Ho Chi Minh City Police have arrested 16 Chinese fraudsters who used technology to swindle fellow countrymen living in China.

Investigators uncovered a scam in which telecom devices were installed in rented house in Binh Tan district. These were used to make the wealthy Chinese residents believe that their bank accounts had been hacked.

The residents then unintentionally handed over their account information to the fraudsters when trying to ensure their accounts were secure.

The fraudsters capitalised by transferring money into other accounts.

Central Highlands preserve ethnic languages

Localities in the Central Highlands region have taken many measures to preserve and uphold the languages of ethnic minority groups, such as Ede, M’nong, K’ho, Ma, Churu, Bana and J’rai.

According to the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands, the localities have worked closely with relevant agencies to compile five different Vietnamese-ethnic minority language dictionaries.

The writing and speaking of ethnic languages is also being taught in primary and boarding schools in the areas where many people from ethnic groups live.

The provinces have also collected, compiled and published many bilingual book titles in Vietnamese and ethnic languages and widely introduced them to hamlets and villages in the region.

In addition, local television stations have increased the quality and quantity of programmes broadcast in ethnic languages. Other forms of media are also aiming to become more accessible.

The Vietnam News Agency has taken part in the efforts by publishing bilingual news and photography bulletins in Vietnamese and five ethnic minority languages, including Ede and Bana.

The Voice of Vietnam in the region also produces programmes in Ede, J’rai, Bana, K’ho, Xedang and M’nong, while Vietnamese Television’s VTV5 channel televises all of its programmes in 26 ethnic minority languages, including eight from the Central Highlands.

Almost 10,000 teachers and officials in the region have been trained and granted certificates to teach students ethnic minority languages. A growing number of pupils in Dak Lak province alone are joining the courses keeping the languages alive and actively used.

Continuing the trend, Central Highlands localities have now been asked by the regional steering committee to get colleges and universities to set up faculties of ethnic minority languages.

VTV opens China representative office

Vietnam Television (VTV), the national television broadcaster of Vietnam, officially inaugurated its resident office in Beijing, China, on September 24.

At the opening ceremony, VTV General Director Tran Binh Minh said that the new office will help update Vietnamese viewers on international news in a timely and objective manner.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho considered the inauguration as a turning point in the cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese press agencies, contributing to both countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.

Counsellor of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Information Department Yan Jiarong welcomed the presence of VTV’s resident office in Beijing and praised it as a manifestation of growing relations between the two countries.

On this occasion, VTV and China Central Television (CCTV) inked a cooperation agreement to enhance the exchange of news, television programmes and experience.-

The British Council (BC) on September 24 unveiled a plan to establish a Vietnam-Britain international university in central Da Nang city in October.

Initiated by the BC, the future university will benefit from a strategic partnership shaped by Da Nang University on the Vietnamese side and Aston and Rolls Royce International universities on the British side.

The event reflects the partial realisation of the strategic education cooperation established by Vietnam and the UK at a time when the two countries are saluting the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The same day, the visiting Prince Andrew, Duke of York, presented full-term scholarships, worth 600 million VND, to four excellent students in Vietnam.

The Royal Family’s full-term scholarships are granted to those who have not only excelled in studies but have also been involved in social and voluntary activities and shown leadership capability.-

Two missing in boat

Two people are missing after a boat overturned in the Dong Nai 3 reservoir in Dak Som Commune in the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak's Dak G'Long yesterday afternoon. Another three workers made it safely to shore.

The two victims, Ngo Quoc Dat, 20, and Nguyen Dinh De, 26, were among five workers from the HCM City-based C75 Co Ltd who were building a road across the reservoir. Yesterday they hired a boat to go sightseeing on the reservoir.

Local authorities are investigating.

Dien Bien reports first swine flu death

A 44-year-old man died of A/H1N1 influenza in northern mountainous Dien Bien Province's General Hospital on Monday, the province's first death caused by the virus in 2013.

The deceased was hospitalised with hypertension and breathing difficulties on September 13. He was sick for four days before being sent to the hospital, where it was confirmed that he had contracted the virus.

Rice vermicelli producers fined

Five rice vermicelli establishments in the Mekong Delta's Ben Tre Province were fined a total of VND92.5 million (US$4,347) for producing vermicelli containing Tinopal, a banned chemical.

The news was announced by Vo Hong Khanh, inspector general of the provincial Health Department on Tuesday.

Violating establishments admitted buying vermicelli mainly from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

New cases of HIV decline for third year

An average of 29 people contracted HIV every day in the first five months of this year, announced a meeting held on Tuesday in Ha Noi.

Bac Ninh, Gia Lai, Lai Chau and Nghe An provinces saw more HIV infections than last year.

Reports from the meeting show that Viet Nam has successfully kept the ratio of people infected with HIV below 0.3 per cent. The country now has over 213,000 people living with HIV.

Child helmet campaign enjoys success

HCM City has seen an increasing number of children using helmets in the last two years, following a national campaign on the importance of helmet use for children aged six and above.

Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, deputy chief of HCM City's Traffic Safety Committee, said that Go Vap District had the highest jump in the city, from 22.6 per cent in 2011 to 80 per cent.

This year, the city began imposing fines, according to Tuong.

In the first six months of the year, city police have imposed fines on 5,000 violators.

Many city campaigns including the "Children Also Need A Helmet" national launch, have been effective, he said.

Since 2011, the committee has co-operated with the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation and the municipal Department of Health to carry out the campaign.

The campaign also has helped the capital city of Ha Noi and central Da Nang, where helmet use increased to 52.7 per cent and 34.7 per cent, respectively, said Nguyen Dieu Nuong, AIP's programme director.

However, the percentage of children wearing helmets is still lower than that of adults, Nuong said.

Moreover, nearly 60 per cent of children in Viet Nam face a high risk of injury from traffic accidents because of the lack of a helmet, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A report from the National Safety Committee showed that 50,000 people had experienced brain injuries caused by traffic accidents last year. Of them, 13.4 per cent were children. Of that figure, half were due to the lack of a helmet.

Because of the report's findings, the national helmet campaign will continue in three major cities, Tuong said.

It will be expanded to 18 districts in these cities, Nuong said.

In the campaign's third period, a TV commercial, "When I Grow Up", and a documentary, "In Retrospect", will continue to be broadcast on national and local media outlets, she added.

More new billboards near primary schools and public places will replace old ones to promote helmet use, she said.

Moreover, information sessions and audio broadcasts will continue be held in schools, as well as a photography contest for family ambassadors on helmet use, Nuong said.

According to Tuong, the campaign has contributed to changing parents' ideas and creating a habit of helmet use for children when on motorbikes.

Parent Nguyen Thi Thu Ha of Tan Phu District said that she always asks her children to wear a helmet.

Tran Hoang Ngoc Tran, a third grader at the school, said she had been wearing a helmet since she was five years old.

HCMC education funding tied up in red tape tangle

HCM City has been offering interest-free funding for educational projects, especially private schools, since 2011, but many complain it is almost impossible to borrow because of red tape.

The city offers the loan for building and expanding kindergartens, schools, colleges, and other institutions a maximum of VND100 billion (US$4.8 million) through the HCM City Finance and Investment State-Owned Company (HFIC).

Speaking at a workshop yesterday, Le Hoai Nam, deputy head of the city Department of Education and Training, said the programme funds expansion of facilities and purchase of equipment.

But Pham Thanh Tam, rector of Hong Duc Private High School in Tan Phu and Binh Thanh districts, said it is not easy to borrow and involves a long wait for verification by multiple agencies like the departments of planning and investment, construction, and planning and architecture.

His school had filed an application with the construction department in 2011, but has yet to hear from it, he said.

A representative of Ngo Thoi Nhiem Private High School in District 9, who asked not to be named, said she had been interested in borrowing from the programme and applied to the planning department in 2000.

"The department has still not replied," she said.

Not surprisingly, she said she is no longer keen on borrowing.

Bui Gia Hieu, chairman of Nhan Viet Private High School in HCM City and Central Highlands Dak Lak Province, said he had hoped to benefit from the stimulus programme.

But since he did not have experience in making investment plans, he had to hire a consultancy, he said.

But that would have cost VND2 billion ($95,238), a sum the school cannot afford, he said.

He hoped the HFIC would set up a consultancy division to make it easier for schools.

Nam said so far there have been only 59 borrowers under the programme.

HCM City looks at transport solutions

The first bus rapid transit (BRT) line in HCM City will be ready by mid-2018 and will be linked with the city's proposed metro network, according to the city Urban-Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority (UCCI).

Luong Minh Phuc, head of the UCCI, said the BRT line 1, a dedicated lane on the Vo Van Kiet- Mai Chi Tho Highway, would be the first of six under a 2012-20 transport development plan.

The 28.6-kilometre route would cost US$155.85 million, with $142.25 million coming from the World Bank, Phuc told a workshop held in the city yesterday.

The People's Committee has assigned the UCCI to execute the project, he said, and the agency would scale up the BRT model and develop the remaining lines with support from the World Bank and others.

The first line, which is expected to use compressed natural gas (CNG), will run through the districts of Binh Chanh, Binh Tan, 6, 5, 1, and 2, with start at the proposed new Mien Tay Bus Station in Binh Chanh and end at the Cat Lai intersection.

A depot will be built in Thu Thiem besides 31 stops, four terminals, and two transit stations for transfer to rail and other routes. There will be 30 buses operating on the line.

"The project, which is undergoing a feasibility study, will improve traffic capacity and reduce travel time on east-west routes," Phuc said.

"It will also help cut down energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as the number of accidents."

Ajay Kumar, lead transport economist of the World Bank, said: "BRT is potentially cost-effective and affordable."

Its performance, passenger attractiveness, and capacity are comparable to rail equivalents, he said, adding that it could enable sustainable land development.

Work is set to begin next year.

The 24km BRT line 2 is planned along Nguyen Van Linh Street from the new Mien Tay terminal to Phu My bridge.

The 19km line 3 will run along Ring Road 2 from An Suong intersection to the new Mien Tay terminal.

The 14.5km line 4 will be from Kha Van Can Street to Chien Thang Park along the Tan Son Nhat-Binh Loi Ring Road.

The 8.7km line 5 will be from Thoai Ngoc Hau Street to Nguyen Van Linh Street, and the 8.5km line 6 will be along Quang Trung Street.

BRT models are also proposed for Ha Noi and Da Nang.

Police urge electric bike regulation rethink

Nguyen Thu Lan didn't think her high-school age daughter was ready for a motorbike, so she bought an electric bicycle for her to drive to school.

"It's easy to drive and quite safe," the Ha Noi mother said.

However, it might not be as safe as she believes.

As more electric bicycles hit the road, the number of dangerous violations is also increasing, said Nguyen Hoang Hiep, deputy chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee.

"Electric bicycles pose the same risk of causing traffic accidents as motorbikes, so management authorities need to quickly create regulations to prevent such accidents from happening," Hiep said.

Recently, electric bicycles have become a popular means of transport for young people due to their convenience and attractive design.

Many parents like Lan are rushing to buy them for their kids, even though they cost from VND8-12 million (US$376-564) – double the cost of ordinary bikes.

However, the quality of electric bicycles varies widely; moreover, there are few regulations governing their usage, leading to dangerous practices.

Last month, a high school girl driving an electric bicycle without a helmet died in a collision with a car at Le Van Luong-Hoang Minh Giam crossroads, near Ha Noi-Amsterdam High School.

Near other high schools such as Viet Duc, Nguyen Trai, Phan Dinh Phung and Le Quy Don, many students have been spotted driving three or four abreast, carrying an excessive number of passengers and not wearing helmets.

Fines for violators are between VND75,000-150,000 ($3.5-7.1).

Electric bicycle drivers don't need driving licenses or registration papers, so the police can't seize violators' vehicles, said Pham Van Hau, deputy head of the Ha Noi Police Department's Traffic Police Office.

"We have worked with the departments of education and training to notify schools about students' violations, but this method is not effective. A simple warning is not strict enough," Hau said.

The quality of electric bicycles is also a major issue for both authorities and consumers. Many bicycles are designed to go up to 50kph, as fast as motorbikes. But the brakes and wheels are much smaller than those of motorbikes, causing danger for drivers.

Trinh Van Ngoc, head of Ha Noi Market Watch, said that the lack of rules governing design meant that inspectors could not exercise control over bicycle quality.

Experts said the ministry of transport should increase fines or even seize violators' vehicles.

The ministry has asked the Viet Nam Register Department to submit a circular on national standards for electric bicycles to the ministry by next month.

Rotary presents wheelchairs for children with disability

The Rotary of Australia presented 166 wheelchairs worth US$21,580 to disabled children and Agent Orange victims from Ha Noi, Ha Nam, Lao Cai, Nam Dinh and Nghe An.

The wheelchairs would help the disabled and agent orange victims to overcome difficulties and more easily join community activities, said Danny Low, Rotary's representative in Viet Nam.

Australian Ambassador Hugh Borroman also joined the events which was held in Ha Nam on Saturday.

Projects take stink out of waste issue

Farmers in Hoai Duc District's Tien Yen Commune are learning how to recycle organic waste by re-using it as fertiliser.

In the nearby communes of Cat Que, Duong Lieu and Minh Khai, infrastructure to treat garbage and waste water will soon be in place. And under a VND50 billion (US$2 million) project, an underground culvert system will connect a lake filled with waste to a treatment facility.

These programmes are part of a citywide plan to improve sanitation in suburban districts, which have long lagged behind the centre when it comes to treating and disposing of waste.

The city's 18 suburban districts contain around 65,000 tonnes of untreated waste in lakes, ponds, canals and ditches, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The city also plans to speed up the construction of waste treatment centres in Soc Son, Dong Anh, Dan Phuong and Chuong My districts and is encouraging people's committees to set up their own collection and treatment groups.

Only Soc Son, Dong Anh, Tu Liem, Gia Lam and Thanh Tri have their own sanitation units. The other 13 have to hire sanitation workers from private companies.

Green construction key to development

Green architecture and construction is not just a trend; it should be a compulsory part of construction practices, said speakers at a seminar yesterday in central Da Nang City.

In a country where swift economic development has resulted in fast urbanisation and increasing pollution, green construction techniques are urgently needed to reduce the depletion of natural resources and gas emissions.

Green construction can also reduce costs, pointed out Hoang Manh Nguyen of the Tropical Architecture Institute in Ha Noi Architecture University.

This factor is especially important for Viet Nam because it is not as wealthy as other countries in the region, he said.

Yannick Millet, senior consultant of the Viet Nam Green Building Council, encouraged creative changes to design, operation and maintenance.

However, other participants emphasized that it was also important to keep in mind the distinct features of localities and the country's 54 ethnic minority cultures.

They also called for the development of green construction techniques that addressed climate change as well as a constitutional framework for green construction.

Attendees learned about the global Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction, with prizes totally valued at US$2 million.

Marine environment protection project launched in Binh Thuan

A project on the protection of the marine environment was launched in Phan Thiet city of the central coastal province of Binh Thuan on September 25 to improve the awareness of fishermen and the community on the work.

The Blue Ocean World, a joint project between the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund and the Vo Viet Chung company, saw various activities conducted including the cleaning of the beach, the distribution of decomposable plastic bags, and the call on fishermen not to use chemicals and explosives in their operation.

Representatives of the project also talked with locals on the harms caused by the pollution to their daily life.

In the time to come, the project will organise painting contests for children in fishing communities and fashion designing competition on the theme.

Disadvantaged students receive tuition subsidies

More than 8,000 disadvantaged students have received performance-based tuition subsidies under a three-year program funded by the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The US$3 million program was implemented by the East Meets West (EMW) Foundation between 2010 and 2013 and targeted poor students from 67 high schools in 12 provinces across the country.

The program motivated schools to engage disadvantaged youth by funding fruitions expenses for each student. Funds were then reimbursed to the school after students complete the academic term.

Speaking at a ceremony held on September 24 to mark the end of the program, Nguyen Minh Chau, EMW Country Director, said the model could be replicated across Vietnam.

Program statistics show that only 4.5 percent of beneficiaries dropped out of school during the three years, mainly due to poor performance and economic hardship.

Ea Ding reservoir dam in high risk of crumpling

The dam of Ea Ding irrigation reservoir in Daklak Province’s Krong Nang District has suffered a serious landslide triggered by torrential rains in recent days, which may lead to a fatal collapse, the provincial committee for flood and storm prevention said.

Soil on the body of the dam has fallen down with a length of around 15 meters and the dam’s width has now been reduced by half.

After this landslide, the water level at the reservoir has been lowered but is still high and only 1.5 meter from the top level.

With the landslide and such high water level, the risk of the dam crumpling is very high.

To ensure safety for the dam and downstream areas, the committee has asked the district to continue lowering the water level and adopt preventive measures. Besides, water storage at Ea Ding reservoir will not be allowed until safety is ensured.

According to the committee, the water levels of rivers in the province have decreased but some areas are still being flooded.

Storm No. 8 caused great damages to six districts of Daklak Province, especially Ea H’Leo and Ea Sup districts.

Seven people were reported dead, two missing, one injured, 2,360 houses flooded, 16 irrigation works damaged and 24 bridges washed away with total estimated damages worth VND193 billion.

Meanwhile, flash flood hitting Ea H’Leo District last Wednesday is the most serious one in the district in the past 23 years, said chairman of the district Vo Van Tap.

Speaking to the Daily on Monday, Tap said that heavy damages caused by the flood resulted from deforestation in watershed forests. Besides, natural forests have been replaced by rubber plantations which cannot prevent floods, he added.

According to Tap, the heaviest flood on record some 23 years ago was not as devastating as the one hitting the district last week.

Nguyen Anh Dung, deputy director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, also admitted that forests have been cut down much now and thus heavier damages for downstream areas are inevitable.

Daklak Province previously planned nearly 70 locations for hydropower projects. However, it has recently canceled many as such projects cause huge loss of forests, Dung said.

Impact of retirement age extension needs to be examined

A draft law on social insurance is being put forth, suggesting an extension of the retirement age to 65 and an introduction of a new pensioner fund on all enterprises from 2020 to cope with a deep deficit of the social insurance fund in the years to come. But the proposed extension has aroused concerns, said Giang Thanh Long, deputy director of the Institute of Public Policy and Management.

There have been numerous forecasts by organizations and researchers that the social insurance will run into a huge deficit in the near future, mainly resulting from an imbalance between the fund’s input and output.

However, Long noted, a comprehensive evaluation is needed to measure the effectiveness of the solution on extending the retirement age to 65 for all from the current 60 for men and 55 for women.

The social insurance fund is to become imbalanced as the amount paid by laborers and employers is 20% of the wages currently and expected to be raised to 22% from next year while the highest amount paid to retirees may be as high as 75% of the wages.

Another reason is the aging population as the number of people paying social insurance tends to fall due to declining birth rate. Meanwhile, the number of people receiving pensions is rising due to higher life expectancy.

Long said that increasing the retirement age to balance the fund’s input and output is a solution many countries have been applying.

Studies conducted in recent years point out that if Vietnam’s retirement ages are increased as suggested, the social insurance fund will remain balanced by dozens of more years.

However, with current socioeconomic conditions in Vietnam, it is necessary to carefully consider this solution with many questions to be answered. Key issues include how to secure enough jobs for one million new laborers each year when older people still stay in the labor market, and whether old people are really willing to continue working for a longer period of time.

Findings of a survey conducted in 2011 with over 4,000 people aged over 50 indicate that fewer than 10% of them want to continue working after they turn 60.

According to Long, the main reason for this is health issues, and thus it is necessary to carry out a sociological survey on a larger scale to provide accurate information for policymakers.

Furthermore, balancing the fund is only one of the targets and many other socioeconomic targets should be taken into account before deciding on increasing the retirement ages.

In addition, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs suggests establishing a supplementary pension fund. Regarding the proposal, Long said that such a fund has been applied in many countries, especially developed ones.

The fund that will be used for investment aims to increase regular incomes for people registering for social insurance when they retire, he added.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that such a fund is set up based on voluntary contributions of employers and employees.

Although the supplementary fund is voluntary among employers and employees, there will still be involvement of the State to facilitate effective operations of the fund and ensure benefits and duties of the parties involved, Long said.

Netherlands funds water supply project

Nearly 20,000 households in HCMC, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Can Tho will be supplied with clean water from the climate change and water supply project funded by the Dutch government.

The Netherlands-based Vitens Evides International (VET) on Tuesday signed an agreement with water companies in HCMC, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Can Tho University to provide capital for the project.

Speaking to the Daily at the signing ceremony, director of VET Gerhard Van Den Top said that the Dutch government via VET will grant some five million among ten million euros needed for the project. The remaining five million euros will be sourced from reciprocal capital of water suppliers in the four localities, he added.

According to VET, the project will be implemented in four years, from now until 2017, with an aim to improve the water supply network in the face of climate change, rising sea level and salinity intrusion in many areas in the Mekong Delta and HCMC. Those benefiting from the project are poor people.

In HCMC, with 4.7 million euro from the project, Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) will focus on supplying water to poor residents by building ten kilometers of new water pipeline, upgrading another ten kilometers, adopting technical measures to reduce the chemical volume used at Tan Hiep water plant by 5% and reduce another 5% of power consumption at the plant.