Lean pork paste proved to emit light

Information that lean pork paste was giving off light proved to be true and was witnessed by many people, said Truong Hoang Kien, deputy director of the Quang Ninh Food Safety and Hygiene Department.

Earlier on May 22, Do Van Tuan, a resident in Ha Long City, discovered that a piece of lean pork paste he had bought to use as fish bait was giving off a blue light and called his neighbours to see.

They washed the lean pork paste and cut it into many small pieces, but it continued to give off the blue light.

Later, food safety and hygiene agencies searched for the reason why the lean pork paste was emitting light, said Kien.

Vu Thi Hang, a lecturer at Ha Noi University of Agriculture, said the lean pork paste might be contaminated with phosphorus, which can be oxygenated, and give off light. People could suffer from food poisoning if they consume such food.

Hanoi to replace overhead cables

Authorities in Ha Noi are seeking to remove the enormous tangle of overhead electric lines, phone and television cables.

The move comes as part of efforts to meet the deadline called for in the city's plan in 2011 to bury all wires underground by 2015.

According to the municipal People's Committee, tangled wires are making the city ugly and posing a threat to people's lives.

Accordingly, the Lighting and Urban Equipment Company will work with the Ha Noi Power Corporation to remove all wires that are no longer in use. The corporation estimated that it would have to remove about 120km of low-voltage lines. It said one problem was determining which lines were still in use.

The municipal Department of Transport will also replace 784 electric and light poles.

Within this year, the city plans to re-arrange overhead wires in four areas in the inner city and clear up the communications lines.

The committee's Deputy Chairman, Nguyen Quoc Hung, said he had assigned the Department of Construction to work on the problem.

So far, the department has set up three options for the city. The first is to re-arrange the wires and tie into bundles, which is estimated to cost VND100 million (US$4,700) per kilometer. The second option is to add more poles and beams to support the wires, which will cost about VND2 billion ($95,200) per kilometre. The third is to replace all wires, which would be very costly.

The People's Committee will soon select a final option.

Illegal imported cigarettes seized

The Ha Noi Market Watch Department's Team No 5 on Saturday apprehended a coach that was concealing more than 3,400 packs of cigarettes from the central province of Quang Tri to sell in Ha Noi.

The illegally imported cigarettes, with the trademarks of Jet, Hero and George Karelias, were not enclosed with any papers designating their origin.

The cigarettes were hidden under the passengers' beds.

The driver, Tran Binh Trong, 39, admitted he was hired to transport the goods and was paid VND300,000 (US$14) for each trip.

Man seized while smuggling ecstasy

The Quang Binh Border Guards yesterday arrested a man who was transporting 600 tablets of ecstasy from Laos to Viet Nam.

The man, often called Son, 22, lives in Laos' Khammouane Province. He was apprehended at the Cha Lo Border Gate.

Son admitted to having transported the ecstasy to sell to people in the central provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

Earlier last Friday, the Cao Bang People's Court on Friday handed down life sentences to two women, Le Thi Xuan, 42, and Hoang Thi Muot, 41, for selling heroin.

Xuan finished serving a sentence for selling heroin in 2008, but returned to selling the drug. Officials said she asked Be Van Hong, 42, a motorbike taxi driver, to contribute money and help sell heroin.

Xuan contributed VND100 million ($4,700), while Hong contributed VND200 million ($9,500), as they purchased more than 1kg of heroin from Muot.

Hong was arrested by the Ha Lang District Police while transporting the heroin to the border areas, as he intended to cross over to China to sell the heroin. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Bike ride held for Environment Day

More than 500 people on Saturday took part in a bicycle ride in HCM City's District 7 as part of activities to mark the World Environment Day this week (June 5).

The Bicycle Ride for a Green Environment event is organised by the Saigon Times Group and District 7 Sport Centre, and sponsored by the Consulate General of the US, HCM City's American Center and Intel Viet Nam.

Participants were from all walks of life, including businesspeople, government employees, workers, diplomats and expatriates in HCM City.

Rena Bitter, consul general of the US in HCM City, who also joined the ride, said, "Climate change is a challenge shared by all people worldwide. One person cannot stop climate change, but together we can make a difference for the future."

The bicycle ride began and ended at Phu My Hung Financial Centre at Tan Trao Street, which was five kilometres and went through Tan Trao, Nguyen Luong Bang, Tran Van Tra, Nguyen Duc Canh and Nguyen Van Linh streets.

HCM City Buddhists pray for peace in East Sea

More than 1,000 Buddhist monks, nuns and followers in Ho Chi Minh City on June 1 prayed for peace in the East Sea following China’s illegal placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig in Vietnamese waters.

At the ceremony, which took place at Pho Quang Pagoda in Tan Binh district, the participants also launched a campaign to raise funds for fishermen, coast guard and fisheries surveillance forces who are constantly safeguarding national sovereignty at sea.

The Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha cum Head of the HCM City Chapter, stressed that Buddhist monks and nuns always support the country in national construction and defence.

Also at the event, the Most Venerable Thich Duc Nghiep, Deputy Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Patronage Council, delivered the Patriarch’s message for peace in the East Sea, calling on the Buddhist Association of China as well as Buddhist dignitaries and followers throughout the world to take concrete actions to support justice and urge the Chinese Government to implement its commitments under international law.

In his message, the Patriarch also asked China to implement its responsibility for protecting and preserving peace as well as respecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, including Vietnam.

HKI presents free eye care, glasses to 80,000 pupils

Helen Keller International (HKI) in coordination with the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO) provided free eye care check-ups and glasses for children in Quoc Oai district, Hanoi on May 31.

The benefits were part of a project on expanding eye care models for pupils under ChildSight programme that HKI has been carrying out in the district since September 2013.

The project has so far given free eye care check-up and glasses to 15,084 pupils in 27 primary schools and junior secondary schools in Quoc Oai. Around 1,440 pupils were found to be suffered from refraction disorder diseases, including 1,128 ones with short-sightedness.

It also presented some ophthalmologic equipment for Ha Dong Eye Hospital and some medical centres in Quoc Oai district.

In the near future, HKI will continue to support Quoc Oai General Hospital in developing a glasses installation department and Hanoi Eye Hospital in training 300 medical staff for schools and medical centres at wards and villages.

Thanks to initial success of a project on eye care project at schools under the ChildSight programme that HKI has implemented in Kon Tum province since 2011, HKI is expanding the model in some provinces and cities, such as Nam Dinh and Hanoi.

The programme has so far provided free eye care check-up and glasses for more than 80,000 pupils under 15 years old and conducted training courses on eye care skills for teachers and medical staff, and improved glasses installation skills for technicians.

It has also organized a number of communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the importance of eye care as well as the negative impacts of refraction disorder diseases among pupils.

HKI headquartered in the US has operated in Vietnam since 1990 through humanitarian activities, especially blindness prevention.

World Environment Day marks in Binh Duong

A meeting in response to the World Environment Day (June 5) was held Binh Duong province on May 31.

Addressing the function, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen stressed that this year’s environment day, themed “Raise Your Voice Not the Sea Level”, offers a chance for Vietnamese people to join hands to cope with the difficulties and challenges posed by climate change and the rising sea level.

The measures taken by the community will also help prevent the increase of environmental pollution and degradation, thus ensuring the ecological balance and country’s sustainable development.

Tran Van Nam, deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said together with developing the economy, Binh Duong has paid special attention to environmental protection.

Protecting the environment and coping with the consequences of climate change is an urgent and long-term task for the whole community, he stressed.

At the meeting, the committee presented certificates of merit to 59 organisations which have performed well in environmental protection.

Health sector takes action to stand by fishermen

The Ministry of Health has committed to standing by fishermen through a programme launched in Ly Son island district in Quang Ngai province, on May 31.

Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that the East Sea is the traditional fishing ground of the Vietnamese fishermen. Being in good health will help fishermen stay more frequently at sea, thus contributing to safeguarding the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

Through this drive, the ministry calls on the whole sector and social organisations to take practical actions supporting fishermen and officers in defending their sovereignty, she added.

On this occasion, the ministry presented medicine chests and first-aid kits to 300 offshore fishing vessels from Ly Son Island.

Free checks-up and eye surgeries were also offered to locals, while three courses are planned to equip fishermen with first-aid skills.

WFDY general council meeting concludes in Hanoi

The General Council meeting of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) closed on May 31 in Hanoi after 5 days of working.

Sixty delegates from more than 20 countries and 30 youth organizations discussed political reports, reports on the 18th youth festival, major issues of member organizations, and future activities.

They also adopted a major resolution of the meeting which reiterated the federation’s position in the fight against wars, occupations, imperialism, as well as imperialist economic measures and intervention to maintain its control.

The organization of the WEDY General Council meeting in Vietnam shows Vietnam’s positive contributions to democratic youth movements and the global progress, as well as the federation’s members’ trust for Vietnam.

Haiphong ready for Sea and Island Week

The northern port city of Haiphong has established a 18 member organising board for Sea and Island Week 2014, led by Vice Chairman of Haiphong municipal People’s Committee Do Trung Thoai.

The city’s youth union has mobilized about 2,000 young people to participate in a meeting to commemorate the week in Do Son tourism area on June 7.

Cleaning and preparing the beaches in Do Son, Cat Ba and Bach Long Vi will be carried out after the meeting.

The event drawing the participation of 28 coastal cities and provinces is considered a chance to raise public awareness of protecting marine natural resources and defending the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Quang Son said a Vietnam marine trademark forum in international integration is the highlight of the week which will also cover seminars and talks among scientists and experts.

South Africa, France mark ASEAN Sports and Family Day

More than 400 people including ASEAN embassy personnel and their families, along with members of the diplomatic community, came together in South Africa and France on May 31 for a day of camaraderie, friendship and fun.

At the event, Vietnamese ambassador to South Africa Le Huy Hoang emphasized that the event aimed to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among ASEAN countries.

A wide range of sports and cultural activities- football, table tennis- tug-of-war and jumping on bags, and Karaoke singing contest- were held,

Family Day was also celebrated in Ris Orangis City, Essonne province, France.

On the occasion, ASEAN countries introduced their special and traditional dishes. Vietnamese traditional dishes, such as sticky rice, roast pork and Nom (sweet and sour grated salad) attracted a large number of friends to taste.

HCM City hosts Southern Fruit Festival 2014

As many as 40,000 visitors flocked to the opening ceremony of the 11th Southern Fruit Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on June 1, introducing visitors to the fascinating variety of fruits from southern Vietnam.

The week-long festival includes many activities, starting with a floating fruit market, selling more than 180 kinds of fruits on 70 boats at prices which are 20-40%lower than in the market.

The highlight of the event is the introduction of a collection of delicious and rare fruits from many localities nationwide.

Cooking demonstrations, folk games, and fruit-themed cultural performances are also organised for the fair.

Visitors to the festival also have a chance to enjoy southern amateur singing and participate in an exchange programme with art troupes from the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia.

Nguyen Thi Hong, HCM City People’s Committee Vice Chairwoman, said the festival running until June 8, aims to tighten the relationship among farmers, producers, distributors and consumers, increase trademark value and promote the image of Vietnamese fruits.

Nationwide activities mark International Children's Day

A myriad of activities to support children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have been held nationwide to mark International Children's Day on June 1.

A special art programme was held at the Ha Noi Children Palace on Saturday to entertain children with an aerobics performance and a fashion show.

Also, 18 children from poor homes but with outstanding academic records were presented with gifts, while five children with heart problems were granted free surgeries as part of the programme.

Elsewhere, a festival providing parents with knowledge to take care of their sons and daughters was held at the 23-9 Park in HCM City.

Further, municipal doctors and nurses performed free medical check-ups and distributed medicines for children, especially those with disabilities and HIV.

Meanwhile, the northern province of Ninh Binh organised a number of activities to equip children, particularly those from ethnic minority groups, with necessary skills for self-protection against social dangers.

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai and the southern province of Binh Duong yesterday launched an official Action Month with the message of no violence and no harm to children.

That same day, local authorities from northern Ha Nam province visited and presented gifts to many children, and gave over 48,000 young children drinks containing Vitamin A.

On Saturday, staff of the Azerbaijan embassy in Ha Noi, together with the "Making Dreams Come True" Volunteer Group visited the children battling against cancer at the K Cancer Hospital in the city. The embassy donated various toys and books for more than 50 children aging from 1 to 16 years old.

HCM City kindergartens tackle seasonal diseases

Kindergartens in HCM City have taken preventive measures against diseases, especially hand, foot and mouth and dengue, which are heading for their peak season, and measles.

Anh Hong Private Kindergarten in Thu Duc District's Linh Xuan Ward cleans floors and toys with chemical disinfectants like Javel water and chloramine B each week. If the ward health centre announces that the kindergarten is situated in a region facing a risk of disease outbreaks, it will do so twice a week.

The kindergarten teaches kids to wash their hands to prevent diseases including hand, foot and mouth. Each classroom has lavaboes and soap for the children to wash their hands.

Posters explaining the causes of diseases and preventive measures and how to take care of children with diseases are stuck on notice boards.

Teachers ask kids' parents about their health every morning, and children with a high fever or illness are sent back home.

Kids who have not got two shots of measles vaccine are given the shots.

Huong Quynh Family-Based Child Care in Binh Tan District's Binh Tri Dong ward takes similar preventive measures.

Nguyen Van Ty, its owner, said that he has worked closely with the ward preventive health centre.

His teachers report any incidence of dengue or hand, foot and mouth disease to the centre.

Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy head of the city Department of Health, hailed the close co-operation between ward preventive health centres and kindergartens.

This has helped prevent diseases from spreading at schools, he added.

But he said kindergartens should put up more lavaboes and soap to ensure every child washes their hand.

Climate change starts to take its toll on Mekong Delta region

The effects of climate change are increasingly upon Viet Nam, especially in the southern provinces.

Nowadays, unlike in the past, at the end of May the climate in the region changes abruptly from hot and dry to very wet; the heavy rain is accompanied by thunderstorms and even hail.

This year this has killed shrimp on 10,000 hectares in the coastal provinces of Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Tra Vinh.

"Last year 50 per cent of shrimp in Vinh Chau District, Soc Trang, died, causing a loss of VND110 billion (US$5 million)," Hai Nhiem, a local farmer, was quoted as saying in Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper.

"This year we prepared very carefully but still lost 1,600 hectares."

Shrimp die of many causes like poor breeds and environmental pollution, but the major reason is drought.

In all coastal provinces like Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, salt level in sea has been recognised to be higher than the same period last year. Especially, in Ca Mau, salinity level grows up to 30 per cent. The situation has caused the lack of fresh water and huge impacts to daily life and agricultural production.

In many places people are forced to buy a cubic metre of fresh water for VND200,000.

According to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, more than 100,000 hectares of cultivated land are threatened by saline floods now. Every year around 1.7 million hectares of land are threatened in this manner.

By the end of this century average temperatures in the region might rise by 1.3 - 2.8 degrees Celsius, rainfall by 4 - 8 per cent, and sea levels by 66 -99 cm.

And for every metre rise in the sea, 39 per cent of land in Mekong Delta will be flooded, seriously affecting 35 per cent of the population.

The Mekong Delta, the main rice, seafood, and fruit producing region for the country, is also the most vulnerable to climate change.

There are many plans to mitigate and cope with climate change, and most delta provinces have carried out projects, but they are not concerted and are instead mostly disjointed.

Concerted action is a crying need as are more studies to carry out comprehensive planning for the whole region. The role of protective forests is very important in coping with climate change but it has not been paid enough attention.

Recently thousands of mangrove trees were cut down in the Con Nang protective forest in Cau Ngang District, Tra Vinh Province.

It made locals furious since mangrove forests help keep out the sea, prevent landslides, are a source of oxygen, and provide shrimp and fish a good habitat.

Clearly, local authorities in many places have yet to understand the role of protective coastal forests which act as a natural protection against the consequences of climate change.

VN adopts green building strategies

Representatives from Fairventures Worldwide FVW gGmbH and the University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart (Hft Stuggart) joined Vietnamese construction experts to introduce green building strategies at a workshop in Ha Noi last Thursday.

"Green building is an integral part of urban and rural sustainable development, contributing significantly to a country's sustainable development," said Pham Ngoc Dang, President of the Green Building Council Viet Nam and the Vietnamese Association of Construction Engineering and Environment.

During the workshop, the international audience was introduced to Viet Nam's national strategy framework for developing green buildings up to 2020. This framework covers nine major issues of green buildings, including environmentally sustainable building site planning and design, efficient use of energy, water and materials, air quality inside the building and waste minimisation.

By 2020, Viet Nam aims for 30 per cent of newly-built and renovated buildings using the State budget and about 10 per cent of those using private funds to qualify as green buildings. These numbers are expected to double by 2030.

"Green buildings are also fuelling a return to traditional materials and methods," said Andreas Loffler, Dean of the Hft Stuttgart‘s Architecture and Design School and Director of the Centre for Integral Architecture.

Loffler proved this point with a case study of buildings in the informal areas of Columbian big cities, which typically use adobe bricks and bamboo boards.

Pham Duc Nguyen from the National University of Civil Engineering and Tran Binh Minh, E4G's technical manager, introduced several appropriate architectural techniques for Viet Nam, where the climate varies considerably from region to region. These included passive design solutions like covering openings to protect the building from solar heat, changing the shape of the building and laying out interior spaces according to heating requirements.

Vietnamese in Canada protest China’s illegal acts in East Sea

More than 200 Vietnamese people in Canada on May 31 congregated in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa to raise their objections to China’s illegal placement of its oil rig deep in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, which has seriously violated Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty.

Holding up banners confirming Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, the demonstrators demanded China stop its illegal acts and withdraw the oil rig from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

They also demanded China publicly apologise to Vietnam for its unilateral provocative acts that have caused injuries and compensate for the country’s economic loss.

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnam’s waters. The location was 80 miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude. The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam ’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

With the move, China has kept on violating Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.

At the same time, China ’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese law enforcement and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

“The major parade aims to draw attention from the local residents and international friends to the current situation in the East Sea and to advocate the protection of peace,” said Bui Quang Hien, an engineer from Montreal city.

He also expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Government will soon prepare its legal case to take China to an international tribunal.

China ’s extremely dangerous acts have been directly threatening peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the East Sea .

Vietnam has exercised utmost restraint, shown every gesture of goodwill and exhausted all dialogue channels to communicate with the Chinese authorities of different levels for expressing protest and demanding China to immediately withdraw its rig and armed and military vessels from Vietnam’s waters.

Nevertheless, up to now, China has failed to respond to Vietnam’s legitimate demands. On the contrary, it has been slandering and blaming Vietnam while continuing to escalate the use of force and acts of violation in an increasingly dangerous and serious manner.

Da Nang students craft Hoang Sa, Truong Sa models

Students from secondary schools in the central city of Da Nang on May 31 crafted 26 replica models of ships, fishing boats and border markers to show their love towards Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

The models were then put on display together with nearly 30 prize-winning paintings by juniors, including some depicting scenic landscapes along the banks of the city’s Han River.

Mock-ups of Truong Sa archipelago and the entire Southeast Asia region were also among the exhibits.

The event is expected to encourage each student to safeguard national sovereignty over Vietnam’s seas and islands, said Vice Secretary of the municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Doan Xuan Hieu.