit to the US and Japan. Now, the country has exported roughly 1,400 tonnes of dragonfruit to the market every year, according to the centre. Yasuzumi Hirotaka, managing director of JETRO’s HCM City Office, said in order to attract more investment in Japan, Viet Nam should further reform administrative procedures. Only two Japanese companies have successfully invested in agricultural sectors in Viet Nam, he said. The others have been reluctant to do so because of cumbersome administrative procedures and the quality of human resources. Endangered animals rescued from traders The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is caring for six endangered animals seized from illegal traders in the central province of Quang Binh, its management board said. The animals – three stump-tailed macaques, two Assam macaques and a reticulated python – are in bad health, having suffered various injuries. All the rescued animals are listed as endangered species in the Viet Nam Red Book, which means they require strict protection. Cement factories leave residents covered in dust Thousands of people in Kien Luong Town’s Tam Thuoc Ward in this Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang have been suffering from the severe dust pollution of five cement factories for years. The factories are Kien Giang Cement Factory, Ha Tien-Kien Giang Cement Factory and Ha Tien Cement Factory, each with a capacity of 82,000 to 200,000 tonnes per year; and Kien Luong Cement Factory and Holcim Cement Factory, each with a capacity of one million tonnes per year. Most of the factories apparently failed to comply with environmental protection regulations. “Dust can be seen everywhere. It even sticks to our bodies and creates much discomfort,” said resident Nguyen Thi Ha. She admitted having to repeatedly wash her face to remove the cement dust that kept sticking to her nose. La Nhu Ty, another resident said: “I often collect about 300 to 400 grammes of cement dust on my house floor every night.” Cement dust was also blamed for the health problems of numerous residents, added Ty. A representative of the ward agreed, noting that many residents; most of them cement factory workers, had died of cancer of either the lung, skin or nasopharynx since 2003. Resident Tong Quang Quyen said all people at the ward were expecting concerned agencies to quickly solve the problem by either building a system to treat cement dust or doing something to restore the fresh air there. Truong Minh Sang, head of the district natural resources and environment office, revealed that he had submitted a proposal for solving the problem to the provincial natural resources and environment department and Viet Nam Environment Administration. Germany supports forest protection in Viet Nam The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the German Development Bank (KfW) yesterday signed a financial agreement to support the project titled “Protection and Inclusive Management of Forest Ecosystems in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai”. The seven-year project, worth about EUR11.3 million (US$14 million), included EUR8 million in official development assistance. The project will focus on maintaining the ecological integrity and biodiversity of natural forest ecosystems in Viet Nam’s central and central highland regions while raising local living standards. The project will cover 28,000ha of natural forests in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said the two countries had co-operated effectively in many fields in previous years. The German Government via the German Development Bank had contributed EUR120 million ($150 million) to Viet Nam to plant forests and manage natural resources since 1995, he said. Tuan said the projects had helped to increase the rate of forest coverage, sustainably develop the ecological system and raise incomes for thousands of households in mountainous and rural areas, especially people from ethnic groups. The rate of forest coverage had increased from 28 per cent to 41 per cent since 1995, he said. Christine Heimburger, director for East Asia and the Pacific for KfW, said she highly appreciated the Vietnamese Government’s commitment, and looked forward to long-term co-operation with Viet Nam. Issue of child abuse requires greater attention The Vietnam Woman’s Union hosted a workshop on the role of parents in preventing child abuse on November 18, discussing relevant facts and figures as well as practical measures to address the pressing issue. Participants considered neglect, limited social responsibilities and low levels of self-defence as the main reasons for violence against children. Speaking at the event, representative of the union Pham Thi Tuyet Mai said despite playing a crucial role in raising and protecting the next generation, many parents did not properly understand children’s rights, while others used physical violence to discipline their children. There is therefore an urgent need for more awareness raising programmes and parenting forums, she added. According to Pham Quoc Nhat, an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a recent research conducted by the ministry revealed that in Vietnam mothers were more likely to abuse their children than fathers. He also noted that the government was implementing a programme against domestic violence this year in an effort to tackle the issue.- Friendship association promotes Vietnam-Hungary ties The Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Association (VHFA) will continue its people-to-people diplomacy mission along with promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially on economy, trade, culture, education and science technology. The association’s task for the 2014-2019 tenure were agreed upon at its fourth national congress in Hanoi on November 18. Addressing the event, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Thi Hoang Van hailed the VHFA’s achievements in developing Vietnam-Hungary ties during the previous tenure. She also urged the association to continue enhancing its connections with Hungary-based friends, partners and Vietnamese communities, acting as a bridge between the two countries and their peoples. Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Torda Eszter said the embassy will actively work with the VHFA to develop relations between the two peoples. The congress elected a 46-member executive committee, with former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Dang Vang as President. On the occasion, several VHFA units and individuals were honoured for their active contributions to people-to-people diplomacy. Vietnam modernises industrial waste water observation Studies related to the observation of industrial waste water discharged from industrial zones (IZs) in Vietnam through mobile analysing stations were introduced at a seminar in Hanoi on November 18. Prof., Dr. Bui Duy Cam said this is the first time the country has had observation stations designed as mobile laboratories, which help analyse immediately all toxins and dangerous agents in waste water such as acidity, alkalinity and conductivity, thus drawing appropriate treatment measures. Vietnam sees the increasing number of industrial parks, and almost all fail to have sustainable solutions to industrial waste water, he said. In order to meet the demand of treating waste water in IZs, a pilot project has been carried out in Tra Noc Industrial Zone in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho , which is expected to pave the way for upcoming projects in other zones nationwide. Scientists and management agencies will be responsible for assisting enterprises operating in IZs in applying waste treatment technologies, Cam said, adding that businesses should focus on upgrading infrastructure facilities for the work. Studies presented at the seminar are part of a 2.5 million EUR project aimed at promoting waste water treatment for industrial zones in Vietnam, which was jointly funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The project has been implementing by eight German research institutes and nine Vietnamese partners from 2010-2015. Mekong Delta builds climate change adaptation irrigation system The Mekong Delta localities have planned to build irrigation works in a bid to better respond to climate change in the coming time, according to the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region. Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the committee, said from now to 2020, the localities will focus on developing and upgrading infrastructure facilities to protect vulnerable urban areas from flood, while reinforcing breakwater and embankment systems. They will also build drainage and irrigation works, and take non-structural measures to deal with climate change. Projects to control salt intrusion and store fresh water for aquaculture, and others to ensure the safety for farming areas shall be developed and upgraded. Immediately, anti-flood measures will be implemented in major cities in the region such as Can Tho, Ca Mau and Vinh Long, Quang said. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Mekong Delta has five water reservoirs and a great number of irrigation stations and canals capable of watering 3.1 million hectares (80 percent of the region’s farmland area). In addition, it also boasts nearly 26,000 anti-flood embankments and 460 km of breakwater. Beauty services bloom at year’s end Various kinds of service have been opened and attracted a large number of customers to beauty salons. Since early November, many discount programmes for lip tints or full body care have been offered. Vouchers worth VND500,000 (USD24) to VND5 million have been being handed out to attract more customers. Anh Hong, a HCM City local, said she often bought long-term service this time around because it was cheaper. “At the end of the year, beauty salons are often crowded, but their services are more diverse,” she said. These shops attract not only domestic customers, but also overseas Vietnamese who return for beauty services, especially around Tet. Nguyen Thanh Van, director of Thanh Van Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, said the number of overseas Vietnamese customers could increase by 30-40%. South Korean technology is especially sought-after. An American-Vietnamese said her favourite procedures are facial treatments. “Previously, surgery was required to tighten the skin, but now, non-surgical face lifts are available.” A Canadian-Vietnamese woman also said she chose “V Lift”, a non-surgical skin tightening and face-lift technology, because the cost in Vietnam is about one-tenth of than in Canada. Many beauty salons even act as conduits to connect customers with doctors. Customers often pay double to ask a South Korean doctor to come Vietnam. The director of one beauty salon said that non-surgical treatments are becoming increasingly popular. He predicts that the number of customers would surge by the end of the year. Law book cover angers comedian Comedian Cong Ly expressed his displeasure after a publishing house issued a law book using a photoshopped picture of him, nearly in the buff, on the cover. The newly-published book, Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014, was issued by Labour Publishing House with 1,000 copies. The cover is a curious image of a smiling man in his underwear holding what appears to be the balance scales of justice. In reality, the man is a comedian named Cong Ly. “I’ve heard the news, but haven’t seen the picture yet. I don’t think it’s right for a publisher to use a picture of me without my permission. They are using my image to sell their products without consideration on the impact to my image. Some might get the impression that I sold that picture for money,” said Cong Ly. He went on to say that he would appreciate a cooperative attitude from the publisher in resolving the issue, such as a public apology. “I want to know how many copies of this book have been withdrawn and what their plan is for buying back the rest,” he said. On November 17, Nguyen Huy Chanh, a representative of Labour Publishing House, said they discovered the mistake several months ago and immediately attempted to recover the copies. However, for some reason, some are still being sold in bookstores in the South. “Most copies have been recovered, but after hearing the story in the media, we’ll do our best to comb through store inventories to get back any missing copies,” he said, adding, “We apologise and have assigned employees to oversee this process.” Chanh said that the company would have to review the printing before giving any further public statements. The Labour Publishing House has now claimed that their partner, Labour Bookstore, added the photoshopped picture of comedian Cong Ly without his consent or their agreement. Vu Anh Tuan, deputy head of Labour Publishing House, said the book, Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014, is the product of a collaboration between the publishing house and Labour Bookstore in HCM City. They noticed the mistake with the cover only after the books are printed. On July 22, they issued a recall on the copies. Tuan said, “The Labour Bookstore was responsible for submitting the legal deposit copy. We found out later that the Labour Bookstore changed the approved content.” In addition, the original name of the book was supposed to be Learning about Civil Code and Implementation Guidelines 2014. According to Tuan, they asked permission to print 1,000 copies but in reality, only issued 500. As of November 17, only 270 copies had been recovered. Tuan admitted that they had been careless for not overseeing the printing process carefully and would work with Labour Bookstore to locate and recall the remaining copies. Upon learning that his image of him wearing only underwear was used for the cover of a law textbook, comedian Cong Ly voiced his displeasure and asked for more cooperative attitude from publisher. Teacher’s small survey indicates lack of extracurriculars education An unofficial survey of 45 students in Ha Tinh Province carried out by a teacher suggests that Vietnamese students may spend too much time studying and not enough learning real life skills. Tran Dinh Tro, is teacher of the 12th grade at Huong Son High School. After questioning his students, Tro recorded all the answers and learned that most of them were unable to perform a shocking number of everyday things, such as cooking. None of them regularly read anything but textbooks, even though Tro keeps a free library for them. In fact, the two students who did borrow books were made to stop when their parents found out. Their general goals were all similar – to graduate university and work for the state. Tro’s explanation was that parents keep such strict control over their children in order to give them better career options in the future. Many schools hold extra classes to better prepare them for this path, but they take away time for students to socialise and develop other healthy interests. “I’m very surprised that parents would prevent their children from reading books in order to force them to study only textbooks. Parents try to do as much as they can for their children, but this may prevent them from learning life skills,” said Tro. He added that this is a really warning sign for the education system in Vietnam and that unemployment among university grads could continue to rise unless real efforts are made change the situation. Small classroom nurtures high hopes Doong Village, Quang Binh Province is an area that only has seven students and special teachers. The head of the village said that before the class was set up, the first teacher stayed and lived in the village for two years. The villagers only knew him as Vinh from Nghe An Provinc. “It’s lucky that we met him because the nearest school is very far from our. We pooled money together and paid him VND700,000 a month. But he spent most of the money on books and school supplies for the students,” he said. After two years, literacy improved in the village, but after Vinh’s health did not allow him to travel, he returned to his hometown. Until 2012, a small classroom with just a blackboard and two long tables was set up. Currently, there are seven students, including one in the first grade, two in the third grade and four fifth grade. In order to provide for the needs of all the children, the Ethnic Boarding School Tan Trach assigned two teachers. Sau, one of the teachers, said, “In the village, there is no phone signal, electricity, clean water or clinic. In addition, the roads are difficult. It takes me several hours to reach the village.” Both teachers and students are hardworking but the classroom is still quite run down. The head of the village said, “Next year, we will have secondary and high school students and maybe even university students. Even though the living conditions are harsh, I want the children to have a proper education.” VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND Social News 20/1 Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Social News 20/1

New campaign fights violence against women Ministries and the UN in Viet Nam launched a national campaign yesterday in Ha Noi asking the pu...

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Health Ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>The Ministry of Health recommends the public to strictly follow precautionary measures in order to prevent the A/H5N8 bird flu strain, which currently occurs in poultry in several European and Asian countries, from infecting humans. People are advised not to slaughter or eat ill or died chickens and ducks, and to inform local authorities when detecting abnormally ill or died fowls. They are also recommended to visit medical stations for checking and treatment if flu symptoms occur after they get in touch with fowls. The ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and international organisations to keep a close watch on the spread of the A/H5N8 virus in poultry and humans to have timely response measures. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, no A/H5N8 case in humans has been recorded in the world so far. However, the virus led to the destruction of millions of farm birds in Asia, mainly the Republic of Korea, China and Japan, after an outbreak earlier this year. Health Ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Health Ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread

The Ministry of Health recommends the public to strictly follow precautionary measures in order to prevent the A/H5N8 bird flu strain, which...

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Vietnam faces high risk of A/H5N8 bird flu

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='http://bit.ly/1z4eBKs'><img alt="1592622-gia-cam-vn-aa3a5" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="300" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1z4eBKs" width="430"/> </a> Although there have been no reported cases of A/H5N8 bird flu in Vietnam, there is a high risk that there will be cases in the future, an official said. Dam Xuan Thanh, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Animal Health Department, made the statement at a recent meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control. Vietnam yet to detect type A/H5N8 According to Thanh, the results from recent tests showed that the virus had turned up in the UK and the Netherlands. It has genetic structure similar to the virus detected earlier in China, South Korea and Japan in January. A/H5N8 has a high fatality rate among chickens, and especially turkeys, and it has been found in wild birds and poultry other Asian countries. “Vietnam faces a high risk of the virus turning up here, so it’s necessary to strictly comply with prevention rules,” Thanh emphasised. The A/H5N1 strand of bird flu has been detected in many localities across the country, forcing locals to destroy thousands of of their birds since the beginning of the year. Vietnam faces high risk of A/H5N8 bird flu Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1z4eBKs" width="200"/> </div>

Vietnam faces high risk of A/H5N8 bird flu

Although there have been no reported cases of A/H5N8 bird flu in Vietnam, there is a high risk that there will be cases in the future, an ...

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Germany provides EUR8 million to forest protection in Vietnam

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'> Germany provides EUR8 million to forest protection in Vietnam Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1vwY6t6" width="200"/> <table> <tr> <td> <div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 510px' id='attachment_1592605'><a href='http://bit.ly/1vwY6t6'><img alt="The signing ceremony between MARD and Germany's KfW Development Bank. (Photo: CPV)" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="306" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1vwY6t6" width="500"/> </a> The signing ceremony between MARD and Germany's KfW Development Bank. (Photo: CPV) </div> (CPV) - On November 18th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and Germany’s KfW Development Bank signed a financial agreement funding the project of protecting and managing the forest ecosystem in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces (KfW10). Accordingly, KfW10 will be implemented over 7 years (2014-2020) with a total capital of EUR11.29 million. Of this, non-refundable ODA capital is EUR8 million and Vietnam’s reciprocal capital is EUR3.29 million. The project aims to contribute to maintaining the perfection of the ecosystem and biological diversity of the natural fresh ecosystem in Central and Central Highlands of Vietnam, as well as improving the living conditions for local people. The project will target protecting and managing natural forest and sustainable production with about 28,110 hectares in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai, ensuring a regular and stable income for 110 village communities through creating a diverse range of products from the forest. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ha Cong Tuan, said at the signing ceremony that the Government of the two countries have witnessed effective cooperation in many fields. Since 1995, the German Government, through the KfW Development Bank, has funded EUR120 million for 14 forest projects in Vietnam, in which 11 projects were hosted by the MARD. The projects significantly contributed to increasing forest coverage and developing the biological diversity of the forest ecosystem in a sustainable manner, helping to raise the income and standard of living for thousands of households in rural and remote areas./. </td> </tr> </table> </div>

Germany provides EUR8 million to forest protection in Vietnam

Germany provides EUR8 million to forest protection in Vietnam Related image(s) The signing ceremony between MARD and Germany's KfW Deve...

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Health ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread in poultry

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Inspection of chickens sold at local poultry market (Photo: VNA) The Ministry of Health recommends the public to strictly follow precautionary measures in order to prevent the A/H5N8 bird flu strain, which currently occurs in poultry in several European and Asian countries, from infecting humans. People are advised not to slaughter or eat ill or died chickens and ducks, and to inform local authorities when detecting abnormally ill or died fowls. They are also recommended to visit medical stations for checking and treatment if flu symptoms occur after they get in touch with fowls. The ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and international organisations to keep a close watch on the spread of the A/H5N8 virus in poultry and humans to have timely response measures. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, no A/H5N8 case in humans has been recorded in the world so far. However, the virus led to the destruction of millions of farm birds in Asia, mainly the Republic of Korea , China and Japan , after an outbreak earlier this year.-VNA Health ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread in poultry Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Health ministry warns risk of A/H5N8 virus spread in poultry

Inspection of chickens sold at local poultry market (Photo: VNA) The Ministry of Health recommends the public to strictly follow precautiona...

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Social News 19/11

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Bribery scandal targets officials of many enterprises <a href='http://bit.ly/1z4exdA'><img alt="1592466-20141119141855-1" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="270" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1z4exdA" width="480"/> </a> A Ministry of Health (MoH) working group investigating the bribery scandal involving American firm Bio-Rad Laboratories has revealed that senior officials and employees of dozens of local enterprises may be implicated. The documents uncovered to date reveal that 22 hospitals, 8 institutes, 4 medicine and pharmaceutical universities, 3 project management boards and 15 clinic centres, all purchased products of Bio-Rad during the relevant period. The MoH reported that 13 Vietnamese firms imported medical equipment of Bio-Rad from 2005 to 2010, and 25 other enterprises were authorized to buy and sell products, including testing and diagnostics equipment supplied by the US firm in Vietnam. The Ministry is currently coordinating with relevant agencies to expand the scope of the investigation to include the senior officials and employees of the 90 enterprises and conduct further investigation into the fraud. The US Securities and Exchange Commission previously announced that Bio-Rad Laboratories and subsidiaries had admitted making improper payments worth US$7.5 million to officials in Russia, Thailand and Viet Nam in order to win contracts. The firm also confessed in official court documents that it paid US$2.2 million to Vietnamese officials and employees to win business deals between 2005 and 2009. Chinese caught with heroin near northern border A Chinese national was caught red-handed carrying over 975 grams of heroin in Ka Long ward, Mong Cai city, the northern border province of Quang Ninh on November 18. Chen Sheng Ji, born in 1959 in Dongxing, confessed that he was hired to transport the drug from China to Vietnam and deliver it to a man named Thang in Ha Long city. At present, the Mong Cai International Border Gate’s Border Guard is investigating into the case. Since September 2014, the gate border guard has arrested six drug traffickers and seized 16kg of drugs in total. Vietnam participates in Int’l Toilet Festival An International Toilet Festival from November 18-20 in New Delhi has drawn the participation of seven countries including Vietnam, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Laos, Afghanistan, and India. The event organised by Sulabh International aims to promote environmental sanitation in New Delhi on the occasion of World Toilet Day (November 19) and to spread the message of sanitation and cleanliness. Nearly 2,000 participants including 1,000 students, 200 sanitation workers and 100 widows lined up in a ring, wearing toilet bowls on their heads in the centre of New Delhi on opening day. A big black-and-white toilet bowl with a height of 60 cm made from fiber glass, wood, plaster and other materials was also on display. On the occasion, Indian Prime Minister Modi launched ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ campaign known as Clean India Mission, aiming to raise public awareness of cleanliness and better sanitation among its citizens. Vietnam Journalists Association visits China A delegation of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) led by Vice Chairman Ha Minh Hue is on a visit to China from November 16 and 22 at the invitation of All-China Journalists Association (ACJA). At a meeting with an ACJA delegation headed by Executive Secretary Zhu Shouchen, the two sides discussed a number of issues regarding journalism and their activities. They said friendship and cooperation between the two associations have been developed in recent times with a number of exchange visits to share experience in the field and enhance mutual understanding. They agreed to further cement their traditional ties. An ACJA delegation will visit Vietnam later this year. During the visit in China, the Vietnamese delegation also met with leaders of many local press agencies, and toured several training establishments, museums and exhibitions in Beijing, Wuhan city of Hubei province and Guangzhou city of Guangdong province. Vietnam attends the UN charity bazaar in Geneva A Vietnamese delegation took part in the 2014 International Charity Bazaar held at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on November 18 to fund charitable projects and programmes for the benefit of children in the world. Vietnam attends 131st IPU Assembly in Geneva The Vietnamese pavilion, which featured traditional dishes and handicrafts, attracted a large number of visitors. The annual bazaar, organised by the United Nations Women’s Guild (UNWG), aims to raise funds for disadvantaged children around the world. It has attracted more than 6,000 visitors and raised approximately US$300,000 every year. Hanoi hosts 36th ASEAN Railway CEOs’ Conference The 36 th ASEAN Railway CEOs’ Conference kicked off in Hanoi on November 18. As many as 206 delegates and observers from the railway industry in Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , Thailand and Vietnam , as well as representatives from the International Union of Railways and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific are participating in the three-day event. Addressing the conference, Vietnamese Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong stressed the important role of railways in transport and logistics, which he said foster economic growth in the region, especially once the ASEAN Economic Community is formed in 2015. The conference provides an opportunity for leaders of the region’s railway sector to devise joint development plans in order to consolidate their cooperation for a united and prosperous ASEAN Community, Dong said. Chairman of the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VRC) Tran Ngoc Thanh affirmed the VRC’s willingness to learn from the experience of other railway systems in the region and the world so as to effectively implement restructuring measures. Representatives from Malaysia and Cambodia suggested the railway system be run by the private sector, while the State should be responsible for investments in infrastructure development and maintenance. Fishermen lack safe harbours to dock boats As the stormy season approaches, a lack of safe shelter for fishing boats worries seamen in the central province of Quang Tri. The province cannot provide safe anchorage for many of its 2,200 fishing boats. Some shelters are being built, but at present they provide little protection. Vessels that cannot find safe shelter can be quickly damaged by raging seas and strong winds. Director of the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Van Bai, said the department would search for more sources of funding so it could complete more shelters. Vo Thanh Khiem, a fisherman from Cua Viet Town in Gio Linh District, said ship shelters in his region were few and didn’t meet local needs. He said he had to anchor his ship 3km from his house, out in the elements at the foot of Gio Mai Bridge. Nguyen Van Binh, another seaman from the town, said that Gio Linh and Trieu Phong districts shared the Trieu An shelter in Trieu An Commune, but it was too small to hold all the boats. Binh said that at most, only seven ships could be sheltered. “Arguments occur because boat owners fight each for safe space,” he said. Trieu An’s 34ha-shelter was started in 2010, and so far has cost VND82.6 billion (US$3.9 million). It was designed to contain 250 boats, but, to date, can hold no more than 70. The Cua Tung boat shelter project in Vinh Linh District was approved in 2010, but is still no completed. Construction is expected to continue next year. Nguyen Truong Ki, chairman of the Cua Viet People’s Committee, said that during the storm season, ships from other provinces came to Cua Viet desperately seeking shelter, often without any luck. Higher fines for land license delays The Government has released a decree detailing fines for land administration offences, which range from VND500,000 ($23) to VND1 billion ($47,600) depending on the violation. Organisations responsible for transferring licenses and land use rights to homebuyers will be fined between VND10 million ($475) and VND1 billion ($47,600) for failing to meet deadlines. If licenses for 100 households are not transferred within one year, the responsible organisation will be issued fines ranging from VND500 million ($23,800) to VND1 billion ($47,600). Organisations face fines twice those imposed on individuals. A resident of Nam Tu Liem District’s Dai Mo Ward said that the decree was good because the threat of strict punishment would get the work completed faster. She said that she had lived in the ward since 1970, but had never received land and house use rights certificates. More than 10 other households in the area were in the same situation. The residents had petitioned the district people’s committee many times, but received the answer that they should keep waiting. “My house is old and I want to repair it, but I was not allowed to because I did not have enough papers,” she said. Dat Lanh Real Estate deputy director Nguyen Van Duc told Nguoi lao dong (Labourer) newspaper that the fine of VND1 billion ($47,600) was too high for enterprises to afford in the current economic situation. “Every enterprise wants to transfer land use rights certificates to residents quickly, but sometimes the work goes slowly due to small problems,” Duc said. He cited one instance where an enterprise built a 17-storey building with 16 completed storeys, but one storey had flaws, making the transfer process slow. Complicated procedures were the main reason for the slowness, he said, recommending that district people’s committees be wholly responsible for the job. Currently, the document is sent first to the local department of natural resources and environment before being returned to the people’s committee for processing. Former Standing Deputy Minister of Construction Pham Si Liem said that the punishment of VND1 billion ($47,600) was not fair for investors, who also struggled with complicated administrative procedures. “The decree will not help residents get land use rights certificates sooner,” he said. Liem suggested defining clearly what “slow” land use right certificate transfer was and whether houses must be transferred together with land use right certificates. Yen Bai residents get free health checks Ha Noi Heart Hospital staff gave free health checks to about 200 poor and elderly residents in the northern province of Yen Bai’s Viet Hong Commune yesterday. The residents received free medicine and healthcare consultations. Ministry of Health officials also visited and provided the commune health station with 14 new pieces of equipment including computers, beds and a basic surgery set. On the same day, the Children’s Fund in the central province of Nghe An and the Operation Smile organisation started a six-day long free surgery programme for 150 children with cleft lips and palates. Drivers penalised for overweight trucks Authorities in the northern province of Tuyen Quang collected over VND860 million (US$41,300) in fines during a 10-month vehicle weight inspection campaign. Local police working together with Department of Transport staff fined owners of 250 vehicles, or about 22 per cent of the total inspected vehicles, for exceeding their load capabilities. Additionally, 227 drivers were stripped of their licenses. Run for Peace takes place in Ha Noi Peace Run was organised in Ha Noi yesterday by the Viet Nam Union for Friendship Organisations. About 70 local and international athletes took part along with teachers and students of Ngo Sy Lien Junior High school and Tran Phu High school. Viet Nam and Australia were the ending points of the Asia-Pacific Peace Run route, which started in Russia and went through 13 countries. Highway contractors must work faster The Ministry of Transport ordered BOT (Build – Operate – Transfer) contractors of the Ho Chi Minh Highway project to speed up their assigned tasks or risk being replaced. The decision was based on an inspection carried out last Saturday by a special task force from the ministry. The inspection covered a highway section crossing the Central Highlands that stretches almost 200 km. After the inspection, the ministry gave warnings to Pacific Property and Infrastructure Development JSC for falling behind schedule in setting up depots for construction materials, according to Tien Phong (The Vanguard) newspaper. The section is scheduled to be covered with asphalt before Tet, with priority given to parts of the highway running across residential areas, according to the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Unit. The Duc Thanh Gia Lai Group (DTGL), BOT contractor for the Bridge 38 – Dong Xoai section, was also given warnings for delays as well as failing to conduct necessary repairs on degraded areas of completed highway. The group representative attributed the delays to difficulty in securing funding, saying that banks had only agreed to a disbursement rate of 75 per cent instead of the usual 85 per cent for BOT projects. After conducting an on-site examination, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong did not find this reason sufficient. Truong said that if the contractor did not complete its section before December 31, it would lose the right to collect tolls throughout the route. Nguyen Tien Dung, Director General of Duc Long Gia Lai Group, said the group was to complete 70 per cent of their workload (about 57 km) before the end of the year. The deadline for Viet Nam Waterway Construction Corporation, Tranimexco and Pacific Property and Infrastructure Development JSC to make progress is November 20. The ministry instructed the project’s Management Unit to replace these contractors if they failed to demonstrate progress by the deadline. The ministry requested that the highway section over the Central Highlands be completed by May 2015 in a proposal already approved by the Prime Minister. The Ho Chi Minh Highway begins in northern Cao Bang Province and ends in Ca Mau Province in the Mekong Delta. Stretching over 3,183 km, it links 28 cities and provinces. Germany provides non-refundable aid for Vietnam The German Government will provide non-refundable aid worth EUR8 million for a project on forest ecosystem protection and management in Vietnam. An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on November 18 between representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the German Reconstruction Bank (KfW). The seven-year KfW10 project will be implemented in the Central and Central Highlands provinces of Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Gia Lai, at a total cost of EUR11.29 million. MARD Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said the project will protect the natural resources and biodiversity of 28,110ha of forests in the three provinces, and increase incomes for local households in 110 villages and communes. Since 1995, the German Government, through the KfW, has provided more than EUR120 million for 14 projects on afforestation and the protection and management of natural resources in Vietnam, with 11 projects implemented by MARD. Vietnam is KfW’s third-largest strategic partner in Asia, just after China and India. KfW’s total investment capital in Vietnam reached EUR1.2 billion (US$1.66 billion), with 71 projects receiving EUR594 million (US$822 million) so far. Singapore helps train Vietnamese officials Some 20 senior government officials of Vietnam are attending a training programme on public administration, policy and governance from Nov. 11-28 by the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration under Singapore’s Nanyang Technology University. This is the first group of some 160 officials to receive further training in 2014 and next years with sponsorship of Singapore’s Temasek Foundation. Over the past seven years since 2007, Temasek Foundation has sponsored 17 programmes worth about 10 million SGD for Vietnam in education, healthcare and public administration fields, Gerald Yeo, Programme and Partnerships Director of Temasek Foundation, told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Singapore. He expressed his hope that this training programme for senior officials will be a “multiplier”, having “core training effect”, saying that “the participants would be able to implement some of what they have learnt back into the institutions.” According to Professor Liu Hong, Director of Nanyang Centre for Public Administration, in two weeks, the participants will interact with senior professors, former ministers and current Parliament members who will speak on Singapore’s experience in terms of urban development, economic development, social management, development of talents; leadership; and anti-corruption practices in Singapore. The Vietnamese senior officials will also visit some Government agencies, the Parliament, industrial parks, gardens… so that they could have “first-hand knowledge about how Singapore has been successful in terms of social, economic, political development over the past years”, he added. According to the Professor, the main objectives are to introduce Singapore practices, especially Singapore’s successful experiences, in public governance and administration, leadership development; to enhance relationship between Singapore and Vietnam; and to exchange opinions about how countries in Asia can develop fast and work closely. Two Vietnamese to attend GES Youth 2014 Pham Anh Khoa and Tran Thi Thuy Trang will represent Vietnamese young businesspeople to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit Youth (GES Youth 2014) in Marrakech City, Morocco from November 19-21. This is a GES annual event initiated by US President Barack Obama, aiming to encourage and support start-up business among young entrepreneurs globally. Main speakers at this year’s event will be US Vice President Joe Biden and secretaries and ministers from the US and Morocco. The event will bring together over 3,000 entrepreneurs, together with heads of state, senior government officials, global entrepreneurs, small medium enterprises (SMEs), corporate leaders, and young entrepreneurs. Khoa and Trang have won scholarships to study in the US and many other educational awards. Khoa is a co-founder of non-profitable organisation VietAbroader recognised by the US Department of Education. Meanwhile Trang received Australian Prime Minister’s certificate of merit and is one of eight US alumni to meet US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Free surgery for children with cleft lips, palates in central provinces As many as 150 free cleft lip and palate surgeries will be conducted on children in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh in an attempt to help them integrate into society and pursue their education. The programme, running from November 17-22, is jointly organised by the Operation Smile Organisation, Nghe An province’s Hospital 115 and fund for child care and protection. In recent years Nghe An implemented a number of policies and programmes on child care and protection, especially for children with disabilities. Over the past 20 years, the province mobilised over VND178 billion (US$8.36 million) to help almost 80,000 children access medical services. Additionally, 3,000 cases of optical malformation were treated and over 3,500 cleft lips and palates were operated on. The heart surgery programme saved the lives of 835 children living with congenital heart disease. On the occasion, the Construction Corporation No 4 (CIENCO 4) gave 150 gifts to the children receiving surgery. Operation Smile also ran a training course on “therapeutic language” for medical staff and officers of the provincial fund for child care and protection. Nghe An is home to more than 200,000 people with disabilities. Vice President meets CEO of Operation Smile Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan expressed her hope that the US organisation Operation Smile would continue its support in providing plastic surgery on children with cleft palates and lips, training personnel and transferring technology during a meeting with the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer William Magee in Hanoi on November 17. Praising the non-governmental organisation (NGO) for its work in Vietnam over the past 25 years, Doan said it had contributed to the Vietnam-US relations and helped nearly 115,000 Vietnamese children with disabilities to lead normal lives. Magee said as the first NGO to work in Vietnam, Operation Smile was committed in the long term to providing free medical services. The organisation is working with the Ministry of Health to apply the Global Standard of Care in the country, and hopes for the government’s support in bringing more skilled voluntary surgeons to Vietnam, the guest said. Hue Hospital celebrates 200 successful kidney transplants The Hue Central Hospital in the central province of Thua Thien Hue held a ceremony on November 17 to mark 200 successful kidney transplant cases conducted by its experts and to honor the voluntary kidney donors. Hospital Director Bui Duc Phu said the hospital performed the first kidney transplant in 2001, and the new kidney functioned well on 100% of recipients during the first year, which is a high rate even compared with international standards. So far, 14 hospitals in the country have carried out kidney transplants successfully. The cost of a kidney transplant at a Vietnamese hospital is around VND150 million (US$7,100) while it could be between VND800 million-VND1 billion (US$38,000-US$47,600) abroad. Sunken ship’s location found The location of the Phuc Xuan 68 ship, which sank after colliding with another ship in waters off central Khanh Hoa province on Nov. 9, was finally found, announced the Office of the National Committee for Search and Rescue on Nov. 16. After the collision, three sailors on the Phuc Xuan 68 were rescued while eight others are still missing. A team of 6 ships and 4 canoes are searching for the eight missing. The Phuc Xuan 68 was found using 3D scanning device at a location 10.7 nautical miles from the south-southeast of Hon Tre Island, Nha Trang City and 3.2 nautical miles from the east-northeast of Hon Noi Island, Cam Ranh City. Police bust synthetic drug trafficking ring Dong Dang town police in the northern province of Lang Son have smashed a large-scale transnational drug trafficking ring smuggling synthetic drugs from China to Vietnam. They arrested Trieu Thi Lanh, 38, who lives in Tan Thanh commune, Van Lang district on November 16 for drug trafficking and confiscated 4kg of synthetic drugs. The bust was carried out successfully after police officials discovered Lanh had hidden the drugs in plastic bags inside cans of Chao (rice porridge). Preliminary investigation revealed that Lanh admitted she received the drugs from a Chinese man at the Tan Thanh border gate and was promised VND20 million for her part in the scheme. Police said they would continue to investigate the case. Diplomats’ spouses throw a fest in Prague The Diplomatic Spouses Association in the Republic of Czech on November 16 organized a diplomatic festival for diplomats and their wives from over 50 embassies at the Hilton Hotel in Prague to strengthen cultural relations and raise funds for charity. Pham Ngoc Tram, wife of the Vietnam Ambassador to Czech said the event was highly successful and offered agreat occasion introduce the country’s art and handicraft products and traditional cuisine to international friends. Guests attending the event were captivated by the songs and dances of Vietnamese children of Son Ca Club in praise of the fatherland, Tram said. In 2013, the fair raised about VND2.6 billion to help upgrade medical equipment at hospitals to better assist children and the elderly in the Republic of Czech. Since 2000, the annual event has collected cumulatively roughly VND58 billion for charitable causes. HCM City shortage of methadone hurts recovering addicts Drug addicts in HCM City are suffering because de-addiction centres are unable to procure the required amount of methadone, local reports say. A Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper report yesterday quoted Mai Thi Hoai Son, a member of the HCM City Committee for AIDS Control, as saying international programmes helping drug addicts were not providing sufficient quantities of methadone to Vietnamese clinics. Methadone is a drug that has proved effective in treating opiate addiction. City authorities had recently approved a plan to increase the use of this drug in detoxification treatment. The plan expects to treat 4,000 people with methadone by the end of 2014 and 8,000 people by the end of 2015, but these targets are proving difficult to achieve because of the supply shortage. Son said the City has approved the committee’s proposal that the sum of VND 7.7 billion (US$366,000) be earmarked to buy methadone and help the centres, but approval for the purchase was still pending. She explained that proposal submitted to the department contained some drugs restricted by City administration earlier, and this was creating delays in obtaining the approval. Under the proposal, the methadone received from international aid programmes would be supplied free to those needing treatment, but a fee of VND10,000 ($0.47) per dose would be charged for additional supplies. While the committee waits for the proposal to be approved, the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS has decided to supply HCM City authorities with additional methadone, the Tuoi Tre report said. Of this, the HCM City Committee for AIDS Control will receive methadone to treat 3,000 addicts in Districts 1, 12 and Binh Tan. HCM City currently has eight methadone treatment centres in seven districts, and authorities have plans plan to build more in the remaining 17 districts. Media responds to climate change Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaborated with the organizers of Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security for Southeast Asia region held a workshop titled “Media responds to climate change and food security” in Hanoi on November 17. According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, in the recent years, climate change has caused damage and losses in hundreds of billions for the country. Responding to climate change, deputy minister Doanh called people should raise their awareness; local authorities, relevant ministries, departments, media need to effort in popularizion activities on environment protection through mass communications. Representative the organizer of Program said that during the past 50 years, Vietnam was suffering not only impacts of sea level rise of 20 cm but also the annual average temperature from 0.5 – 0. 7 degree Celsius due to climate related problem. Every year, the natural disaster has created extreme weather, resulting in losses equivalent to 1, 5 percent of the nation’s GDP. Around 90 percent Vietnamese people have dental diseases At a meeting held by Hanoi Medicine University and the U.S. non-profit organization Operation Smile, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that around 90 percent of the country’s population have dental disease. Though the country has highest number of people with dental disease, the rate of dentists is lower than that of other nations in the region and in the world. According to the Vietnam Odonto – Maxillo – Facial’s figure, the rate of dentist is 1 per 26,000 population while it is one dentist per 500-1,000 people in the region. Accordingly, the training of more dentists is a must do. As many as 20 scientific reported on dental diseases during two day meeting which attracted the participant of nearly 600 local and international dentists. Websites shut down for illegal content The Ministry of Information and Communications has shut down four news websites for violating the law. The sites are zuum.vn, thugian.com.vn, lamthenaoaz.vn and blogtamsu.vn. These electronic news and social sites and social networks operated without the authorities’ permission and provided content that did not conform to the law. AEG Company and EBIZ Viet Nam Electromic Commerce and Promoting Technology Joint-stock Company, which own zuum.vn and thugian.com.vn, along with lamthenaoaz.vn owner Hoang Ngoc Binh and blogtamsu.vn owner Doan Van Thang, were fined VND7.5-55 million (US$350-2,600) each. Foreigner caught committing ATM fraud Cau Ong Lanh Ward Police in HCM City’s District 1 caught a Bulgarian man using an ATM card to steal money from someone else’s account. An HSBC Bank employee caught Ivan Slabob Rusev, 37, in the act last Saturday and screamed for help. Hearing the screaming, the police caught Rusev. After searching his body and motorbike, the police seized more than 30 ATM cards and VND80 million (US$3,800). Rusev admitted to the police that he received the cards from two friends in Bulgaria and used them to take money from various ATMs in District 1. VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND Social News 19/11 Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1z4exdA" width="200"/> </div>

Social News 19/11

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