Police discover heroin trafficking ring

Quang Ninh Police are continuing to investigate a drug trafficking ring that was busted transporting heroin from foreign countries to Viet Nam.

The provincial Border Guard, in co-ordination with the Tay Ninh Border Guard, said traffickers transported heroin from China to Mong Cai City in Quang Ninh Province and then to Ha Noi, HCM City and Cambodia.

On Tuesday, police arrested two people from the ring, Vu Van Chinh from Viet Nam and Koem Sokda from Cambodia. The two illegally entered Viet Nam from China with nearly 4kg of synthetic heroin.

Koem Sokda admitted to working with Vietnamese traffickers to move heroin into the country.

Foreign NGOs pledge to help Vietnam reduce poverty
A ceremony was held in Hanoi on November 14 to honour the great contributions made by foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) towards poverty reduction, hunger eradication and development in Vietnam.

In the past ten years, foreign NGOs have provided Vietnam with nearly US$1.7 billion in non-refundable aid, focusing on economic development, poverty reduction and overcoming the consequences of the American bombing.

More than 700 NGOs in Vietnam have introduced Vietnam, its culture and people to international friends through their projects.

Vu Xuan Hong, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) said that NGO operations in Vietnam have been implemented effectively in many fields such as charitable work and overcoming the consequences of war. They have not only provided financial support but also shared their experiences to help Vietnam reduce poverty and eradicate hunger.

At the ceremony, the VUFO also granted certificates recognizing the contribution of 109 foreign NGOs towards the cause of poverty reduction and economic development in Vietnam. Through the VUFO, representatives from 61 NGOs have committed to provide US$151 million to help Vietnam reduce poverty by 2011.

Official charged over bribery

Can Tho City police last Friday detained an officer of the city's Department of Justice as well as an illegal marriage broker for allegedly accepting and giving bribes respectively.

Phan Thanh Dung, 58, deputy head of the department's Justice Administration Division, was caught red-handed receiving US$900 from the broker at a coffee shop in the city.

Tran Ngoc Trung, 32, told police that he was in charge of processing applications for a group that introduced local young women to Taiwanese and Korean men for the latter to select as wives. Trung admitted he had bribed Dung several times to have the applications processed smoothly.

Col Le Viet Hung, deputy director of the city's Public Security Department, said police seized $12,125 and VND161 million ($8,200) in cash, two bank savings books for deposits of 46 and19 taels of gold, a pistol and seven bullets after two visits to Dung's office and house.

Dung admitted that the assets had been procured using money earned from bribes and that the gun was kept illegally after the licence granted to his office expired in 2000.

Hung said the police were widening the investigation to find other people involved in the illegal marriage brokering ring in Can Tho and HCM City.

Many women from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces, including Can Tho, have been sent to Taiwan and Korea through illegally brokered marriages. Many of them have suffered sexual abuse and domestic violence. Some victims have been killed and others committed suicide.

Support continues for central flood victims

Overseas Vietnamese in many places throughout the world continue to send support for their flood-hit compatriots in the country's central region.

In response to a fundraising campaign launched by the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, official Vietnamese representatives in the US contributed more than $7,000 while many overseas Vietnamese in the state of Texas donated over $50,000.

Other Vietnamese businesses in the US donated more than US$5,500 to assist the victims.

The Global Community Service Foundation, a US non-governmental organisation, has also contributed assistance funds, and officials from Germany's state of Hessen donated seven water filters to aid the flood victims.

Anti-crime hotline to dob in criminals

The Ministry of Public Security has set up a hotline and email address to facilitate reporting of crimes.

People can call 069.37077 or email phongchong-muabannguoi@gmail.com to denounce criminals.

Low brings heavy rain to central region

A low pressure mixed with a cold spell from the north will continue to bring heavy rainfall to central provinces, the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting has announced.

In the past two days, central provinces from Thua Thien-Hue to Binh Dinh and several Central Highland provinces experienced significant downpours. Water levels of rivers in Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces are reported to be higher than the third alarm level between 0.18 and 0.3 metres.

The only road from the centre of Quang Nam Province to several rural communes in Bac Tra My and Nam Tra My districts was submerged under three metres of water, leaving them completely isolated. Tens of roads in Quang Ngai Province were divided, 19 houses destroyed or partly damaged and hundreds of others completely submerged.

Vice Chairman of the Quang Ngai People's Committee Truong Ngoc Nhi urged traffic police and the local authorities to promptly repair damage caused by landslides, open roads to traffic and relocate households in low-lying areas to safer ground.

As many as 36 households have already been relocated.

More than 100 soldiers are on duty in central Quang Nam Province, equipped with three rescue vessels, two canoes and four trucks, to rescue victims if necessary.

According to the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting, the low pressure will move west and north-west at a speed of between 10 and 15kph. It is forecast to reach the Viet Nam-Laos border area and weaken into a low pressure zone. A cold spell is forecast to hit the northern provinces with average temperatures likely to fall to between five and seven degrees Celsius in the northwest.

Ha Noi will experience low temperatures of 14 to 15 degrees Celsius in the mornings and nights.

Vietnam focuses on diabetes prevention

About 5 percent of Vietnam’s population have diabetes and between 15-20 percent of the people are at a high risk of developing diabetes, according to the Central Endocrine Hospital’s recent survey.

These figures were announced at a meting in response to World Diabetes Day jointly held by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation in Hanoi on November 14.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen warned that lifestyle changes, less physical activity and unhealthy eating are leading to a rise in the prevalence of diabetes in Vietnam.

The Health Ministry has asked the Prime Minister to supplement funding for the national anti-diabetes target programme in the 2011-2015 period to promote preventive measures widely to reduce new cases of diabetes as well as the disease complications.
According to experts, diabetes cannot be cured yet, however, 80 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can change the course of the disease with a healthy diet and more exercise.
WHO’s Country Representative Jean-Marc Olive suggested that Vietnam should manage diabetes right from communal and district hospitals to make the prevention and combat against the disease more effective.


VNN/VOV/VNS