US launches ordnance clean up programme

A US government-funded programme to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines in the central province of Quang Nam was launched on Friday, Oct 12.

At the launch ceremony, US Ambassador to Viet Nam David Shear announced a grant of US$1.6 million to the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the US Government's partner for clearance operations in central Quang Binh and Quang Nam provinces.

In July 2012, MAG in Viet Nam commenced community liaison operations in the province's Thang Binh District to determine the locations of UXO that were affecting the community. This information will be used to help MAG Viet Nam's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team when the project starts.

"The United States is committed to working with the Government of Viet Nam on cleaning up UXO. These programmes underscore a comprehensive effort to overcome this legacy of war, and building trust and understanding between our two nations as we face this challenge together," said Shear.

Danang supports Int’l Day for Disaster Reduction

A meeting to support International Day for Disaster Reduction was held in the central city of Danang on October 13.

Delegates confirmed that women and girls are a resilient force who can help mitigate the risks of natural disasters, and encouraged them to support their families and communities in coping with these disasters.

After the meeting, more than 300 Red Cross volunteers, women and students paraded through the city’s main streets to disseminate information on minimizing damages caused by disasters in the community.

Deputy Head of the city Red Cross Society, Nguyen Thuan, said, in addition to the meeting, there is a photography exhibition showcasing all the efforts to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

Women and girls play a vital role in these activities by carefully preparing food before the disasters occur, he added.

Over the years, the Red Cross Society has cooperated with organizations in the city to run training courses on risk management for coastal people face from natural disasters, as well as drills for evacuation, search and rescue. It has also provided life-jackets and warning systems for schools and the community.

Ministry to issue list of safe anchorage sites

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been assigned to announce the list of anchorage sites across the country before April 1 every year to help fishing boats find safe places in storm seasons.

The new task is regulated in Government Decree 80/2012/ND-CP on fishing port and anchorage management, issued on Monday.

Boats can enter an anchorage without paying fees during a storm or tropical depression, according to the new decree.

The ministry will announce the anchorage name, co-ordinates and capacity to receive boats. Telephone numbers of local steering committees for flood and storm control, which manage the anchorages, will also be publicised.

The list will be announced on mass media and sent to city and provincial people's committees.

When entering an anchorage, boat owners must follow the committee's supervision and guidance. They also must inform the committee of a vessel's name, registration number and condition of the boat and crew.

A boat can only leave the anchorage when the storm is over or by consultation with the committee.

The ministry's Aquatic Resources Exploitation and Protection Department director Nguyen Ngoc Oai said anchorages would limit the loss of life and property during storm seasons.

Reports from some cities and provinces showed that about 30 per cent of fishing boats could not find anchorages during a storm.

However, Nguyen Tai, an official of the Thua Thien-Hue Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, said anchorages sent signals to fishing boats during storms but bad weather and poor radio receivers made it difficult for some boats to catch the signals.

Meanwhile, Oai said announcing the list of anchorages was only one of the measures which the Government had undertaken to support seamen.

More than 1,470 seamen were provided with preferential interest loans to install satellite locators on their ships and 18 switchboards and 60 stations had been set up in coastal provinces to send updated information to fishing boats.

It was expected that the department's Fishing Ship Supervision Centre would start work next year to supervise more than 3,000 fishing boats in the region, he said.

The decree will be put into effect in December.

EMW hands over kindergarten to Phu Tho

The East Meets West Foundation (EMW), in co-ordination with Boeing Vietnam, handed over the Phu Thinh kindergarten in Viet Tri city to the northern province of Phu Tho on October 13.

The VND2 billion construction consists of four classrooms, two staff rooms and two modern restrooms.

It was built to resolve the lack of rooms for students and teachers in the 2012-2013 academic year, and to improve the facilities for taking care of children.

Through the EMW, Boeing Vietnam has helped build 13 kindergartens and primary schools and repaired 340 existing schools since 2005 to help children in poor areas have a better learning environment.

Dozens of crocodiles at large in Ca Mau

At least a dozen crocodiles were still loose in the southernmost province of Ca Mau yesterday, Oct 14, following heavy rains on last Thursday that led to dozens of the predators escaping from a crocodile farm.

Since the crocodiles escaped, 49 have been captured, but authorities of the owner of the farm do not know exactly how many crocodiles had escaped. These crocodiles were raised at a farm in Dinh Binh Commune, Ca Mau City, which is operated by Quoc Viet Aqua-Product Processing, Trading and Import-Export Company.

South receives high tide warning

Water levels in the south could rise rapidly in the next few days, with tidal water levels at estuaries reaching 1.55 metres between October 16 and 18, the Southern Hydro – Meteorology Centre forecast last Friday.

The high tides in the early part of the lunar month and large flows from the upstream sections of the rivers would be the main reasons for this, it said.

In the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, water levels could top 1.95m at the Can Tho Station in the Hau River, and 1.85m at the My Thuan Station in the Tien River, both more than half a metre above the Alarm No 3 level.

The level could reach 1.55m at the Phu An Station in the lower section of the Sai Gon – Dong Nai river system, 5cm higher than the Alarm No 3 level.

It could also go slightly past the Alarm No 3 level at the Nha Be Station in the Dong Dien Canal.

At Bien Hoa on the Dong Nai River and Thu Dau Mot (in Binh Duong Province) on the Be River too, the water would be slightly above the Alarm No 3 level.

Besides the high tide, water releases from the Dau Tieng – Phuoc Hoa Reservoirs would also affect the city, according to the HCM City Storm and Flood Prevention and Control Board.

The city People's Committee has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Water Conservation Department to reduce the volume of water released between October 13 and 15 to under 100 cubic
metres per second, and suspend the release between 16th and 19th to reduce flooding in the city.

The Dau Tieng – Phuoc Hoa Irrigation Co, which operates the reservoirs, announced that the water level in Dau Tieng on October 10 was 83 cm higher than normal, and it would release 200 cubic metres of water per second starting on that day, and higher volumes subsequently.

The People's Committee has ordered district authorities and government agencies to review flood-prevention activities at vulnerable areas and identify shelters for people who would have to be evacuated from flood-hit areas.

It has also instructed relevant agencies to inspect embankments and reinforce sections that have deteriorated.

Drug trafficker arrested in Lai Chau

Police swooped on the mountainous province of Lai Chau in the early hours of Sunday to catch two men smuggling heroin into the province, seizing one heroin cake, two cell phones, a motorbike and other items.

The arrested, Hoang Van Van, 39 and Tong Van Dai, 36, both reside in Chieng Khoang commune in the northern mountainous Son La Province's Quynh Nhai District, admitted buying the heroin from a person named Tien in the province's Thuan Chau District at a cost of VND140 million (US$6,600).

The case is still under investigation.

HCM City scraps licence for IP

The HCM City People's Committee has cancelled the licence it issued to An Phu One Member Company Ltd for building an industrial park and residential area in the outlying Hoc Mon District since the investor had barely made any progress.

The project in Tan Hiep and Tan Thoi Nhi villages had a total area of 650ha of which 619ha were to be acquired from local residents.

Since getting the licence in 2004 An Phu had only paid compensation for only 2.7 per cent of the area and had no plans for paying further compensation.

The company had failed to identify a spot to resettle residents whose lands were to be acquired.

The tardiness has affected the lives of 1,327 families.

Singapore businesses grant scholarships

The Singapore Business group in HCM City (SBG) granted scholarships worth US$45,000 to 270 Vietnamese university and senior high-school students yesterday.

This is for the 12th year that SBG is providing financial assistance to students through its Education Fund, and so far 2,795 students have benefited to the tune of $413,000.

"Although this year's economic climate has not been favourable, it is heartening that the Singapore business community has not forgotten the plight of the disadvantaged in Viet Nam," the business grouping's president, Norman Lim, said.

"This has enabled Singapore businesses to thrive in this market."

Vietnam Human Resources Day 2012 launched

Vietnam Human Resources Day 2012 (Vietnam HR Day) will be launched in Hanoi on October 14 and Ho Chi Minh City on October 21.

The event marks its fourth anniversary, drawing the participation of 5,500 business people, economic experts and HR managers.     

Vietnam HR Day 2012 is an open forum to bring together leading national and international businessmen and HR managers from around the globe to discuss HR-related issues.

It offers a good opportunity for businessmen and HR managers to meet with each other, exchange experiences and devise comprehensive solutions to increase management capacity and strengthen cooperation among businesses.

The event is organized by the EduViet Corporation, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association, Vietnam National University, the CPO Club and the human resources forum HRLink.vn.

VNN/VOV/VNS