Plainclothes police to catch traffic violators

A latest circular issued by the Ministry of Public Security has allowed traffic police officers in plainclothes to participate in the supervision of traffic regulation.

According to Circular 65/2012, traffic police in plain clothes will report to local traffic police if they find violations. In cases where urgent action are needed, they must show their police ID cards to violators.

The circular forbids plainclothes police using their authority to annoy and harass people.

HCM City to drive south-east growth

A socio-economic master plan for the south-eastern region unveiled by the Government, identifying HCM City as the economic spearhead of the region, envisages further investment in the city.

The daily Nhan Dan (The People) quoted Dr Tran Hong Quang, head of the Development Strategy Institute's Centre for Regional Research and Development, as saying HCM City is an economic, trade, services, education-training, and science-technology hub of the region and country.

Its economy is set to change into a services-industry-agriculture structure, with high-quality services that can create value addition, and modern high-tech industries to get priority, he said.

The city will continue to invest to develop six expressways and the railway network.

The city's main river ports will be upgraded, and new ones constructed to serve the needs of residents and tourists.

The city's ports — Sai Gon, Nha Be, Cat Lai, and Hiep Phuoc — will be expanded to handle 50-60 million tonnes a year by 2015 and 75-85 million tonnes by 2020.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the new Long Thanh airport will be able to handle respectively 20 million and 80-100 million passengers a year by 2020.

The HCM City National University and Viet – Duc (Viet Nam-Germany) University will be upgraded into quality educational institutions.

The city will continue to invest in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP).

Sales of imported flu vaccine suspended

The Viet Nam Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health has ordered the temporary withdrawal from sale of seasonal influenza vaccines manufactured by Novartis Vaccines&Diagnostics Srl-Italy.

The action came after the European Medicines Agency's announcement that five European Union countries, plus Switzerland and Canada, had halted the use, as a precautionary measure, of some anti-influenza vaccines of Novartis due to a suspected quality defect in the firm's products manufactured in Italy late last month. The vaccines were earlier reported with the appearance of protein aggregates.

The vaccines are marketed under different commercial names, including Agrippal, Bergripal, Chiroflu, Chiromas, Fluad, Influpozzi and Sandovac.

Trafficked babies rescued, gang held

Ten new-born boys aged from 10 days to 7 months have been rescued from a new-born trafficking ring, thanks to Chinese police, the Ministry of Public Security has confirmed.

Under investigation in China's Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, a new-born trafficking ring with 43 members was caught. Twenty four of them, including 10 Vietnamese, were prosecuted for illegal trafficking new-borns from Viet Nam's Quang Ninh Province to China.

All the 10 new-borns found were identified as being given, sold or missing prior to July 15 this year. Vietnamese relevant agencies are working to find the babies' families. Two families have been found.

France supplies surveillance fishing vessels

Seven of the 120 offshore fishing boats in central Phu Yen have been equipped with French fisheries surveillance systems, according to the province's Coastal Information Station.

The station said the fisheries surveillance system, named Movimar, will be installed on all vessels in the province by the end of the year.

According to Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), a French satellite distributor, Movimar will help coastal information stations determine the position of any ship in the area. The device also allows vessels to send typhoon warnings by satellite.

Phu Yen is the first among 28 provinces to get the systems after Viet Nam last year signed a 14 million Euro (US$20 million) contract with CLS to install 3,000 surveillance systems for offshore fishing boats.

The spending has been provided by the French government and was first mooted after the May 2006 tragedy, when 300 fishermen were killed by Typhoon Chanchu.

Hanoi boosts comprehensive cooperation with Berlin

Hanoi will gain valuable experience and support from the City of Berlin in the fields of infrastructure planning and investment, education and training, tourism, cultural exchange and urban management.

Hanoi Mayor Nguyen The Thao was speaking while receiving Chairman of the Berlin State Parliament Ralf Wieland during his official visit to Hanoi on November 14.

Hanoi’s rapid population growth and 15-20 percent increase in the numbers of vehicles on roads has led to severe traffic congestion, Mayor Thao noted, adding that rapid development poses many difficulties for management.

Moreover, the city needs qualified cadres for its process of modernisation and industrialisation.

He concluded that cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange will also help strengthen ties and promote mutual understanding.

In response, Wieland spoke highly of Hanoi’s remarkable development and committed to implementing practical programmes to support Hanoi in the agreed sectors.

Germany is the EU’s single largest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of more than US$900 million for 184 projects. Of which, 40 projects worth US$47 million have been invested in Hanoi.

In addition, the country has supported 1 billion Euro for many Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in Vietnam.

Da Nang chosen to be model low-carbon city

Da Nang has been selected as an APEC city for a Low-Carbon Model Town Project.

The decision was announced at the 44th APEC energy meeting in Washington DC, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade's International Co-operation Department head Pham Thanh Tung, yesterday.

The APEC project would create up to 20 low-carbon model cities using energy-efficient technologies, including smart grids and renewable power generation.

Central Da Nang City has proposed four low-carbon model projects, including battery powered bicycles, technologies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to use renewable energy sources, a metro system and rapid bus transit.

The city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment said Da Nang had already cut 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions through a pilot project and saved VND12 billion (US$570,000).

The city has approved a second phase of the project to run to 2015 and is set to build as a green city by 2020.

Domestic firms hand over school to Laos

Vietnam’s Him Lam company and Long Thanh - Vientiane special economic zone - handed over a high school they built for the Lao province of Attapeu on November 14.

The school was built at a total cost of US$700,000 on a site of 18,000 sq.m. It has eight classrooms completed with other facilities such as teachers’ rooms and greenery.

At the hand over ceremony, Lao Party Secretary General and President Chummaly Sayasone thanked the Vietnamese Party, Government and people in general and the businesses in particular for not only their effective investment but also their active involvement in social welfare in Laos.

He pledged to create all possible favourable conditions for the Vietnamese businesses to operate effectively in Laos, contributing to promoting the special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

On the occasion, the Lao State conferred the Order of Lao National Development, second class, to Him Lam company director Duong Cong Minh, and a third class Order of Lao National Development to Chairman of the Long Thanh Le Van Kiem.

VNN/VOV/VNS