Campaign to raise awareness of traffic laws

The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) on November 12 launched a campaign to raise awareness of traffic safety among road users along the three key sections – Hanoi-Vinh, HCM City-Can Tho, and HCM City-Vung Tau.

It is aimed at fulfilling the government’s target to reduce the number of accidents, fatalities and injures by 5-10 percent.

The campaign, the first of its kind to be held in Southeast Asia, embraces both education and coercion, with a focus on no red light  going, no driving after drinking, no speeding, and no going on the wrong lane.

All forms of media, including TV, radio, printed and online newspaper, as well as banderoles, posters, exhibitions and flyers will be used in the campaign.

According to the NTSC, everyday, traffic accidents leave more than 30 people killed and hundreds of others injured.

Requiem commemorates traffic accident victims

A requiem for the peace of the souls of traffic accident victims was held at the Viet Nam Buddhism Academy in Ha Noi on Saturday.

The event was part of activities held in response to World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on the third Sunday of November.

At the ceremony, hundreds of Buddhist monks, nuns and relatives of victims gathered to pray for the peace of the victims and raise awareness of the serious consequences that traffic accidents have, thus raising public understanding and observance of traffic laws.

At the requiem, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang expressed his sympathy to the families of victims. He called for people of all walks of life to abide by traffic regulations and safety, and share the loss suffered by victims' families.

This year has seen an average of 25 people die each day on Viet Nam 's roads – a 17 per cent reduction on previous years.

In the first nine months of 2012, 23,200 traffic accidents were reported across the country, causing 6,657 deaths and 2,681 injuries.

In Viet Nam, over 17,700 road accidents occurred each year in the 2000-11 period, killing 11,600 people and injuring more than 16,000, according to statistics from the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Nigerian man arrested for trafficking drugs

The Customs and Police forces of HCM City have arrested a Nigerian man for trafficking drugs into Vietnam.

The customs said they discovered 250 grams of Methamphetamin while checking a parcel sent to D.T.T.N in HCM City on November 8.  

The following day they caught a Nigerian man named A.D.A waiting to get the parcel from D.T.T.N in a hotel in Phu Nhuan district, HCM City.

All objects and documents gathered from him are related to a transnational drugs ring operating in Vietnam.

Suspected heroin smugglers arrested

Four people with a total of 6.2kg of heroin were arrested by the Son La Province police in three drug trafficking cases last Friday and Saturday in the province's Moc Chau District.

Head of the province's Drug Crime Investigation Police Department Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Le Xuan Truong said that drug crime had increased in the run up to the lunar new year.

13 killed by dengue and hand-foot- mouth diseases in HCM City

Seven patients have died by dengue fever, and six others of hand-foot-mouth disease in Ho Chi Minh City over the past week.

The HCM City Health Department says more than 11,600 people have contracted hand-foot-mouth disease, up 7 percent from a year earlier.

Municipal authorities and relevant agencies are intensifying effective measures to reduce the number of infections and deaths caused by such diseases.

Authorities seize poultry in Quang Binh

The Environmental Criminal Prevention Department and Quang Binh Traffic Police yesterday seized 15,000 chickens and ducks in central Quang Binh Province.

The poultry had not been through quarantine and were illegally transported by three coaches from Ha Noi to Quang Binh and Quang Tri for sale, according to the drivers.

The seized poultry will be sent to the provincial veterinary unit to be destroyed in line with current regulations.

More than VND400bn invested in job centres

Over VND400 billion will be earmarked for the national programme on employment and vocational training in 2013 to improve the capacity and upgrade facilities at job centres across the country.

About VND155 billion will go to 10 such centres under the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, according to the Employment Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

More than VND390 billion has been invested in the programme from 2006-2012, a department representative said at a conference in Thai Binh province on November 10.

At present 46 of job centres across the country have job trading floors. So far this year they have organized nearly 2,000 trading sessions at their headquarters and hundreds of others at their branches, serving as an effective link between labourers and employers.

Participants at the conference also reviewed the application of information technology in the centres, including e-portals, unemployment insurance software and databases for the demand and supply of jobs.

More than 34,600 people have registered as unemployed, and HCM City took the lead with nearly 8,800, followed by Hanoi with over 2,300.

Currently, 29,300 people are receiving monthly unemployment premiums and 4,200 others have been introduced to new jobs.

Delta is home to 200 illegal crocodile farms

More than 200 farms are breeding crocodiles without a license in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Ca Mau.

Crocodiles raised on farms must be registered with the Provincial Forest Management Department, but many people are ignoring regulations and safety specifications, and putting people's safety at risk.

Last month, hundreds of crocodiles escaped from a farm in the province when a fence collapsed, endangering local residents.

Philippine navy saves Vietnamese fishermen

Philippine naval forces rescued a Vietnamese fishing vessel on November 10 in waters 40 nautical miles off Balabac Island, two days after it was stranded due to engine failure.

All 11 sailors on board have been taken to Palawan Island safely.

The Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with the Philippines to provide support for the vessel. It has also asked the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre to establish communications links.

Fight against human trafficking receives a boost

A communications campaign on human trafficking was launched in Yen Bai province on November 11 to raise public awareness of the dangers of the scourge.

At the event, World Vision Vietnam and the Vietnam Women’s Union called on local Party organisations, administrations, social organisations, and media agencies to join the fight against human trafficking, helping increase general vigilance and their knowledge relating to the issue.

They provided local people with the necessary skills, including preventative measures, to deal with this crime, as well as information on the risk of unsafe migration.

A representative of the Yen Bai administration vowed to intensify efforts in communications and education, while also launching operations to crack down on human traffickers.  

He said the police will serve as the vanguard in breaking up human trafficking rings. Provincial organisations, including the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Women’s Union, will receive and support returnees in stabilising their lives and integrating into the community.

The trafficking in people, especially women and children, is increasing globally. Women and children are vulnerable the deceptions surrounding the traps of prostitution, third-party reproduction, and coercive labour.   

Between 2005 and 2010, Yen Bai alone uncovered 62 cases, involving 144 victims, of whom 97 have returned and now lead stable lives.

In the first six months of this year, the provincial police brought to light eight cases involving 13 women and 2 child victims.

After the ceremony, participants signed missives of support for the current campaign, as well as Vietnam anti-human trafficking day.

Southern network aims to improve life for disabled

After seven years of hard work, the Southern Viet Nam Network for People with Disabilities officially made its debut last Saturday.

Sponsored by the Ford Foundation, the network is the result of efforts made by the Disabilities Research and Capacity Development Centre (DRD) to connect associations of people with disabilities in the southern part of the country.

The network now has 35 associations in HCM City and other southern provinces.

The network is expected to enable people with disabilities to find it much easier to access education and employment opportunities, giving them greater confidence to be part of mainstream society.

It will also create opportunities for members to share experiences and overcome obstacles they face in the integration process.

Besides, the network will provide counseling on related laws, soft skills training for jobs, career orientation services as well as vocational training.

Nguyen Van Cu, a differently-abled man who has been part of efforts to establish the network, said it has given him happy, meaningful experiences that many normal people do not get.

Workers head for ASEAN Skills Competition

A send-off ceremony for a Vietnamese delegation attending the 9th ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) in Indonesia was held in Hanoi on November 10.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Bui Hoc Phi congratulated the 44 contestants and experts selected for the ASC and wished them success.

Phi believes Vietnam’s participation in all 22 events of the upcoming competition  proves its readiness for the 42nd WorldSkills Competition, hosted by Germany in July next year. The latter is considered good preparation for Vietnam to host the 10th ASC in 2014, he said.

The Deputy Minister stressed the importance of Vietnam’s and other ASEAN nations’ efforts to officially recognise the skills of labourers within the bloc. Such recognition makes it easier for workers to move and find employment.

This is the first time Vietnam will compete in all 22 skill categories of the ASC. It is also the first time national trainers have needed to analyse ASC requirements and choose the most appropriate skills, knowledge, equipment, and materials for competitive success.

Duong Duc Lan, head of the Vietnamese delegation, said Vietnam will chair the jury board for four events at the 9th ASC—Mechatronics, IT Network Systems Administration, Graphic Design Technology, and Wall and Floor Tiling.  Vietnam will additionally number among the chief experts for Business IT Software Solutions, Fashion Technology, Bricklaying, and Plumbing and Heating.

In the 2010 competition held in Bangkok, the Vietnamese delegation won seven golds, three silvers, and four bronzes, ranking third overall.

The delegation enjoyed earlier regional competition triumphs—once in Vietnam in 2004 and again in Brunei in 2006.

EducationUSA Advising Centre opens in HCM City

The US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City launched the EducationUSA Advising Centre on November 9.

Consul General Le Thanh An said thousands of Vietnamese students choose to pursue their education in the US every year and more than 15,000 are currently living and studying in the country.

Previously, students had to seek for information on visas, scholarships and financial support on their own or go through middlemen. Now they will be able to obtain details and accurate information through the centre.

All the services are free of charge and students will also receive valuable advice from experienced consultants to select the most suitable educational institutions for their particular needs.

South Korea to help develop national green growth plan

The Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) will help Viet Nam develop the country's master plan on green growth through a two-year project that will start next year.

Deputy Chief Representative of KOICA in Viet Nam Kim In and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong signed the minutes of a meeting on the US$2 million project in Ha Noi today.

The project will focus on establishing a master plan for green growth in Viet Nam while developing an inter-ministerial board for strategy implementation. It also aims to help improve provincial development strategies and capacity of human resources in the fields of green growth, climate change and environment.

"The KOICA project will be a driving force to promote sustainable, green growth in Viet Nam," said Phuong at the signing ceremony.

Phuong said Viet Nam regards green growth as the key force for development in the new age with a focus on the three targets of low carbon growth, green production and an environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

VNN/VOV/VNS