Transport minister clarifies misplaced-tollgate issue

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has admitted a number of tollgates built under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) are not allocated in line with the existing regulations but stressed that this is allowed.

Thang was replying to questions at the Government’s monthly media conference in Hanoi on Wednesday after the finance ministry warned that a number of BOT tollgates have been mislocated.

The finance ministry’s Circular 159 sets a distance of at least 70 kilometers between two BOT tollgates but Thang said that two tollgates will be allowed in a shorter distance if they are approved by the finance ministry and the local government.

An example is the tollgate near Co Chien Bridge, which was opened to traffic on May 16 to help shorten the traveling distance between the Mekong Delta provinces of Tra Vinh and Ben Tre. Thang said the tollgate is just more than 50 kilometers from the tollgate at Rach Mieu Bridge but this distance was approved by the provincial authorities and the finance ministry.

In some cases, tollgates must lie in the center of cities, towns or residential areas if the distance regulation is abided by. Therefore, the transport ministry has to negotiate with the investors, local government and the finance ministry to change tollgate locations.  

Regarding the master zoning plan for tollgates nationwide, Thang said the Transport Development and Strategy Institute under the transport ministry has completed it. The agency is collecting comments from relevant agencies on the plan and assessing its impact.

There are 96 operational BOT tollgates nationwide and the transport ministry is seeking approval from the Government to convert them into electronic stations. Only one investor would be picked to operate all these tollgates and will allocate tolls for other investors.

AmCham honors top 30 female engineering students

The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam – HCMC Chapter), in cooperation with Intel Products Vietnam and Axcela Vietnam, yesterday awarded 30 merit-based scholarships and 16 other English courses at Axcela Vietnam to female engineering students who achieved the highest results throughout AmCham Women in Engineering Scholarship (ACWES) assessment rounds.

The beneficiaries come from HCMC University of Technology, University of Technical Education HCMC, College of Engineering Technology under Can Tho University, and School of Electrical Engineering of the International University – Vietnam National University of HCMC. Their scholarships are worth VND6.5 million each and English courses are valued at VND8 million each.

For five consecutive years, the ACWES program has awarded 180 scholarships for female engineering students from five universities, with the total awarded amount of over VND1.3 billion.

Herb Cochran, executive director of AmCham Vietnam, said: “Since the beginning to ACWES establishment, AmCham believes that women play an important role in science and engineering. Madame Marie Curie is always promoted as a vivid example. She astonished the whole world when winning double Nobel Prizes for Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911). In modern times, women have proved themselves to be the indispensable resources for science and engineering. The journey of seeking and encouraging talented women to participate in high-tech fields will mark more five-year milestones in the future.”

ACWES was founded in 2011 under the name AmCham-Intel Female Engineering Scholarship, with the participation and sponsorship of Intel Products Vietnam; later Coca Cola Vietnam and Axcela Vietnam.

The program is part of community activities from AmCham and AmCham’s members operating in production, engineering and training to support and develop female human resources in high-tech fields in Vietnam.

ACWES does not only provide students with financial aid but also brings more chances for them to familiarize themselves with a variety of job opportunities and useful information from high-tech companies involved in the program.

HCMC recruits teachers, non-teaching staffs for schools

The Department of Education and Training has just announced a plan to recruit teachers and non-teaching staff for the academic year 2015-2016 for all schools including local vocational schools and continuing education centers.

As per the plan, the department will recruit 549 teachers and 54 non- teaching staffs.

The department also gives priority to those people who are qualified teachers with a minimum of three years of experience in the education sector or those who graduated with honor; who are master or Ph.D in or out the country. They will be certainly employed without waiting for ranking.

Three robbers arrested in Ha Noi

Ha Noi Police today arrested 3 people believed responsible for a series of robberies in the city.

The suspects are Tran Tuan Anh, born in 1971 in Ha Noi, who has 2 earlier convictions and a criminal record, Chu Hue Luong, born in 1980 in Ha Noi, who has 5 earlier convictions, and Tran Van Duong, born in 1991 in Nam Dinh Province.

The three are accused of having robbed several motor bikers along the streets of Thanh Xuan, Bac Tu Liem, and Cau Giay districts in April.

The robbers are also accused of stealing the motor bikers' handbags.

The robbers are believed to have committed 5 robberies in which they stole 2 mobile phones and millions of dong.

The police are continuing their investigation.

Five in critical condition after eating toxic mushrooms

Many young people and students in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), Kon Tum Province, gathered today to donate blood for five patients of mushroom poisoning.

The five patients from Sa Binh Commune in Sa Thay District were admitted to the provincial general hospital in critical condition, after they consumed poisonous mushrooms on Thursday.

According to two patients, their fathers picked mushrooms from a forest. After eating the cooked mushroom, they got sick and were hospitalised.

Dr. Vo Khac Tuan, head of the intensive care unit and the anti-toxic department of the hospital, noted that 10-year-old Y Xuan Mai and 50-year-old Y Kin were in a state of coma when they were brought to the hospital; they have suffered liver and kidney failure and have a blood coagulation disorder.

The patients underwent dialysis and plasma transfusion, Dr, Tuan said.

However, the hospital does not have liver filter equipment and its plasma reserve is not as good as that in larger hospitals.

Therefore, the hospital today called on young people and students in the province to donate blood for plasma filtering to save the patients, added the doctor.

Patient Mai is still in critical condition as she suffered multi-viscera failure, while Patient Y Kin has shown some signs of recovery.

Unfortunately, the other patients' conditions are becoming serious.

This month so far has recorded two deaths from eating poisonous mushrooms.

Authorities probe bridge collapse

An "urgent" investigation has been launched into the collapse of a bridge costing more than VND2.5 billion (US$116,000) just two weeks after it opened, authorities in Long An Province have said.

The Vinh Binh Bridge officially opened to traffic on May 13, replacing an old ferry that used to transport the residents across Canal 28 in Vinh Hung District's Vinh Binh Commune.

However, last Tuesday, cracks appeared in one approach section of the bridge and began to spread fast.

Just after barricades were set up the next day by the Vinh Binh People's Committee to stop residents and vehicles from crossing the bridge while it was repaired, it collapsed into the river, leaving just half of it standing.

Fortunately, there were no casualties because of the early warnings issued.

Nguyen Van Chinh, Deputy Director of the Long An Department of Transport, said on site examination suggests the bridge's approach section had slid out of its original position.

Sand mining ruins City residents' land

The HCM City Transport Department has inspected an area in Long Phuoc Ward, District 9, where local residents complain illegal sand mining in a section of the Dong Nai River has eroded over 42 hectares of their land.

The inspectors confirmed following a visit on Tuesday what the local authorities too had said earlier – that the land had been lost to erosion and subsidence after sand was removed – but are yet to name the perpetrators.

A member of the team told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the sand had been mined by either a company licensed by the Ministry of Transport to dredge a section of the river from Dong Nai Bridge to Ong Nhieu Canal or illegal sand miners.

However, many locals are sure that the culprits were sand thieves who operated openly in a section of the Dong Nai River in Long Phuoc Ward.

Nguyen Trung Thu is among people who lost land to the erosion. She showed her land use right certificate and lamented at the loss of over 1,000 square metres of land.

"We bought a plot of land of over 1,000sq.m in Long Phuoc Ward and planned to build a house for our old age. But it has all disappeared into the water."

Nguyen Van Hai lost 700sq.m; Tran Van Tien and Tran Van Thang, 1,000sq.m each; and Vo Thi Xuan Hoa, nearly 2,000sq.m.

A former illegal sand miner in the Dong Nai, who asked not to be named, said a hired hand in the illegal business earned around VND1 million (US$46) a day.

Their bosses pocketed much more, he said.

"Each boat takes away over 100cu.m of sand every day. Expanses that were land before have now become one with the river."

The boats arrive every 45 minutes to suck huge amounts of sand from the riverbed and load them into waiting boats or barges from neighbouring provinces like Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai, according to Tuoi Tre.

The erosion and land subsidence has also left many houses along the river badly damaged, with some giving way entirely.

Many residents have reported the violations to local authorities, but to little avail since the thieves lie low during times of heightened inspection and return a few days later.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh, chairperson of the Long Phuoc Ward People's Committee, said the erosion had been triggered by illegal sand mining.

But when spotted by HCM City authorities, the sand miners easily fled to Dong Nai Province, which was straddled by the section of the river, she said.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Ninh, deputy head of the city's Waterway Traffic Police Division, admitted that most of the time the thieves were tipped off about police raids, allowing them ample time to flee or sink their boats to avoid being caught red-handed.

On Monday, the District 9 People's Committee met with relevant agencies to review measures to combat the illegal sand mining.

Vietnam to join French Language World Forum

It was unveiled at a press conference on May 28 in Hanoi that 11 Vietnamese young people have been selected to participate in the Global Forum for the French language set for July 20-23 in Liege, the capital of Wallonia.

In making the announcement the Belgium's Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam said the forum, expected to attract 1,500 delegates, is being organized by the French Community of Belgium and the City of Liege.

The event provides a good chance for young people, 18-35, from 100 countries around the globe to exchange ideas and give effect to projects in the fields of education and training, economy and culture.

40-kilogram war bomb defused in central Vietnam

Military officers in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on May 28 defused a huge war bomb of around 340 kilograms (nearly 750 pounds) found at a national park.

A representative of Bidoup – Nui Ba National Park said a patrol team found the bomb on the ground, 40 kilometers from a commune headquarter.

The bomb is nearly one meter long, the source said.

It was defused on the spot.

Unexploded ordnance left from the Vietnam War have killed 40,000 people nationwide and injured 60,000 others as of 2011, according to official statistics.

Many of the victims were children below 16.

Restored memorial to VN-Laos special fighting alliance unveiled

The monument in commemoration of the Vietnam-Laos special fighting alliance in Laos’ southern province of Champasak was inaugurated on May 29 after a year-long upgrade.

Funded by the Vietnamese Government, work began in August last year to give a facelift to the monument which covers an area of more than 4 hectares. The memorial site comprises two towers, each of which is 11m high and 13m in diameter, a 4.5m high and 9m wide bas relief along with a showroom for exhibits, and support facilities.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Thanh Cung thanked the Lao Party, State, Army and people for their support during Vietnam’s struggle for independence as well as its ongoing national construction and defence efforts.

He affirmed that the monument in Champasak, together with similar works built in memory of the Vietnam-Laos special fighting alliance in Udomxay, Xiengkhuoang, and Attapeu provinces of Laos are symbols of the solidarity between the two countries .

Lao Deputy Defence Minister Chansamon Chanyalath highlighted the significance of the monument in helping the two people gain insights into the Laos-Vietnam special relations, as well as remembering the dedication of their people and soldiers to the two countries’ struggles for independence and freedom.

On the occasion, delegates laid down a wreath at the monument and planted a commemorative tree.

Congratulations sent to Buddhists nationwide on Buddha’s birthday

Buddhist dignitaries, monks and followers across Vietnam in the past few days have received congratulations from officials on the occasion of Buddhism’s important celebration - Lord Buddha’s 2559 th birthday.

In Ho Chi Minh City, municipal leaders visited the southern office of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee to offer greetings on the occasion.

Nguyen Thanh Phong, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee hailed the contribution of the VBS and Buddhist followers to national development and defence.

He also expressed his hopes that the VBS will continue to encourage their followers to uphold solidarity, lead good secular and religious lives and contribute to building a better Vietnam.

On behalf of the Buddhist dignitaries, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the VBS Executive Council affirmed that the organisation will continue to encourage its followers to make contribution to the country’s socio-economic development and the national great solidarity.

From May 25-29, deputy head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands H’Ngam Nie Kdam visited pagodas and executive boards of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s chapters in Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and Dak Nong provinces.

During the visits, the official praised contributions by Buddhist monks and followers to promoting local socio-economic development and ensuring security and defence.

Most Venerable Thich Chau Quang, the head of the Dak Lak VBS chapter’s executive board, thanked the Party and State for creating favourable conditions for local Buddhists to practice their religion, enhance their livelihood and join humanitarian activities.

Provincial officials of central Phu Yen and Ninh Thuan provinces, and Can Tho city and An Giang province in the Mekong Delta have also congratulated local Buddhists on the Lord Buddha’s 2559 th birthday.

They pledged optimal conditions for religious activities and called on the followers to further engage in socio-economic activities and consolidate the national solidarity.

Buddhism constitutes the largest religious community in Vietnam with over 12 million followers, 40,000 monks and nuns, and almost 15,000 temples, monasteries and other places of worship.

Gia Lai province re-buries martyr remains found in Cambodia

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai held a memorial and re-burial service on May 29 for the remains of 30 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and specialists who lost their lives in Cambodia.

Representatives of the Vietnamese Government, Army, and Gia Lai authorities attended the function at the martyr cemetery of Duc Co border district, along with officials from the Royal Cambodian Army and the Cambodian provinces of Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear.

Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai People’s Committee K’Pa Thuyen highlighted the glorious victories of the martyrs in the fight to liberate Vietnam and help Cambodia overthrow the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal regime, adding that the countries will remember the fallen soldiers’ sacrifices forever.

In recent years, Gia Lai province has been working closely with Cambodian authorities to repatriate the remains of 1,315 Vietnamese martyrs.

Buddhists congratulated on occasion of Buddha’s birthday

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 28 visited Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue, Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Patronage Counci to extend his best wishes on the occasion of the Lord Buddha’s 2559th birthday.

Phuc spoke highly of the contributions made by the VBS to Vietnam’s nation-building and development process, particularly through organising charitable and social welfare activities.

He expressed his hope that the Patriarch and Buddhist dignitaries and followers will continue contributing to society and obeying the law.

On the same day, the Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Vu Trong Kim, visited the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha headquarters in Hanoi.

He extended his best wishes to all Vietnamese Buddhist monks, nuns and followers at home and abroad.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, permanent Vice Chairman of the VBS, said his organisation cooperated with businesses to build numerous pagodas in border and island areas with a view to offering a place for people in far-flung areas to exercise their religion and belief.

In addition, VBS is striving to improve the operation of its chapters in all 63 provinces and cities, he added.