Ha Noi boy rescued from kidnappers

Ha Noi police rescued a 11-year-old boy from kidnappers early this morning and returned him to his mother in Ha Dong District.

The kidnappers, Dinh Van Thang and Nguyen Xuan Ngoc, both 21, are being held in police custody pending further investigations.

Le Luong Hung, a student of Nguyen Trai Junior High School, in the district, was kidnapped on the way to his tutor for extra classes yesterday.

"Two strangers on motorbikes approached me and told me that my mother had had an accident and they had come to take me to the hospital," Hung said.

Hung's mother said that yesterday afternoon she received phone calls from the kidnapper asking for a ransom of VND200 million (US$9,600).

They said if she did not give them the money they would give her son sleeping tablets, the mother said.

On her relatives' advice she reported the case to district police.

Police investigators later found the kidnappers and the boy at Hoang Long Hostel in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh.

12 people injured in bus crash

A container crashed into a Ho Chi Minh City bus carrying more than 30 passengers on November 18, leaving 12 injured.   

The accident took place in Thu Duc district and all 12 of the injured were later admitted to hospital. Two of them remain in critical conditions.

The driver of the container immediately fled the scene of the incident and has yet to be identified or turn themselves in at a police station

Police in Thu Duc district are conducting investigations and providing help to the victims.

Rotten pork seized in Dong Nai Province

Following a tip-off from the public, a market management team raided a private slaughterhouse in Gia Kiem Commune of Thong Nhat District in Dong Nai Province and seized around 1.2 tons of rotten pork stacked in fridges for future consumption.

Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngoc, 31, the owner of the slaughterhouse was unable to produce any legal documents for the rotten pork consignment.

Ngoc told the police that she had bought the pork from farms in Thong Nhat District and planned to sell it in the markets in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Binh Duong.

The market management team fined her and took away all the pork meat.

Later the Department of Animal Health in the district will destroy all the seized rotten pork.

Large bamboo grove withers in Hoang Lien National Park

According to the management board of Hoang Lien National Park in the northern province of Lao Cai, nearly 400 hectares of a small and medium-sized bamboo grove in the buffer zone of the park has now completely withered.

The grove is spread across San Sa Ho, Ta Van and Ban Ho Communes of Sa Pa District in Lao Cai Province.

Dry weather conditions for the last several weeks, depleting underground water reserves, rapid and unplanned tourism development and construction of a road leading to Fansipan Mountain Top are being attributed as prime reasons for the drying of the bamboo forest grove.
 
Fearing that the dry and brittle bamboo stands highly susceptible to fires, the national park has made arrangements for a round-the-clock surveillance patrol to keep watch over the area and prevent any forest fires.

The park management board has also asked the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province to urgently replant another bamboo forest in the same area or its vicinity.

Vietnam-China People Friendship Festival kicks off

The 2012 Vietnam-China People Friendship Festival opened in Liuzhou City in the Chinese province of Guangxi on November 17.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and Chairman of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association, led the Vietnamese delegation.

Thang highlighted the time-honoured friendship between Vietnam and China, suggesting that the development of fruitful bilateral relations is an invaluable asset to both countries.

He emphasised the need to promote exchanges and broaden mutual understanding and trust for the sake of each country’s national development as well as for the long-term benefit of both peoples.

Thang cited the four-day festival as a good opportunity for Vietnam and China to strengthen friendship, solidarity, and cooperation in various fields.

It also offers opportunities to review the traditional relationship forged in past struggles and share experiences of the current national development process, he added.

On behalf of the Liuzhou City’s municipal Party Committee and people, Deputy Mayor Jiao Yaoguang spoke highly of the close relationship between Vietnam and China, noting the common aspects of their cultures and their shared border.

Guangxi province’s second largest city, Liuzhou was where President Ho Chi Minh engaged in revolutionary activities from 1942 until 1944 before returning and working with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1954. Liuzhou City has close links with a number of Vietnamese localities, particularly in trade, culture, and tourism.

The festival, which will run until November 19, will serve as the underlying organising rationale for a number of activities including a trade and economic forum, a friendship forum between Vietnam and China, and a special forum for businesswomen in China and Southeast Asian countries.

Furniture company punished for polluting

The Binh Duong People's Committee yesterday ordered Wooden furniture producer Rochdales Spears to temporarily close a branch in the Dong An Industrial Zone, due to heavy pollution being committed by the company.

The decision was made following an investigation into reports that the company had been scattering large amounts of sawdust into the environment for several months, affecting neighbouring companies in area and negatively affecting the health of hundreds of workers.

Three fibre producers went as far as to send a petition to local authorities, saying that the dumped sawdust was damaging to their products and was affecting exports.

The Chairman of the People's Committee chose to fine Rochdales Spears VND250 million (US$12,000) and postpone their operations for one month so they can clean up their act.

The company was also asked to make an environmental protection plan for the branch and send it to the province's environment and natural resources department for approval.

If they fail to improve by the end of the month, the punishment will be increased and they will be forbidden from resuming production until they have fulfilled all necessary requirements, the committee confirmed.

Gift market cranks up for Teachers' Day

With few days to go before the nation celebrates Teacher's Day next Tuesday, the gift market has heated up with diverse choices, discounts and promotion programmes.

Teacher's Day is an opportunity for parents, students and society as a whole to show appreciation and gratitude for those who impart knowledge and skills in all disciplines.

It is also an opportunity for individual entrepreneurs and enterprises to make handsome profits, providing a wide selection of gift items.

The Big C supermarket chain, for instance, is offering discounts of 10-30 per cent on about 100 items sold in gift boxes until November 20.

In addition, a free greeting card will be given for every purchase of a gift voucher worth VND100,000.

At the Co.op Mart chain, discounts of up to 50 per cent are being offered on about 1,000 items, including clothing, cosmetics and household utensils. Lotte Mart has discounts on more than 500 products.

Customers who are teachers will enjoy a 10 per cent discount on their bill when shopping at Maximark outlets on November 20.

Besides introducing new collections, textile stores are offering attractive discounts for customers who buy fabric for making ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress).

The ABC textile store in District 3 is offering a 15 per cent discount on its products until November 20.

Buyer of ao dai fabric at showrooms of the Thai Tuan Group Corporation will have a chance to win one of 5,296 prizes on offer for the special day.

Fabric stalls at traditional markets are also hanging discount signs of 5-10 per cent and providing free gift wrapping service to boost sales on the occasion.

Many flower shops are offering free delivery services and gifts to customers.

Shoes, fashion and gift shops, spas and travel companies have also launched promotion programmes to attract customers.

Some young people have kept themselves aloof from the marketing blitz.

They are more interested in creating presents with their own hands to give their teachers.

Nguyen Do Phuong Nghi, a 10th grade student of Gia Dinh High School in Binh Thanh District, said she and some of her old friends would make greeting cards for teachers at her secondary school who helped and encouraged them to be good students.

"I think gifts for teachers do not have to be expensive. The most important thing is learners' gratitude," she said.

Others are offering free e-cards with special messages for teachers.

Confab floods natural disaster preparedness with attention

A conference to share experiences of natural disaster management on both a regional and international level took place in Ha Noi on Saturday, as experts convened to learn lessons that could safeguard Viet Nam in future.

Addressing the event, head of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, Phan Xuan Dung, said the conference was held in the context that Viet Nam faces many calamities such as floods, storms, drought, landslides, earthquakes, desertification and rising sea levels.

He said the results of the conference would help NA deputies consider the draft law on natural disaster prevention, response and mitigation, expected to be approved at a NA session in May, 2013.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, stressed the importance of sharing experiences in the field with other countries. He added that Viet Nam faced complicated climate changes and needs to make proper amendments to prevent and reduce the risks of natural disasters.

Speaking at the conference, UNDP Country Director for Viet Nam, Louis Chamberlain, highlighted the significance of the event for Viet Nam, which must tackle new kinds of unexpected natural disasters.

She praised the efforts of the Vietnamese Government to reduce and ease the risk of natural disasters in recent years.

She also gave suggestions for the draft law to prevent and reduce the risk of natural disasters.

During the conference, participants discussed regional and international co-operation in the field, as well as models to prevent and reduce the threat of natural disasters in such countries as Japan, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US.

Vietnam supports family planning measures

More than 200 million women in the world's poorest countries including Vietnam, especially the young or socially disadvantaged, do not have access to family planning services and information, heard a conference in Hanoi on November 16.

Making voluntary family planning available to everyone in developing countries will reduce costs for maternal and newborn health care by US$11.3 billion annually, according to the State of World Population 2012, launched on November 16 by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The report also finds that financial resources for family planning have declined and contraceptive use has remained mostly steady.

However, there are signs of progress. Last July, at the London Summit on Family Planning, donor countries and foundations together pledged US$2.6 billion to make it available to 120 million women in developing countries by 2020. Developing countries pledged US$2 billion.

In Vietnam, data from the Ministry of Health and other population-based surveys indicated that Vietnam have made sustainable progress on family planning by integrating it into general health services.

However, certain population groups such as adolescents, young and unmarried people, migrants and ethnic minority people had limited access to family planning services and information.

As a result, a significant number of pregnancies are unexpected, especially among the young and unmarried groups, who account for 85 percent of unwanted pregnancies.

“Ensuring national access to family planning is protecting human rights,” said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien.

He also suggested that the gap between the demand for family planning and the availability of services must be bridged, starting with the most vulnerable.

Data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, undertaken by the Vietnam General Statistics Office in 2010, showed that 11.2 percent of married women had no access to contraception. The figure was 34.3 percent among unmarried women.

Takeshi Kasai, the World Health Organisation representative in Vietnam, suggested that the Government should adopt a financial policy to support a comprehensive family planning program and provide national funding to ensure adequate supply and distribution of contraceptives.

Tien said that the government, social organizations, medical service providers and communities must make sure that voluntary family planning is available to all who want it.

He also suggested diversifying family planning methods and enhancing the responsibility of health workers to inform the public about the choice of methods available.

Buddhist Sangha to convene next week

Over 1,100 monks, nuns, and local and overseas dignitaries are expected to gather in Hanoi for the 7th Congress of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha from November 21-24.

The congress will focus on strengthening and developing the Sangha, training novitiates, and preserving and promoting Buddhist culture within the national identity, said the vice chairman and general secretary of the Sangha's executive council, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, on November 16.

The congress will elect 199 members and 52 alternates of the executive council, 60 members to the council's steering committee, and 90 members to the Dharma Patronage Council.

Natural disaster management in the spotlight

A conference to promote sharing regional and international experience in natural disaster management took place in Hanoi on November 17.

Addressing the event, head of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, Phan Xuan Dung, said Vietnam is facing many calamities such as floods, storms, drought, landslides, earthquakes, desertification and rising sea level.

He said the results of the conference will help NA deputies consider the draft law on natural disaster prevention, response and mitigation which is expected to be approved at a NA session in May, 2013.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, stressed the importance of exchanging experiences with other countries in the field.
He added Vietnam needs to take effective measures to prevent and reduce the risks of natural disasters.

UNDP Country Director for Vietnam, Louis Chamberlain, highlighted the importance of the event for Vietnam, which has to cope with new kinds of unexpected natural disasters.

She praised the efforts of the Vietnamese Government to reduce and ease the risk of natural disasters over the past years.

She also gave some suggestions to the draft law to prevent and reduce the risk of natural disasters.

During the conference, participants discussed regional and international cooperation in the field, as well as models to prevent and reduce the threat of natural disasters in such countries as Japan, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US.

Smuggling grows more complicated at year end

As 2012 draws to a close, the smuggling problem appears as complicated as ever. The number of detected cases has risen in the first half of Q4 and demonstrates the increasing sophistication of the criminal deception.

According to the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, most of the products smuggled into the country are those subjected to high tax rates or requiring an inspection of quality, food safety, and hygiene. Commonly smuggled goods include weapons, explosives, firecrackers, reactionary cultural products, motor oil, cattle and animals, electronic items, alcohol, and cigarettes.

According to the Lang Son provincial Department of Customs, tasked with the responsibility for the nouthern border, authorities have uncovered nearly 100 cases of firecracker smuggling  since the beginning of the year. Tonnes have been seized.

The department predicts the situation will only worsen as the year ends, especially in the areas around the Tan Thanh, Coc Nam, and Chi Ma border gates.

In November alone, the HCM City Department of Customs detected dozens of smuggling cases. On November 2, the HCM City Department of Customs discovered that the Ha Thanh Company, imported dozens of second-hand printers and photocopiers and a luxury Mercedes-Benz car that failed to meet  technical import standards while they had registered to import 15.56 tonnes of waste plastic product worth only VND47 million (US$2,200).

The department also discovered cultural products like books and DVDs containing false information about Vietnamese leaders and the country’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Smuggling is not a rare occurrence around border gates, especially as the annual Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday approaches. According to customs agencies, however, the situation this year is more serious as criminals adopt increasingly devious subterfuge.

Local Departments of Customs plan to enhance coordination to prevent cross-border smuggling.

Under the direction of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, local departments will step up inspections to combat the smuggling of animal products, gold, foreign currencies, petrol, and oil.

Customs will also work closely with other forces, including the police and the border guard, to effectively address the issue.

Deputy PM urges better care for children with HIV/AIDS

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the relevant ministries and agencies to make greater efforts to improve access to healthcare and educational services offered to children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Addressing a seminar reviewing the implementation of the “National Action Plan for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS until 2010, with a vision to 2020”, Deputy PM Phuc highlighted efforts by ministries, agencies, and the community in reducing discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS and respecting their rights detailed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Vietnam is a leading country in positively responding to international calls for HIV/AIDS prevention, he stressed.

However, there are now many children who are seriously affected by the disease, Phuc said, and some of their basic rights are still violated or infringed.

Deputy PM Phuc asked relevant ministries and agencies to the legal system and the communication campaign about preventing HIV/AIDS and reducing discrimination against children living with HIV/AIDS.

The National Action Plan for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS aims to ensure that the needs of most children affected by HIV are met by 2020. It provides a roadmap for the relevant governmental bodies, donors, NGOs, and the community as they try and improve care for children and families affected by HIV.

Over 2,500 Vietnamese websites hacked

More than 2,500 Vietnamese websites have been hacked since the beginning of this year, says Microsoft’s latest survey.   

The survey was released at a seminar on information security in Ho Chi Minh City on November 16.

Tran Ngoc Minh, deputy head of the Vietnam Information Security Association’s (VNISA) southern chapter, said information security is increasingly imperilled, risking huge losses. It’s predicted that an internet war will develop soon, he added.

Over the first ten months of 2012, hackers have targeted many official Government websites, large business websites, and those of leading IT firms. Vietnam is likely to face increased risk as the country has not invested properly in safeguarding information security.

Minh stressed the need to build strong infrastructure for information security over the long-term rather than drafting solutions to merely deal with short-term impacts.

Ngo Viet Khoi, Sales Manager of Trend Mirco Vietnam, said increasing businesses’ awareness and preparing professional information security personnel is essential.

Khoi also said Vietnam should master the advanced technologies that can guarantee information security. Businesses should think of preventive measures and invest more in information technology.

Winter volunteer program launched

The Vietnam Youth Federation’s Central Committee, in coordination with the Ha Giang administration, launched the 2012 Winter Volunteer Program in Yen Minh district, Ha Giang province on November 17.    

The initiative, themed “Youth for Social Welfare”, aims to provide free health check-ups and treatment to 50,000 disadvantaged people and residents living in disaster-prone areas. It will involve mobilising members of the Youth Federation for blood donations and building “affectionate houses” for the poor.

The Vietnam Youth Federation’s Central Committee used the launching ceremony to announce 30 scholarships worth VND1 million each recently granted to poor pupils and the beginning of construction on 2 affectionate houses worth VND30 million each for the families of war martyrs.

The Central Committee also said  health check-ups and treatment had been provided to 500 people in Yen Minh district, highlighting the  210 elderly patients who received eye surgery.

Organisers presented additional gifts to 10 families of war invalids and martyrs’and pupils two day-boarding schools in the province.

Vietnam, Laos news agencies boost cooperation

The cooperation in information exchange and professional training between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and its Lao counterpart Khaosan Pathet Lao (KPL) has achieved fine results over the past time, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said.

Phuc made the remarks at a reception for visiting acting General Director of the KPL, Sounthone Khanthavong, in Hanoi on November 16.

He suggested the two sides continue cooperating and supporting each other to improve the quality of information and photographs, and intensify experience exchange in personnel training and facility construction.

The Deputy PM expressed his hope that in the time to come, the two news agencies will continue speeding up information cooperation, and introduce Vietnam-Laos special relations and cooperative activities in economics and trade and culture for the people of the two countries and the world over.

Khanthavong said that the two sides have signed many cooperation agreements and protocols and this demonstrates their close relationship, contributing to raising information sharing between the two national news agencies.

He said that KPL hopes for VNA’s support with a focus on educating younger generations on the Vietnam-Laos friendship.

Earlier, the KPL’s delegation held talks with a VNA delegation led by General Director Nguyen Duc Loi.

The two sides reviewed the implementation of bilateral cooperation projects within the framework of the professional cooperation protocol for the 2011-15 period.

They agreed to continue cooperating comprehensively, and support each other in exchanging publications and improving the quality of news and photographs.

Baptist Church holds second general conference

Five hundreds delegates, including 98 dignitaries and followers from 22 southern cities and provinces met at the second general conference of the Grace Southern Baptist General Confederation in Ho Chi Minh City on November 16.

Addressing the two-day conference, Bui Thanh Ha, Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, stressed that the State consistently implements policies to respect and ensure people’s rights to religious freedom.

The issuance and implementation of legal documents on religious issues have met the legitimate aspirations of religious people, Protestants in particular, he said.

The Grace Southern Baptist General Confederation was established in November 1962 in HCM City, and recognized by the Government as a religious organisation in 2008.

This year’s conference will review religious activities in the 2008-2012 period, elect a new Executive Board for the second tenure and adopt the 2012-2016 working plan.

15,500 Vietnamese students in US

The number of Vietnamese students studying in US colleges and universities has increased by 4.6 percent from last year to reach 15,500 in 2012, according to the Institute of International Education.   

In its recently released Open Doors 2012 annual report, the institute said that only seven other countries in the world send more students to the US.

This is the 12th consecutive year of growth. More than 70 percent of the 15,500 Vietnamese students are studying as undergraduates.

Vietnamese businessperson gains success in Japan

Tran Ngoc Phuc, an overseas Vietnamese in Japan, has successfully researched and manufactured medical equipment for healthcare services.   

Phuc set up Metran Company in 1984. Over the past 20 years, it has manufactured artificial ventilators, anaesthesia devices, respiratory monitors and veterinary products which are highly valued in Japan and abroad.

Phuc and his company have received many awards from the Japanese Government, including a smart innovation award from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and most recently, were honoured by the Mikado of Japan’s visit on July 5, 2012.

Phuc said his company in Japan will focus on producing and supplying equipment to Vietnam in the near future.

Vietnamese ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung has visited his company and expressed admiration for Phuc’s success and hope that Phuc will further contribute to the homeland’s development.

Science, social welfare achievements honoured

Pioneering doctors, teachers, scientists and religious leaders were recognised for their outstanding contributions to society at the 10th annual KOVA Awards yesterday.

A total of five groups and seven individuals received the prestigious gongs for their tireless efforts in the fields of applied science and technology, and social welfare at a ceremony yesterday.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, the new Chairwoman of the KOVA Award Committee who recently inherited the position from former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, said before the occasion: "I hope the awards will be presented to deserving groups and individuals and will encourage them to continue contributing to the country's prosperity and development."

In the field of applied science and technology, the award went to a group of teachers from the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Primary School for their research on new education models and tools to help visually-impaired students integrate with their peers.

A group of doctors from Ha Noi Medical University (HMU) were also rewarded for their successful research using biological ceramics in plastic surgery for patients with injuries due to middle ear diseases.

A team of pharmacists from the Traphaco Sa Pa Company were also honoured for their research on expanding Artichoke plantation in the northern mountainous provinces to boost wealth for local people, reduce poverty and eliminate hunger.

Group awards for outstanding contributions to society went to nuns in the Ngoc Phuong Buddhist temple in Go vap District, HCM City for their contribution to the country's revolution during the American War and for helping Agent Orange victims as well as natural disaster victims in the area.

Of the three individual awards, one went to Director of the HMU's Training Programme Development and Medical Capacity Consulting Centre Bui My Hanh for her scientific research on applying multimedia in setting up training tools; another to Deputy Director of the Thanh Hoa Obstetrics Hospital Hoang Van Viet for his research project applying ultrasound techniques in the early detection of child deformation in the womb; and the third went to Tran Thi An, deputy director of the Plant Science Faculty of Thanh Hoa Province's Hong Duc University, for her successful revival of a traditional rice strain, called nep cai hat cau, in the province.

Backward customs

Individual winners of the outstanding contribution to society prize were Ly A Dua, who campaigned relentlessly against backward customs in Hoa Di Ho hamlet of Tam Duong District, Lai Chau Province and Nguyen Thi Nhan, who helped treat more than 120 poor patients and donated charity meals to the patients while providing many other forms of aid.

Luu Kim Dung, Chairwoman of the Thanh Nua Commune's Womens Union in Dien Bien District, Dien Bien Province and H Yam BKrong in EaKao commune, Buon Ma Thuot City of Dak Lak Province also received individual prizes for their efforts to preserve brocade weaving jobs in a bid to help ethnic and minority women avoid poverty and hunger.

Sixteen outstanding students also received KOVA awards, while 57 others were granted KOVA scholarships.

Established by the KOVA Paint Group in 2002, the awards aim to encourage students, individuals and groups, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue advances in the areas of science, technology and social welfare.

Province supports mental rehabilitation centres

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has decided to use VND90 billion (US$4.3 million) from the central and provincial budgets to support and rehabilitate those suffering from mental disorders for the 2013-20 period.

The province will spare VND60 billion ($2.9million) to build a rehabilitation centre for the mentally ill. When it opens in 2015, the centre will provide treatment to 300 chronically ill patients and rehabilitate 200 others per year.

Another VND27 billion ($1.3 million) will be used to build two clinics for preventing and treating mental diseases: one based in the provincial hospital and one in Ninh Hoa Commune's healthcare centre.

This model will be replicated in seven other districts in the province.

The rest of the investment will be spent on human resource development for the sector and raising community awareness about mental disorders.

The province has more than 3,000 mental disorder cases, of which two-thirds are severe, according to the province's Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department. This number is forecast to rise to 5,000 by 2020.

However, only 100 patients are cared for at social sponsoring centres in the province.

About 15 per cent of the Vietnamese population, or about 12 million people, have mental problems, according to the Ministry of Health. The most common mental disorder in the country is depression.

Red River localities ink co-operative pact

Concluding the first ever co-operative development conference in the region here on Saturday, leaders of Ha Noi and 10 other cities and provinces in the Hong (Red) River Delta have signed a co-operative agreement for the period 2012-20.

Under the agreement, regional leaders agreed to give priority to collaborating in the fields of investment, traffic control and safety, tourism, irrigation and environmental protection. A People's Committee vice chairman would be appointed in each city or province with the responsibility of overseeing implementation of the agreement, beginning in the first quarter of next year.

The minutes of the conference, including proposals on enhancing connectivity between localities and developing regional socio-economic development planning, will be reported to the Government.

Officers lead forest protection initiative

Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong have ordered relevant officers in Dak Song District to tighten management on the local pine forest area along National Highway 14.

More than 30 kilometres of forest land have been destroyed for planting rubber trees, peppers, building houses and stores. The provincial department of forest management has found 86 households illegally claiming more than seven hectares of the forest's land.

Man swept away in flash flood found dead

The body of a victim swept away by a flash flood in the central province of Ninh Thuan's Phuoc Trung commune was found yesterday, the local authority has confirmed.

The victim was identified as Mai Xuan Hoang Long, deputy chairman of Phuoc Trung commune's People's Council, who had been missing since Thursday. Local residents found Long's body stuck in a brushwood on the stream.

Affected by tropical depression, heavy rainfall occurred all day in Phuoc Trung Commune, triggering the flash flood.

City to gain oral health research centre

A Canadian university and the HCM City-based National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology will set up an oral-health research centre at the hospital.

Dr Charles Shuler, dean of the University of British Columbia's dentistry faculty, said the 1,200sq.m centre would focus on research related to oral cancer, dental caries, and cranio-facial birth defects.

It would facilitate transfer of knowledge to local and international researchers to raise the baseline of oral health care in Viet Nam and Southeast Asia, he said.

It would strengthen local capacity to treat the most serious oral-health issues, he added.-

Flats put strain on infrastructure
 
Construction experts have expressed concerns over the minimum size of social housing apartments lowering from 30sq.m to 25sq.m, saying it could lead to ‘slum' conditions in the future.

The 25sq.m apartments proposed by the Ministry of Construction late last year were intended to help more low-income earners access housing. The ministry also encouraged developers to shift commercial housing projects to social housing ventures, hoping the proposal would help defrost the frozen domestic real estate market.

However, chairman of the Ha Noi-based Red River Reenco Investment Joint Stock Company Nguyen The Diep was quoted by Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) as saying that the switch from large apartments to smaller homes would lead to higher population density and create more strain on existing infrastructure.

These apartments were usually associated with average quality, he said, adding that it could make customers less interested in buying.

"If the apartments are built but unsold, there will be a huge waste of investment," he said, warning about the difficulties dealing with unsold apartments.

He said that 25sq.m apartments should be built for rent instead of for sale.

Social housing projects should be inserted into commercial ventures to help reduce travelling costs and create jobs for the poor.

Regulations governing minimum area as well as price and quality were necessary, he said.

Vice president of the Ha Noi Urban Planning and Development Association Dao Ngoc Nghiem said that out of 800 new urban area projects in Ha Noi, 600 had been asked to change to social housing developments.

At present, there were about 70,000 unsold apartments in Ha Noi and HCM City, most of which had area of over 100sq.m, capable of housing 200,000-250,000 people.

However, Nghiem said that if the apartments were divided into smaller units, the number of residents could triple.

"In that case, it is crucial to see if basic infrastructure in those areas, including transport, schools, water and electricity, can deal with the increased population," he said.

It was also necessary to regulate who was eligible to live in small apartments, he said, noting that in other countries, most people who lived in them were single.

Deputy Chairman of the Viet Nam Civil Engineering Federation Pham Sy Liem said that the Construction Ministry's suggestion to switch commercial housing projects to social housing was reasonable.

In fact, middle-income earners were usually the target customers for 25-30sq.m apartments, he said, adding that when they were able to buy new housing, their former homes could be sold to lower-income people.

"I don't think it will overload existing infrastructure because that is decided by the average space per person," he said.

In both commercial and social housing projects with low or high population density, poor infrastructure makes people's lives difficult.

Improved infrastructure in surrounding areas was key to ensuring quality of life, he said, adding that strict urban management including the number of inhabitants would help avoid the emergence of slums in the future.

Sustainable development vital for future

Rapid economic development during the past decade has seen Viet Nam modernise and benefited people across the country, but also come at the expense of the environment.

As rapid urbanisation and industry creates pollution and seriously impacts the country's diverse eco-systems, this month's issue of our new magazine Outlook examines efforts being made to ensure sustainable development and a green future.

The magazine, which goes on sale in Ha Noi, HCM City and other major centres this morning, reports on work by Vietnamese leaders to develop a green economy that will achieve economic growth without compromising the equally important goals of social equity and environmental protection.

We examine ambitious plans to cut down the country's greenhouse gas emissions, expand use of renewable energy sources and bolster preservation of local biodiversity.

We also report on plans to counter the huge threat that climate changes poses for Viet Nam, a country with an extensive coastline vulnerable to storms and flooding. We spotlight innovative technology such as solar-powered water heaters and see how younger generations are playing their part to encourage green lifestyles across the country.

Elsewhere in this issue, we tee off on one of the country's most challenging golf courses, meet an Australian musician whose love of Viet Nam has inspired a series of songs, and sample some of Cao Bang's famous steamed rice rolls.

Readers can also catch up on what's hot in the country's culinary, sports and arts scenes - and check out listings for everything from bars to embassies. Outlook retails for VND15,000 at news-stands, major hotels and restaurants and can be purchased at the head office of the Viet Nam News at 11 Tran Hung Dao, Ha Noi, or at our HCM City office at 120 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.