Police seize 7,000 pirated books in Ha Noi

Ha Noi Police seized more than 7,000 pirated books on Sunday in a sudden raid on a workshop that illegally printed books in Hai Ba Trung District's Truong Dinh Street.

The workshop, owned by Duong Khanh Printing Co., Ltd, was caught printing more than 7,000 books, entitled Dac Nhan Tam (How to Win Friends and Influence People) by author Dale Carnegie, which is the registered property of First News-Tri Viet Publishing Co., Ltd.

On Saturday, as many as 3,000 photocopies had been printed and sold to bookshops in the city.

Director of the printing company Nguyen Van Dung was unable to show any contract signed between his firm and the publishing company.

Dac Nhan Tam is one of the best-sellers of the company. This is the 10th case in which the book has been found to be illegally printed in the city.

Programme for upgrade of canals gets more funds

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved VND5 trillion (US$229.2 million) more for a programme to upgrade canals, rural roads and aquaculture infrastructure for this year.

The total capital for the five-year programme is now VND10 trillion ($458.5 million).

Under the programme, covered in decision number 13/2009/QD-Ttg, localities will receive preferential credit loans from the Viet Nam Development Bank to improve canal systems, rural roads and to develop the infrastructure of the aquaculture sector.

The capital will be mobilised from the State Budget, the Viet Nam Development Bank and other sources.

Dung asked the ministries of finance and planning and investment to co-operate with the bank for effective implementation of the programme.

Six cases of illegal smuggling investigated

Police in the southern province of Tay Ninh have launched inquiries into six cases of smuggling, trafficking prohibited goods and illegal transportation of currency across borders, with 11 suspects identified.

Huynh Van Duc, director of the Customs Department, said in May that the smuggling activities in some border areas and other key areas had increased. Goods being smuggled into the country are beer, milk, wine and cigarettes, as well as Thailand sugar, motorcycles and wood.

Last month, the police uncovered 202 cases of smuggling and confiscated nearly 82,900 packs of cigarettes and nearly 3,200 bottles of wine, 1,300 milk boxes, 9.580kg of Thailand sugar, and 34 cubic metres of wood as well as many other prohibited goods, worth over VND5.6 billion (US$259,000) in total.

Earlier today, the traffic police in the southern province of Binh Duong discovered some 1,000 packs of cigarettes of unclear origin in a smuggler's car.

The driver had attempted to escape but was pursued by the police in Pham Ngoc Thach Street of Thu Dau Mot City.

Nearly an hour into the chase, the police finally captured and arrested the driver.

All evidence was handed over to the police of Thu Dau Mot City for further investigation.

Chinese hackers attack 1,000 Vietnamese websites in two days

Around 1,000 Vietnamese websites were attacked by hackers in the last two days of May, a local hacker forum said June 1. 

Among the attacked websites were 15 government-run platforms, with the domain name of .gov.vn, and 50 education (.edu.vn) ones, according to WhiteHat, an online forum for Internet security enthusiasts run by Bkav.

Around 200 websites of the Philippines were also attacked in the same period, between May 30 and 31.

A Chinese hacker group named 1937cn claimed responsibility for the attacks and made them public on their website, according to WhiteHat.

The victimized websites were defaced, or had their interface changed by hackers, via a security loophole found in WebDAV and Fckeditor, software that allows file uploads onto the servers that power these platforms, according to an expert from Bkav, an Internet security firm based in Hanoi.

Bkav said it notified webmasters of the attacked websites shortly after detecting the attacks.

“The method is similar to a mass attack directed at hundreds of Vietnamese websites in 2014,” Ta Duc Thien, head of Web Security with Bkav, said.

The latest attack coincided with the 2015 Asia Security Summit, which kicked off in Singapore on May 29.

China’s illegal island-building in the East Vietnam Sea was one of the key issues discussed by top defense officials from across Asia-Pacific at the event, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

After altering the interfaces of the websites, hackers left messages with content related to the East Vietnam Sea issue, according to WhiteHat.

1937cn was also behind the mass cyberattacks targeting hundreds of Vietnamese websites in May and September last year, tech newswire ICTNews quoted another Bkav representative as saying.

More than 200 Vietnamese websites were compromised between May 4 and 8 by self-proclaimed Chinese hackers, and another 754 ones were hacked on September 2, the country’s Independence Day, according to WhiteHat.

Last year’s attacks also coincided with tensions over an oil rig China illegally stationed in Vietnamese waters in May.

Beijing then withdrew the drilling platform from the waters in July after fierce protests from Hanoi and the international community.

World Environment Day

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment staged a national ceremony at the Hue University of Sciences on June 2 to mark World Environment Day.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia said the Party and State have always taken great care to ensure clean water and proper sanitation facilities for the nation’s citizens.

The ceremony hoped to raise people’s awareness of the importance of environment sanitation –  particularly teachers, managers and students – and motivate them to join hands for environmental protection.

After the meeting, students cycled around the city to promote environment sanitation. They also cleaned main streets in Hue City.

Government inspectors have concluded that a subcontractor of Ba Diem residential zone in Hoc Mon District has committed many violations in the project.

The subcontractor of Ba Diem residential zone, An Thinh Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company, is a member of Construction Corporation No 1 under the Ministry of Construction.

According to government inspectors, An Thinh Company violated the Construction Law by outsourcing work for electrical substation and transformer systems to a local company, even though that company was not licensed to do so.

The inspectors also found that the two companies colluded with each another to overstate the cost of the project by VND24 billion (US$1.11 million).

In addition, An Thinh Company also violated the Law on Housing by mobilising VND108 billion ($5 million) from customers without gaining approval from the HCM City People's Committee.

The Government inspectors have ordered An Thinh Company to pay VND2780 billion ($129 million) in tax to the state.

The inspectors have requested the Construction Ministry to ask Construction Corporation No. 1 to direct An Thinh Company to punish those responsible for violations.

Despite repeated efforts, An Thinh Company officials remained unavailable for comment.

Built on an investment of VND100 billion ($4.6 million), the residential zone of Ba Diem is spread over 59,500sq.m. in Ba Diem Commune, Hoc Mon District. Reports suggest that although the project broke ground in September 2008, it has reached nowhere near completion.

Local people say the residential zone's unfinished condition has made it very difficult for them to travel on nearby roads due to pollution, especially during rain and hot weather.

Part of expanded National Highway 1 opened

Part of the expanded National Highway 1 running through central Quang Binh province was opened to traffic this morning.

The work to expand the 30km-long road in the Bo Trach and Quang Trach districts of the central province under a build-operate-transfer contract began in April 2013 and finished in April 2015, seven months earlier than scheduled.

The work with a total investment of more than VND2 trillion (US$91.7 million) expanded the road width to 20.5m, with a speed limit of 80km per hour.

Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Huu Hoai spoke at the road inauguration ceremony, noting that the expanded road would play an important role in reducing traffic congestion and accidents on the national highway.

"It will help increase transportation capacity and enhance national security and defence in the province as well as promote socio-economic exchange between the north and south of Viet Nam," he said.

The expanded part is opened for traffic this morning.

Deputy Transport Minister Le Dinh Tho said parts of the National Highway 1A, with a total length of nearly 1,300km from central Thanh Hoa Province to southern Can Tho City, had been expanded and opened for traffic.

The expanded roads would reduce traffic congestion and promote socio-economic development, he said.

Tho applauded Tasco Joint Stock Company - the investor, as well as the residents and local authorities in the Bo Trach, Quang Trach and Ba Don districts, through which the road runs, for their co-operation which allowed the work to be completed ahead of schedule.

Khanh Hoa launches first Gov’t-funded fishing ship

The first fishing ship in the central province of Khanh Hoa built with preferential credit under Government Decree No 67/2014/ND-CP concerning polices on fishery development was launched on June 2 in Nha Trang city.

The ship, owned by fisherman Duong Van Quang in Vinh Nguyen ward, Nha Trang city, is built with a loan of nearly 5 billion VND (over 232,000 USD) from the Nha Trang branch of Vietcombank. It is designed and built by the Institute for Research and Hydraulic Manufacturing

Under Decree 67, Khanh Hoa is given a quota of 160 fishing ships and 15 logistics ships.

Thus far, the province has approved the construction of only 20 ships, including five upgrades, with loans totalling 187 billion VND (8.57 million USD).

Infant cured of neonatal tetanus, discharged from hospital

A newborn baby who has been undergoing special treatment for neonatal tetanus caused by unhygienic birthing practices has been cured and discharged after 40 days of hospitalisation.

Dr Ho Thi Kim Hoa, deputy director of Peadiatrics-Obstetrics Hospital in northern mountainous province Lao Cai, said Giang A Tu, an ethnic minority baby boy from Bao Thang District, was hospitalised with convulsions and a slow heartbeat.

Previously, Tu's mother had delivered him at home and the umbilical cord was cut using unsterilised instruments.

Two days later, the newborn's jaw and facial muscles tightened and he could not be breast-fed. Tu was transferred to Lao Cai Peadiatrics-Obstetrics Hospital after one day of treatment at Bao Thang District's General Hospital.

The baby returned to stable condition after 40 days of treatment, she added.

Hoa noted that more and more newborn infants are contracting tetanus as mothers give birth at home and follow unhygienic birthing practices, and they all are mostly from rural and remote areas.

Figures from the hospital reveal that the survival rate among newborn infants with tetanus remains rather low – only about 20 per cent of the total infants seeking treatment. Last year alone, six newborn infants were hospitalised with neonatal tetanus.

Vietnamese in India celebrate Buddha’s birthday

The Vietnamese community in the India gathered at Ladakh-BudVihar Pagoda in New Delhi on June 1 to mark Lord Buddha’s 2559th birthday.

Attending the event, Most Venerable Thich Hanh Chanh, head of the Vietnamese Buddhist representative board read a message by Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue, Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to all Vietnamese Buddhist monks, nuns and followers both at home and abroad.

Participants then performed the ritual of bathing the Buddha statue and prayed for peace and happiness.

Azerbaijani Embassy presents gifts to child patients

Representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Vietnam presented gifts to 100 paediatric cancer patients at the Vietnam National Cancer (K) Hospital in Hanoi on International Children’s Day (June 1).

The presents were given to patients aged one to 16.

This was the second year the Embassy presented gifts to children undergoing treatment at the K Hospital on the occasion of International Children’s Day, aiming to provide them emotional support.

The activity was part of a charitable programme conducted by the hospital and a number of organisations.

Chinese Embassy presents educational gifts to Nam Dinh school

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiaoyong and embassy staff presented educational equipment to the Dai An junior high school in Dai An commune, Vu Ban district of northern Nam Dinh province on June 2.

The diplomat said the Chinese Embassy continually supports welfare and educational projects in Vietnam, adding that the presented equipment, worth over 400 million VND (over 19,000 USD), represented the embassy’s assistance to local students.

He said he hopes working visits to Vietnamese localities will help improve mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, ultimately deepening the countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam thanked the embassy for its support to Vietnamese students and said the practical gifts help local teachers and students gain access to modern educational facilities.

On this occasion, the Chinese Ambassador also met with Nam Dinh officials.

Clean water and sanitation programme accelerated in schools

The Ministry of Education and Training has called for the further involvement of teachers, education managers and students to foster the national target programme for rural water supply and environmental sanitation.

The appeal was made at a meeting in response to the national week on clean water and environmental sanitation held in central Thua Thien- Hue province’s Hue city on June 2.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia said that the educational sector has built a specific programme carried out at schools to realise the national target, focusing on raising the awareness of both teachers and students towards environmental sanitation.

The ministry also instructed educational organisations to plan activities in response to the national week on clean water supply and environmental sanitation and the World Environment Day.

Apart from the concerted efforts made by the educational sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, other ministries and agencies as well as foreign organisations have also given proactive support for the programme to be effectively implemented at schools nationwide.

On this occasion, students in Hue joined a bicycle parade, conveying the message of the national week on clean water supply and environmental sanitation and promoting World Environment Day.

It is forecast that about 1.8 billion people will live in water-scarce regions by 2030. Vietnam and many other countries are facing a number of challenges, including population growth pressure, industrialisation and climate change, which puts great pressure on water resources.

Currently, fresh water shortages in the Central and Central Highlands regions as well as salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta provinces have caused disastrous impacts on the residents’ livelihoods.

Half of Vietnam’s population infected with parasitic worms: doctor

Vietnam has more than 45 million people infected with intestinal worms which deprive 1.5 million liters of blood from their hosts and cause many health problems, a health official has said.

Dr. Tran Thanh Duong, head of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, released the striking figures at a recent ceremony in Hanoi for launching a program to call on people to worm themselves twice per year to protect their health.

The infected people make up about 50 percent of the population of Vietnam.

Called “6116 Deworming,” the program is aimed at encouraging everyone to worm themselves on January 6 and June 1 every year.

Intestinal worms not only cause a loss of that much blood every year but they also consume 15 tons of food from their hosts during the same period to survive, Dr. Duong said.

Environmental hygienic conditions in Vietnam are still poor while the country’s hot and humid tropical climate is very suitable for the survival, development and spread of intestinal worms in the environment.

Such worms spread very quickly in crowded residential areas, especially in those where people are keen to eat raw vegetables, half-done meat or raw fish – the foods that create favorable conditions for parasites to live and develop.

Intestinal worm infection will cause different sorts of harm to human health such as anemia, micro-nutrient deficiency, loss of concentration, liver, gall and lung diseases, and adverse effects on the physical and spiritual development of the infected people, especially women and children, Dr. Duong said.

He emphasized that health conditions will get worse in infected people with weak immune systems, which in turn can lead to fatalities.

According to a global nutrition survey made in 2014, Vietnam was among the 78 countries suffering the greatest burden of malnutrition, including malnutrition in children under five years old and anemia in women in reproductive ages.

Accordingly, the proportion of underweight children in Vietnam in 2014 was 14.5 percent, and the rate of short and stunted children was 24.9 percent.

In addition, anemia was recorded in 28.8 percent of women in reproductive ages, 36.5 percent of pregnant women, and 29.2 percent of children under five in the same year.

Such a worrying situation has been caused by not only genes and diets, but also by parasitic worm infection among communities.

Meanwhile, public awareness of the need and benefit of regular deworming has still been low, Dr. Duong said.

A recent small-scale survey in Ho Chi Minh City showed that 56.4 percent of parents do not have their children dewormed every six months and 4.1 percent of parents have never had their children dewormed, the doctor said.

Medical supplies gifted to fishermen

Fishermen in the districts of Do Son, Duong Kinh and Kien Thuy in Hai Phong city have been gifted 93 medical cabinets.

The donation is the result of a collaboration between the Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine and the Hai Phong Red Cross Association.

The medicine cabinets were donated by staff of the institute, the Vietnam Maritime Communication and Electronics LLC, and the Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company No 3.

Earlier, over 1,400 medicine cabinets were gifted to fishermen in localities from Phu Yen to Thanh Hoa in central Vietnam.

In the near future, localities and organisations are striving to give 30,000 medicine cabinets for all the country’s offshore fishing boats.

Tien Hai Nature Reserve key to biodiversity preservation

Together with the Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh province – the first Ramsar-recognised site in Southeast Asia, the Tien Hai Nature Reserve in Thai Binh province plays a significant role in preserving national and international biodiversity.

The sites form two major core areas in the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve – which belongs to Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh and Thai Binh province, and was recognised by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve in 2004.

The Tien Hai Nature Reserve is seated on the left bank of the Ba Lat River in Tien Hai district and covers a total area of 12,500 hectares, including Vanh and Thu sandy islets, mangrove forests and ecological rehabilitation land.

The reserve is rich in mangrove and casuarinas forests, shrimp ponds, and sand dunes and banks.

It is home to 215 species of birds, including seven listed in the Red Book such as grey pelican, spotted greenshank, and Asian dowitcher along with 115 species of higher plants – a major source of food for birds, 43 medicinal plants, 113 insect species, 107 fish species and 37 amphibian and reptile species.

In 2008, local authorities approved a plan to build a high-end ecological tourist site in Vanh islet, including entertainment parks, a golf course, a sports area and a seaside resort.

Though the project has yet to commence, the islet has attracted a large crowd of visitors thanks to its untouched 6-kilometre beach and more than 700 hectares of mangrove forest, part of the mangrove forest system, stretching from Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province.

According to head of the island tourist site’s management board Nguyen Cong Ly, during the national holiday on April 30 and May 1 this year, the islet welcomed close to 10,000 visitors each day.

Quang Ninh to move all bears to Tam Dao Rescue Centre

The northeastern province of Quang Ninh promised to transfer all bears in residential areas to the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre in the northern province of Vinh Phuc in June.

According to the Quang Ninh Forest Management Department, the province currently has more than 30 bears being held and bred in households and farms.

The move aims to protect the bears from death and cruel tratement, the department said, adding that five bears died from May 15-23 in households in Ha Long city.

Dang Huy Hau, Vice Chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, asked Ha Long city, Uong Bi city, Cam Pha city, Dong Trieu town and Quang Yen district to persuade households and farms to transfer bears to the centre.

Late May, Quang Ninh transferred two Tibetan bears from the Bai Tu Long Natural Park’s wildlife rescue centre to the Tam Dao centre.-

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri