Officials call for tighter animal quarantine

Hanoians are raising more concerns about food safety and hygiene in the run-up to Tết, the Lunar New Year celebrations, as some recent visible violations related to animal slaughter in the city are especially troubling.  

On November 25, Hà Nội police and the Animal Health Department found nearly 200 pigs with foot-and-mouth disease in Đông Sơn Commune of Hà Nội’s Chương Mỹ District.

The pigs were on two trucks which departed from northern Hải Dương Province, heading to the border province of Cao Bằng for export to China. They returned to Hà Nội after Chinese traders refused to buy them, truck drivers told police.

They said that they were hired to transport the pigs without knowing the animals were ill.

Commuters travelling along Trung Văn Street in Hà Nội’s Nam Từ Liêm District have also raised concerns over the sale of animals including buffalo, yellow cow, wild pig, crocodile and ostrich on the pavement.

The animals are slaughtered on the pavement, next to a poster saying “Wild pig available on Monday” or “Ostrich available on Tuesday”.

The pavement slaughtering ignores regulations on hygiene, animal quarantine and food safety.

Trần Đức Chung, head of Ba La Animal Quarantine Station in Hà Đông District, said quarantine officers face difficulties in punishing drivers who transport animals of unknown origin.

They usually claimed that they were hired to transport the animals and did not own them, Chung said.

Another difficulty was that animal quarantine stations usually did not have space to store seized animals that require further testing, he added.

Vice head of Hà Nội’s Animal Health Deparment Nguyễn Ngọc Sơn said that the sale of animals at illegal street-side markets or temporary markets in residential areas was popular as the number and size of markets in Hà Nội failed to meet demand.

Sơn said that sellers, mostly from suburban districts or neighbouring provinces carried meat by motorbikes to illegal street-side markets. Poultry sellers usually slaughtered the ducks or chickens at their stalls, which violated slaughtering, food safety and environment regulations.

“Loose management over animal quarantine is seen at grass root levels,” he said.

Last year, the city’s Health Animal Department and its branches destroyed thousands of animals and animal products of unknown origin including 20 pigs, 2.3 tonnes of poultry meat, over 2,500 poultry, 685 kilos of buffalo and two tonnes of meat. But the crackdown was a drop in the ocean, Sơn admitted.

Quarantine officers in communes complained that their salary was too low whereas their working hours were too long as animal slaughtering usually occurred from midnight to early morning.

Head of Thường Tín District Animal Quarantine Station, Dương Xuân Tĩnh said that they did not have enough staff to inspect all local slaughtering houses at once.

“Quarantine officers’ job is hard as many parties including animal raisers and wholesalers join slaughtering activities, which can be done anywhere, not just slaughtering houses as regulated,” Tĩnh said. 

HCM City begins construction of D1 Street in District 7

The HCM City Urban Transport Management Authority No 4 on Sunday began construction of D1 Street connecting Nguyễn Văn Linh Street with Sài Gòn University and the Him Lam residential area in District 7.

D1 Street will be 830 metres long and 20 metres wide with four lanes, including a 180-metre long steel bridge on the Rạch Bàng River.

The street, which costs VNĐ210 billion (US$9.26 million), is expected to be finished in 12 months.

The street, which will have lighting and drainage systems as well as new trees, will help reduce traffic congestion on Nguyễn Hữu Thọ Street.

The Việt Nam Urban and Industrial Zone Development Investment Corporation (IDICO), also on Sunday, connected the final span of the first flyover of the Gò Mây flyover system at the National Highway No 1 - Lê Trọng Tấn Street - Nguyễn Thị Tú Street intersection in Bình Tân District.

Construction of the first flyover, which began in September, is expected to finish before the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, which begins on January 28.

The first flyover, which is 369 metres long and 24.2 metres wide, will have four lanes for cars and two lanes for motorbikes.

After the first flyover is completed, construction will begin on the second flyover, which will be completed sometime next year. 

The Gò Mây flyover system has a total cost of around VNĐ511 billion ($22.53 million).

The flyover will help ease traffic congestion on National Highway No 1 from HCM City to the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta region, and between the southeastern region and the Mekong Delta.

Police bust drug trafficking ring from Cambodia

The HCM City police have busted a drug trafficking racket from Cambodia to Việt Nam, seizing around 1.4kg heroin and 4kg ecstasy, and arresting eight persons involved.

The arrested include the ring’s mastermind, Nguyễn Duy Thạch Thảo, 43, a resident of HCM City’s District 10. The police’s drug crime investigation department caught Thảo red-handed receiving 3kg ecstasy from Lâm Tú Trân, 55, at Thảo’s house in Tô Hiến Thành Street at 6.30pm on November 28. 

The police seized two cakes of heroin, 29 packs of heroin and nine packs of ecstasy, weighing a total of nearly 5.4kg, when they raided the house. 

Initial investigations revealed that Thảo purchased the drugs from Lê Quang Cường, 57, and Lâm Kim Phụng, 52, who sent a person to buy and transport the drugs from Cambodia to Việt Nam. The duo was to get money once the consignment was delivered to Thảo. The money was to be exchanged to dollars and sent to Lâm Đạo Long, 43. 

Further investigations are on.

Contest honours young, talented singers

Five young singers grabbed gold medals at the National Talent Singing Contest 2016 held in Hà Nội on Saturday. 

The gold medallists are from the Military Culture and Arts College, HCM Conservatory of Music, Việt Nam Theatre of Contemporary Arts and Cao Bằng Arts Troupe.

Eight silver medals were given to contestants from the Việt Nam National Academy of Music, Hà Nội Culture College and art troupes. 

Two singers, Trần Văn Quân from Huế Culture and Arts School and Phạm Hương Giang from Việt Bắc Culture and Arts School, won the Promising Singer title.

The contest, launched by the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Việt Nam Musicians Association and the Academy, seeks to discover new, young talent and encourage them to build their careers, as well as honour youngsters who have contributed to art troupes. 

“The contest winners have shown their talent and creativity by performing in diverse styles,” deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vương Duy Biên said at the awards ceremony. “They treated the audience to a party of music. I hope they will take to the music stage in the near future.”

With around 60 talented under 25-year-olds from art troupes and art colleges across the nation taking part in the event, it was also an opportunity for these youngsters to meet and share their performing experiences with each other. 

Việt Nam movie wins Best Asian Project award

Vietnamese documentary movie Singing from behind the Bars won the Best Asian Project award at Docs Port Incheon 2016, which was held in South Korea from November 4th to 6th. 

The movie, directed by Đào Thanh Hưng and produced by Phạm Phương Thảo, was awarded KRW10 million (US$8,500). The movie, about wild bird protection in Việt Nam, is expected to be released in 2017. 

Singing from behind the Bars was selected over hundreds of participant projects and was among the top 10 finalists of directors and producers from Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the Philippines, Myanmar, India and Cambodia. 

Docs Port Incheon, an Asian documentary project market introducing the best documentaries in South Korea and Asia, is a new concept funding platform to support documentary productions and co-productions in South Korea and Asian region.

Literature researcher donates documents

Noted literature professor Hà Minh Đức recently donated his private collection of nearly 10,000 documents and objects concerning Vietnamese writers and literature to the Vietnamese Scientists’ Heritage Centre.

The collection includes more than 4,000 handwritten notes and research drafts on writers such as Nam Cao (1915-1951), Tô Hoài (1920-2014), Xuân Diệu (1916-1985) and Nguyễn Đình Thi (1924-2003).

Prof Đức’s research career began in 1961 with his piece titled Nam Cao – Nhà Văn Hiện Thực Xuất Sắc (Nam Cao – A Distinguished Writer on Realism).

Đức was awarded a State Prize in Literature and Arts in 2001 for his research Modern Vietnamese Literature and Theory, while his research on President Hồ Chí Minh’s literature and journalism career bagged him the Hồ Chí Minh Prize in Literature and Arts in 2012.

Đức was born in 1935 in Vĩnh Lộc District in the central province of Thanh Hóa. He graduated from the Literature Department in Hà Nội’s Teachers’ Training College in 1957. He served as deputy head of the Literature Department (between 1987 and 1988) at today’s National University, head of the Journalism Department (1990-2000) and rector of the Literature Institute (1995-2003). 

Nam, Phương suffer Vietravel Cup upset

National champion duo Lý Hoàng Nam and Nguyễn Văn Phương were defeated in the first match of the National Tennis Tournament yesterday in Nghệ An Province.

Nam and Phương of Becamex Bình Dương went down to lose 6-2, 4-6, 2-10 to Hoàng Thành Trung and Ngô Đức Dương of Public Security in Group A.

In another match, Lê Quốc Khánh and Lâm Quang Trí of HCM City defeated Lê Khắc Tùng Lâm and Võ Văn Toàn of Đà Nẵng 6-1, 6-2.

In Group B, Huỳnh Chí Khương and Trần Thanh Hoàng of Military won 6-1, 6-4 over Phạm Hữu Vinh and Trương Giang Thanh from HCM City. Military pair Nguyễn Hoàng Hiếu and Trần Trung Tính came from behind to beat teammates Trần Hoàng Anh Khoa and Lê Công Tiễn 6-7 (2), 6-1, 10-7.

In the singles matches, Trịnh Linh Giang of Bình Dương easily won 6-2, 6-0 over Khoa. Vũ Artem beat Huỳnh Minh Hưng 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Bình Dương match. Two winners secure their berths in Group B’s main round which begin today.

Two slots of Group A went to Thanh who defeated Dương 6-3, 6-3 and Phương who trounced Military’s Triệu Hoàng Hiếu 7-5, 6-1 yesterday.

The tournament--also known as the Vietravel Cup--lures the nation’s ranked players for the men’s and women’s singles and doubles categories.

The finals are scheduled for December 10.

In other tennis news, three Vietnamese players improved their ATP ranking in the latest release yesterday.

Hoàng Nam jumped two steps up to No 613. Nguyễn Hoàng Thiên moved to No 1,602--one higher than last week--while Trịnh Linh Giang made No 2,059, nine steps up.

In the soup for having some soup

One of the most infuriating sights on the road, especially when one is not guilty of a similar act, is of people driving with one hand on the wheel and a cell-phone in the other, whether it is a motorbike, car or larger vehicles like buses. The infuriation rises if, instead of merely talking on the cell-phone, the drivers start texting, taking their eyes off the road. Yes, doing this is illegal and subject to fines, but it happens all the time.

However, Hồ Thanh Dân went further than all the mobile users of mobile-phones, and he did not even use a phone. (Too smart for that, we guess.) The bus driver, on a long-distance route, took both his hands off the wheel (yes, he was driving, the bus was mobile, not stationary) to enjoy a bowl of noodle soup.

Needless to say, he in the soup now, after someone posted a video online, using a smart phone (Isn’t there a lesson in there somewhere?), but the story gets another interesting twist, a legal soup, in fact.

Colonel Hồ Văn Lai, head of Lâm Đồng Province’s traffic police department, said yesterday that his officers were having trouble with fixing a suitable penalty for the bus driver, because the law only deals with using phones while driving, nothing about having a bowl of soup. Washing his hands off the affair, in effect, he said the provincial transport department is responsible for fining the driver.

Lai also said the traffic transport police office would request an amendment to the law. As of now, the driver is safe because of a legal loophole, although his action put the lives of dozens of passengers in danger. Well, almost. In another move, transport inspectors have suspended the driver. So, after all the twists and turns, some justice was done. You have to hand it to the officials for finding a way out. 

Solving the ethical paradox of Schrodinger’s Cat

From Dickensian days, stories have surfaced now and then about orphans being mistreated in orphanages, and similar stories have also emerged about pets in rescue centres.   

However, a recent expose of one particular dog and cat rescue centre in Đà Nẵng City has appalled pet lovers nation-wide.

V.V.C, responsible for receiving, taking care of and finding new owners for dogs and cats, was accused by a colleague of selling dogs and cats to slaughterhouses.

Through social media, an old staffer at the centre also accused V.V.C of beating up pets and posting images of the injured animals on Facebook along with tearful stories about their fate, requesting donations to better their lot.

After days of silence, V.V.C responded on Facebook with the real story behind the accusations.

He said he started receiving ownerless pets to take care of in a 10sq.m rental room. He had to sell all his private property to equip the room with facilities for pets. But the room became cramped and neighbours began complaining about the smell and the noise.

Every time they barked or dirtied the neighbourhood, he had to use force to prevent them from disturbing and upsetting neighbours, he wrote.         

He confessed that he lacked medical knowledge as well as money to give the animals the care that they deserved. Worse, the “centre” was overloaded with pets.

“I sell some to customers who are pet lovers. Others that no one wants to feed, I must sell to the dog meat restaurant,” he wrote.  

“I do everything to get enough money to foster the pet rescue centre.”

If this explanation does not solve the paradox of Schrodinger’s Cat, we can turn to an American general for understanding. He explained a war crime thus: “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.” -

HCMC hosts the annual Cai Luong singing contest

A Cai Luong singing contest called Huong Sac Nam Bo (Southern beauty) will be kicked off on December 17-18 at the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace. 

The 4th competition aims to keep the tradition of Cai Luong alive in the community and foster a love for this particular kind of music among the people and honor the traditional music that was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.

Selected items will be performed in the final round on December 26.

Contestants can send the registration to the email duong0424@yahoo.com; or contact phone numbers, 08.39309254 and 0917 429662

Hanoi chairman questions West Lake dredging project

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung has asked the management board of West Lake to explain the use of VND128 billion (USD6.1 million) for dredging West Lake.

On May 5 Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung attended a meeting of the municipal people’s council on the city’s socio-economic development.

According to the chairman, previous surveys by three local companies showed that Hanoi needed to dredge 1.2 million of cubic metres of mud to clean West Lake, which would cost VND180 billion.

Over the past four years, the management board of West Lake spent up to VND128 billion on the dredging project. However, Chung said that he had not seen any evidence of the dredged mud so far. The chairman requested the West Lake management board to explain how VND128 billion had been used for the mud dredge.

At the meeting, Chung received questions from participants about the plan to turn the West Lake into a future tourist site. The chairman said that to implement this, Hanoi needs to take many measures such as mud dredging, water cleaning and completing wastewater system and building a 180-200 metre high fountain.

Early October this year, over 200 tonnes of dead fish were recovered from West Lake. A preliminary report from the Hanoi People’s Committee indicated that oxygen depletion was partially responsible for the mass death fish in the West Lake.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged Hanoi authorities to investigate the case; however; a final report has not yet been made.

New children’s hospital to be up and running in HCMC in early 2017

A new children’s hospital costing VND4.5 trillion (nearly US$198.5 million) in HCMC would officially be put into operation from January 1, 2017, the city’s Deparment of Health said.

The new hospital covers an area of 12.4 hectares in Tan Kien Commune in Binh Chanh District, with some 1,000 beds.

When in place, the hospital is expected to ease the chronic overload at Children’s Hospitals 1 and 2 in the city’s downtown, and meet rising demand for high quality healthcare services of patients in the city, neighboring provinces, and regional countries.

The Children’s Hospital is equipped with modern facilities with 10 functional rooms, and 39 clinical and subclinical wards. In addition, the hospital will cooperate with Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University and HCMC Medicine and Pharmacy University to train pediatric doctors for the city. 

Experienced doctors from operational hospitals in the city will be assigned to work at the new facility during the startup years to share experiences and transfer know-how to staff there.

Astronomy fans in Vietnam can watch Geminids next week

People in Vietnam will be able to watch one of the best meteor showers in a year next week, when its activity meteor count peaks.

The Geminids will have a peak activity meteor count of 120 meteors per hour in the small hours of December 14. The meteor shower will have a meteor velocity of 22 miles per second then.

The meteor shower often happens each year and lasts nearly the entirety of December. This year, it will peak around the night of December 13 and at first light on December 14, when it is ideal to watch the astronomical display.

NASA says the Geminids “are typically one of the best and most reliable of the annual meteor showers.”   

There will be a full moon on the day of the peak so night vision would be impaired and the number of people able to watch the meteor shower reduced because of the dazzling light of the moon, Dang Vu Tuan Son, chairman of the Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association, was quoted by online newspaper VnExpress as saying.

Astronomy lovers could also watch the meteor shower on the night of December 12 leading to the wee hours of December 13, Son said.

Viewers should take a close look at the center of the meteor shower which is the Gemini constellation, which will be in the east at midnight and move right up the head at 1:00 am before advancing to the west direction.

“From 10:00 am, astronomy lovers can watch the meteor shower but it would be ideal for them to start watching at midnight when the Gemini constellation rises high,” Son said.

Watchers do not need to use any special astrological equipment to enjoy the meteor shower, he noted.

Vietnam helps the disabled integrate into the community

Vietnam has about 7 million persons with disabilities, 4 million of whom are of working age. In recent years the Vietnamese government has adopted policies to help disabled people get an education and find a job they can do.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transportation has worked to make it easier for persons with disabilities to travel by bus.

Low, easy to enter doors and assistants are provided to help disabled people get on. Public buses are equipped with mechanical lifts or ramps and the first two rows of seats are reserved for the disabled.

Le Hoang Minh, the department’s deputy head, says an additional 300 buses with easier access are being put into operation, adding “We are calling on the entire society to help bus drivers and bus assistants provide the best possible public bus service for the disabled.”

According to Minh, the department “will work with the municipal Disabled People’s Association to create programs to help the disabled participate in social activities.”

Programs implemented to help disabled people include campaigns to improve public awareness of the rights of the disabled. The number one priority is creating jobs that will give them a stable income. Job fairs and training courses are two activities that the jobs initiative.

Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, a member of the Hanoi Disabled People’s Association, said, “The State has helped people with disabilities by providing more access to information and technology. I hope in the future more enterprises will employ disabled people.”

Duong Thi Van, the Association’s Chairwoman, says job fairs are an opportunity for businesses to help people with disabilities.

“Through job fairs, we hope to change the awareness of people and enterprises to create a society with fewer obstacles and more respect for disabled people. We want businesses to see their abilities instead of their handicaps,” said Van.

As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Vietnam has created a legal system that ensures the rights of the disabled, helps them improve living conditions, and increases their social status.

Phung Xuan Quy, President of Quang Tri’s Disabled People’s Association, says, “We hope the authorities at all levels will increase communications nationwide on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Vietnam’s Law on People With Disabilities. 

The State should promulgate more support policies that generate jobs for the disabled and vocational training programs to prepare them for jobs so they can integrate into the community with confidence.”

Party chief meets constituents in Hanoi

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other National Assembly (NA) deputies of Hanoi met with voters in Dong Anh and Long Bien districts on December 6 to report the outcomes of the 14th NA’s second session.

At the meeting, voters lauded the results of the NA session, particularly the democratic and frank question and answer sitting, which mentioned a wide range of matters of public concern.

They also praised the work to build a constructive Government and the Prime Minister’s determination to end the practice of giving presents to superior officials on the lunar New Year holiday.

The voters expressed their worries about climate change impacts, lax land management, corruption and vested interests, stressing that anti-corruption measures have yet to be effective. They cited as examples cases in which many high-ranking officials caused losses amounting to trillions of dong to the State budget but the punishment is too lenient. 

They urged stronger implementation of Resolution No 4 on Party building and pressing ahead with the improvement of personnel’s capacity. 

Welcoming feedback from the voters, the Party General Secretary said all comments will be recorded and reported to the parliament and relevant agencies.

He clarified the issues of public concerns related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, corruption fight and law-making work.

General Secretary Trong stressed that the Party is committed to combating corruption and wastefulness using a range of measures, from policies and laws, to public supervision and opinion and media coverage. 

Concerning the case involving Trinh Xuan Thanh, former Vice Chairman of the Hau Giang provincial People’s Committee, and former Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, he said the disciplinary measures on them so far are only those imposed by the Party. Investigations into the case are underway in other aspects, he said. 

He pointed to the fact that legal regulations are need to punish similar violators.

The Party leader stressed his support of voters’ position and highlighted the Party’s sheer determination to enforce Resolution No 4.

Court Academy strives to become high-quality training centre

President Tran Dai Quang urged the Court Academy under the Vietnam Supreme People’s Court to develop itself into a high-quality judicial training and scientific research centre, while addressing the opening of the 2016-17 academic year in Hanoi on December 6.

He asked the academy to expand international cooperation with prestigious universities and research centres from other ASEAN member countries as well as developed nations around the world to improve teaching and learning equipment and increase exchanges of lecturers and students.

The President reminded the academy of focusing on developing high-quality human resources and building a strong, transparent, democratic and strict judicial system.

The 2016-17 school year holds significant meaning for the education and training sector to implement the 11th Party Central Committee’s resolution on fundamental and comprehensive reform in education to serve the country’s industrialisation and modernisation in socialist-oriented market economy and international integration, he said.

He referred to the Politburo’s Resolution 49/NQ-TW issued in June 2005 on judicial reform strategy through 2020 with a focus on improving the organisation and activities of the people’s courts.

In this spirit, the President requested the Court Academy to build appropriate syllabus focusing on moral values, application skills and political stuff for judges and other court titles.

The Court Academy was established in July 2015.

In 2016, the academy has opened training courses for 1,059 students as well as provided professional training in addressing crimes and commercial violations for 1,149 judges in Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and other courses in handling marriage and family matters for 570 judges in Da Nang and Quang Ninh.

Central region, Central Highlands work toward sustainable hydropower

A multilateral talk on sustainable hydropower in the central and Central Highlands regions took place in the central city of Da Nang on December 6.

The conference gathered state officials, policy-makers, builders, social organisations, media agencies and residents.

Participating experts and researchers talked about the pros and cons of local hydropower projects built between 2013 and 2016, presenting several surveys on the impacts of hydropower plants on Vu Gia-Thu Bon river system on Dai Hong Commune in Quang Nam’s Dai Loc District, and of the Buon Kuoop plant on Ea Tung and Drai Villages in Dak Lak’s Kroong An District. 

The Vietnam Electricity (EVN) estimated that by 2015, the country, home to over 2,371 rivers, had used up more than 80 percent of its hydropower potential estimated at 35,000 MW. These electricity projects have contributed to ensuring energy security and economic growth. However, they also caused negative environmental and social impacts.

Dang Ngoc Quang, a consultant at the Vietnam River Network (VRN), recommended measures to address hydropower problems need to involve affected residents, who in turn should be enable to access legal services and technical support.

The VRN research group highlighted the necessity of improving residents’ skills and legal knowledge in sending feedback and petitions on compensation and relocation to relevant parties, such as provincial authorities and construction companies.

Gov’t promoting low-income earners’ access to social housing

The Government will increase social housing so that more low-income earners can have their own houses, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has assured Hanoi dwellers.

He made the remark while visiting the social housing project of Dang Xa in Gia Lam district on December 6.

The project, invested by Viglacera Corporation, covers 69.6 hectares of land. It features 23 buildings with 3,162 flats.

It is accompanied by synchronous support facilities such as nurseries, kindergartens, sporting areas, restaurants, and supermarkets, along with greenery.

Listening to local residents’ opinions about their accommodation, PM Phuc said social housing construction is a major policy of the Party and State to help low-income people afford houses.

Following the fact-finding tour, the Government leader had a brief working session with the Hanoi People’s Committee and the investor, applauding their efforts to create a social housing model with civilised living conditions and sufficient facilities.

He asked the Ministry of Construction and the municipal authorities to learn from successes and shortcomings of the Dang Xa social housing project and others in Hanoi to expand affordable housing nationwide.

The PM is scheduled to chair a national teleconference on December 7 to review the development of social housing and set up orientations for this work in the time ahead.

Conference studies cyber security in Vietnam

A conference focusing on the need to establish groups to handle cyber security problems and maintain safe cyber operations was held in Ho Chi Minh City December 6.

Titled “Cyber Security Vietnam 2016”, the conference was organised by the Vietnam Centre for Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to VNCERT, two million cyber security issues are discovered weekly, of which about 40-50,000 dangerous ones need to be analysed and urgently tackled.

In 2015, VNCERT recorded more than 31,500 problems. In addition, more than one million Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of Vietnam are included in networks of controlled computers.

Vice Director of the HCM City Department of Information and Communications Vo Thi Trung Trinh said in some situations, on-site cyber security teams do not coordinate with specialised agencies when cyber problems occur.

Therefore, local authorities have increased efforts to prevent cyber-attacks and ensure normal operation of the city’s information technology system. Besides coordinating with specialised agencies, the city will also improve the quality of on-site cyber security teams, she added.

To prevent cyber-attacks, VNCERT has implemented the Computer Security Incident Response Team project (CSIRT) in Vietnam, which is based on experience from Japan.

Nguyen Huu Nguyen, director of VNCERT in HCM City branch said that the team will provide guidance and support for the development of CSIRT in localities.

At the conference, international experts advised that Vietnam should pay attention to human resources and upgrade hardware for cyber security.

Vingroup opens international hospital in Ha Long

A 660 billion VND (29 million USD) Vinmec international general hospital owned by Vingroup was launched in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh on December 6.

Vingroup Vice President Nguyen Viet Quang said that the facility is the first non-profit international hospital in the northeastern region of Vietnam, offering health care services to international standards.

This is the fifth of its kind run by Vingroup since the first one was opened in 2012. The eight-storey facility has a total floor area of nearly 28,000 square meters, with 150 beds in 10 departments. It can offer health care services for 200,000 patients each year, said Quang.

Along with modern equipment and hygienic standards to the World Health Organisation’s recommendations, Vinmec Ha Long also has skillful and experienced doctors from Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, together with English and Chinese interpreters to serve foreign customers, he added.

Vietnam seeks more int’l help for sustainable agriculture

Vietnam hopes the international community will provide the country with more support to achieve sustainable agricultural development in the context of faster and more extreme changes in weather, an official said.   

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong made the appeal at a conference on international cooperation in the promotion of sustainable farming in response to climate change, which was held in Hanoi on December 6.

He said Vietnam has seen many extreme weather conditions in 2016, which shows climate change is taking place faster and more severe than the scenario announced in 2012. 

According to the minister, relevant agencies are working on a new scenario of climate change for the country, which will be made public soon. 

He noted that climate change impacts will take a heavy toll on agricultural production in the Mekong Delta region, which produces 75 percent of rice, 50 percent of fruit and 80 percent of fishery products for export of the entire nation. 

Besides the Mekong Delta, six other economic zones in Vietnam will also suffer from similar affects.

The Minister said the Vietnamese Government is executing all-out actions to restructure the economy and agricultural sector to build up resilience and adaptation when facing extreme weather.

Vietnam welcomes and appreciates assistance of the international community toward its efforts to tackle climate change impacts and secure livelihoods for residents, he stressed.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s acting country director Louise Chamberlain said recent droughts and saline intrusion serve as a warning for Vietnam and other countries.

She suggested that climate change risks should be included in policies and programmes designed for the agriculture sector.

The UNDP has been assisting Vietnam in making natural disaster risk management part of policies issued for major sectors and designing relevant programmes that involve local communities and reduce greenhouse gas emission in coastal areas. 

Christian Berger, German Ambassador to Vietnam, highlighted agriculture, irrigation and shore protection as major factors in sustainable development of the Mekong Delta.

He said strong coordination among relevant agencies and organisations is key to the region’s success, stating that the German Government is willing to support the Vietnamese agricultural sector in that matter.

Ben Tre prioritises climate change adaptation

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre has prioritised measures to adapt to climate change, a local senior official has said.

At a working session with a delegation of Consuls General in Ho Chi Minh City in the province on December 6, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Phan Van Mai said raising public awareness about climate change adaptation is the top priority.

Agricultural production has been restructured, by reducing rice crops from three to two a year, together with developing aquaculture in saltwater-intruded rice growing areas, Mai said.

The province also looks to promote hi-tech agriculture production for sustainable development, he added. 

Simon Van de Burg, Consul General of the Netherlands, underscored the joint efforts made by Vietnamese and Dutch experts to design a plan for the region to adapt to climate change with assistance from international partners.

The World Bank has recently agreed on a loan of nearly 400 million USD to develop sustainable livelihood and adapt to climate change in the region.

Under the project, local farmers will receive assistance to develop their fish farming in the context of fresh water shortages and saltwater intrusion.

Ian Gibbons, Consul General of the UK, said the Commonwealth Fund has funded numerous projects on climate change in several localities, suggesting that Ben Tre should submit request for the use of the resource.

Mai expressed his wish that the fund will provide support for the province to carry out projects on fresh water to help address the lack of underground water resources in the province.

Meanwhile, Karen Lanyon, Consul General of Australia, said the country is willing to help train local communities on climate change-related issues.

The Mekong Delta region suffered a historical prolonged drought in this year’s dry season, which resulted in deep-in-land saltwater intrusion, severely affecting local agricultural production and daily life activities.

Ben Tre was among the most severely affected by the drought, with a loss estimated at nearly 2 trillion VND (88 million USD).

Saigon hooks up first CCTV surveillance center

Eyes in the sky will be keeping watch over the city and its citizens from the new center.

A public security center has been opened in Ho Chi Minh City connecting a series of surveillance cameras to a main hub.

The center can receive information from 240 cameras that have been integrated with digital maps and installed at crime hotspots across 15 wards in District 5. The center will allow authorities to react immediately should any incidents arise and store footage to be used as evidence of any wrongdoing.

Huynh Cach Mang, the vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said: “Centers like this will play a vital role in ensuring security and social order in the city.”

In 2017, the center will connect and process information from an additional 1,000 cameras from other districts.

The center will be assessed after a year and based on the results authorities will decide whether to open more centers across the city.

Seminar on mangrove forests management in Ninh Binh

A seminar on sustainable management and development of mangrove forests was held on December 7 in central Ninh Binh province.

Participating experts said a project to grow the forests have been carried out in 10 cities and provinces with a total budget of US$11 million.

Vietnam has planted 24,000 ha of mangrove forests since 1994 as the way to protect 100 km of sea dykes,

In addition to mangrove forests, the project also aims to improve public awareness and the capacity of natural disaster prevention for residents in 400 communes.

“Mangrove forests planted by the Vietnam Red Cross account for 4% of the total area all over Vietnam. The project has benefited 9 million people. If well protected, mangrove forests will save Vietnam more than US$200 million by 2025," said Chairwoman of the Vietnam Red Cross Society Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu.

Restoring and protecting coastal forests are essential for Vietnam, which is one of the hardest hit nations by climate change.  

Government leaders meet in Thai Binh with NGOs

The Thai Binh Provincial People’s Committee and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations held a meeting on December 5 with representatives from more than 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

At the meeting, Nguyen Hong Dien, chair of Thai Binh People’s Committee, briefed participants on the province’s socio-economic development over recent years, acknowledging the importance of contributions from NGOs. 

Mr Dien noted that per a report from the Thai Binh Friendship Association, NGOs have provided more than US$3.3 million of assistance for the Province over the past four years for social projects.

Their funds, he said, have helped Thai Binh better cope with social issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health and eye care as well as provide for improved livelihoods for disabled people and Agent Orange victims.

Representatives from NGOs in turn shared their experiences in carrying out projects in Thai Binh province such as GNET from France in waste treatment, SDC in eye-related projects, and SNV from the Netherlands in sustainable rice production and gas emission reduction.

At the meeting, leaders of some NGOs signed cooperation deals with Thai Binh Province in agriculture, humanitarian and environment.

Four fire victims in dangerous condition

Four victims of a fire incident in Ho Chi Minh City’s Phu Nhuan District are in critical condition, said doctors of Cho Ray Hospital yesterday.
 
Dr. Ngo Duc Hiep from the hospital said that victims were burnt seriously by petrol flame. Victims include 27 year old Ta Quang Vu with burns covering 92 percent of his body in critical condition; 21 year old Phan Nguyen Tuan Anh with burns over 71 percent of the body and 17 percent deep burns; 24 year old Nguyen Van Hieu having burns of 76 percent and 24 year old Le Thanh Tu with 43 percent of burn. All suffered respiratory burns. The two victims Ta Quang Vu and Le Thanh Tu were predicted not to survive.

Before, at 10.30 AM, residents in Tran Ke Xuong Street heard a loud explosion and black smoke from a five-storey house at 126D Tran Ke Xuong Street. As confessed by the victims, they used scented fuel to clean in a closed air-conditioner room while smoking.

One more huge fire occurs in Hanoi

A huge fire occurred in the La Phu Industrial Park of Hoai Duc district, Hanoi at 8pm yesterday.
 
Some witnesses said that the big flame suddenly burnt into a painting and dyeing workshop in the industrial park. In a couple minutes, the flame quickly spread out and burnt 1,000 square meters scale of the workshop.

The city Fire Department sent around 23 fire trucks to the scene. Because the village roads were too small, the functional forces suffered difficulties for localizing the fire.

By 10:30 pm, the blaze had not yet been extinguished. The functional agencies have not yet discovered reasons and counted the victims in the fire.

This is the fourth huge fire occurred in Hanoi in the first five days of this month.

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