Steel flyovers for light vehicles open to traffic

A steel flyover bridge at the intersection of Le Van Luong and Lang Ha streets opened today in Ha Noi, helping ease traffic heading southeast during rush hour.

The VND205.6 billion (US$9.9 million) bridge, measuring 9m in width and 315.1m in length, was designed for light vehicles. Motorbikes and cars under three tonnes are permitted to use the flyovers, which have a 25kmph speed limit, while heavier vehicles, such as nine-seat cars, buses and tractors, are not.

This is the third such flyover in the city. The two others are Tay Son – Chua Boc – Thai Ha and Lang Ha – Huynh Thuc Khang – Thai Ha, which went into operation in April.

Flyovers are also planned for the intersections of Nguyen Van Cu – Nguyen Son and Chua Boc – Pham Ngoc Thach.

Conference discusses causes of vehicle fires

A conference, organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, has been held to discuss research on the cause and solutions to motor vehicle fires.

Electrical short circuits, fuel leaks, heating system faults and substandard fuel were causes of motor vehicles catching fire.

Vietnam Register general director Trinh Ngoc Giao said that after six months of research the main causes were identified, plus the addition of rats eating electrical wires and overheated exhaust systems.

Vietnam Register official Nguyen Van Phuong said accessories and inferior maintenance contributed to the problem.

A survey of 52 motor vehicle workshops showed car fires were due to short-circuits (41.72 percent of car fires and 35.28 percent of motorbike fires), fuel leaks (6.78 percent and 14.29 percent) and exhaust system problems (20.34 percent and 9.52 percent).

It is impossible to quantify the contribution of poor quality fuel mixtures used to cheat customers, however they were sure to have a detrimental affect on the engine and exhaust systems, the conference heard.

Giao called on the Government to raise standards to prevent vehicle fires.

Meanwhile, he said, scientists will continue their research on motor vehicle fires to improve quality control.

Reports showed that from January 2010 to August 2012, 337 cars and 126 motorbikes caught fire in Vietnam.

Texting raises money for dioxin victims

A major charity campaign was launched yesterday and will collect donations through mobile texting to help Agent Orange victims and poor households enjoy the coming traditional Tet (lunar new year).

People can support the campaign by texting TET to 1406. Each SMS costs VND12,000 (US$0.6).

The Deputy Chairman of the Viet Nam Red Cross (who is one of the partners running the campaign), Doan Van Thai, told a press conference yesterday that the donations would be used to provide gifts worth from VND300,000 ($15) each, to at least 1 million poor households and Agent Orange victims nationwide.

The Red Cross are co-operating with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Viet Nam Television Corporation on the campaign, which will run from now until February 14, 2013. The next lunar new year starts from February 10, 2013.

Reviewing the charity text-message campaigns the organisation has run over the past three years, Thai said that remarkable results had been achieved in mobilising community support to help the poor, and victims of natural disasters nationwide.

The society began in 1999, and has since raised more than VND1.3 trillion (nearly $63 million) to support more than 8.2 million poor households during the Tet festival.

In 2010, they received nearly VND21 billion ($1million) in a 45-day text-message campaign to help natural disaster victims in the central provinces. The money was used to provide emergency aid, including 418 tonnes of rice and 1,200 cows, and also helped to build 110 houses and provide 120 scholarships for children.

The Red Cross also collected nearly VND4.35 billion (over $200,000) to help people in the country's poor districts in 2011, and VND4.68 billion ($222,000) to help victims of the Tsunami in Japan last year.

Student honoured for protecting environment

Dang Huynh Mai Anh, a student of the Foreign Trade University, has been presented with the “Bayer Young Environmental Leader Award”.

Representatives of the Bayer Vietnam Group and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said Anh, one of Beyer Vietnam Environmental Envoys, is now one of the three global Bayer Young Environmental Leaders.

Anh has successfully helped households reduce energy consumption and waste production, and save natural minerals.
Following her extensive survey, Anh has published a “green handbook for housewives”, aimed at raising their awareness of the need to protect the environment.

The Bayer Young Environmental Leader Award is part of the annual Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Program launched by the Bayer Group, in coordination with the UNEP.

Diet blamed as gout victims get younger

Gout, the disease of middle-age indulgent men, is heading down the age demographic, said Ha Noi E Hospital's Muscle, Bone and Articulation Ward head Dang Hong Hoa.

Twenty years ago the hospital had a few dozen gout patients in their 20s each year; now it has dozens a week.
And the reason? Excessive eating and drinking.

For instance, a 22-year-old student in Thanh Xuan District, who came to the hospital with a painful swollen toe and ankle, told Hoa drinking helped him communicate with his friends and was a salve for his problems.

Besides, the advent of information technology has led to long periods sitting in front of computers, Hoa said, which wasn't helpful.

HCM City Gout Institute director Nguyean Thi Hong Thu said 40 per cent of the institute's 20,000 gout patients were under 40 years old and 70 per cent were aged 18-55.

Around 60 per cent of the total developed chronic gout with liver and kidney failure, diabetes and high blood pressure.

More than 90 per cent of the patients were men. Many who came for gout checks were only 16-20 years old.
Thu said most gout patients' joints were affected, which made their movements difficult.

Statistics showed gout patients faced a higher risk of coronary thrombosis than others. The most dangerous complication was kidney failure which lead to a decline in joint articulation.

Another Institute director Phan Van Cac said the country did not have official statistics of gout patients.

"Information on the disease is not good, thus people know little about it," said Cac. "Many of them leave it until too late to go to hospital, when they are in continous pain."

The country also had few medical clinics that specialised in the disease, Cac said. Patients could not find a place to treat the disease so they self-medicated, with the consequence their disease got worse.

"The treatment focuses on preventing inflammation and relieving pain; there is no way to treat the disease completely."
People should control their daily diets, Cac said. Those with high uric acid in blood should limit their intake of alcohol, meat, seafood and other food rich in protein.

Quang Binh fisherman snags 300kg tortoise

A tortoise weighing over 300kg was caught in a net about 500m off the coast of the central province of Quang Binh last Friday by fisherman Ngo Minh Hoa, a resident of Le Thuy District's Ngu Thuy Trung commune.

The tortoise was released back to the sea by local authorities the same day after they had paid Hoa compensation for his catch.

 Indian training ups local skills

The Indian Technology and Economic Co-operation has contributed greatly to training human resources for the Southern Fruit Research Institute, the institute's director said.

Speaking at ITEC Day organised at the Indian consulate in HCM City on Monday, Dr Nguyen Minh Chau said 47 employees have so far been to India for obtaining Ph.Ds and master's degrees in horticulture. Many of them were present at the function.

"With knowledge acquired from India, SOFRI has developed 10 new varieties of fruits and improved production and post-harvest technologies, significantly contributing to the country's fruit and vegetable exports," he said.

He himself and many other high-ranking agricultural officials have also benefited from the programme, he said.

Besides, India has also trained a number of competent personnel in other disciplines like computer science, banking, international trade, and English, he added.

Abhay Thakur, the Indian consul, said the ITEC Programme helps partner countries develop skilled manpower, augment financial resources, and acquire technology, and has a presence in 158 countries.

"Viet Nam is one of our most active ITEC partners," he said.

The programme used to offer 75 scholarships to Viet Nam every year, but the number has doubled since this year.
"From southern Viet Nam alone, 456 persons have benefited from the ITEC programme since 1995," he said.

The most popular courses that Vietnamese scholars are interested in are information technology, English, financial management, agriculture, environmental technology, and biotechnology, he said.

Bui Xuan Duc, director of the HCM City General Science Library, said his library has so far nominated 37 candidates for the programme, and intends to nominate nine for IT and English courses next year.

"In an effort to provide best services to the library's readers in HCM City and neighbouring provinces, it is necessary for us to constantly get manpower trained in IT and foreign languages," he said.

"We have disseminated information about the ITEC programme to many libraries in southern Viet Nam for them to nominate their staff," he said.

Australian Education Exhibition 2012 opens in Can Tho

The 2012 Australian Education Exhibition was held in Can Tho City on November 13 as part of the Australian Government’s annual activities.

The event was co-organised by the University of Can Tho and the Australian Trade Commission. It has attracted representatives from 50 Australian universities, colleges, and educational institutions.  

The exhibition provided students and their parents with information on courses, faculties, career prospects, tuition fees, admission requirements, living costs, visa procedures, and the necessary financial capacity when living in Australia.

Vietnam has the fifth most foreign students studying in Australia, after China, India, and the Republic of Korea. In 2011 the number of Vietnamese students studying at all levels in Australia amounted to 20,000 and is expected to continue rising in the future.  

This year, apart from the educational exhibition, Austrade also organised some interactive initiatives, allowing Australian representatives to hold exchanges with parents and students as well as officials from the Australian and Vietnamese Governments.  Earlier, similar events were also held in Hanoi and HCM City.

VNN/VOV/VNS