600 Vietnamese to fly back home from Japan


HTML clipboard HTML clipboard Photo: VOV
Vietnam’s related agencies have had plans to bring Vietnamese people staying in Japan back home, said the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) on March 19.

After evacuating to Tokyo, many Vietnamese workers and trainees, have registered with Vietnamese authorities in Japan to fly home as soon as possible.

In response to their request, the Vietnamese embassy is working with Vietnam Airlines to arrange a flight to bring the first 600 people back to Vietnam. Those now in Tokyo are sheltering in the Nissin Kutsu pagoda and being helped by the embassy.

Vietnamese people from Sendai and Fukushima have been checked for radiation and showed no signs of contamination.

The MOLISA Department for Overseas Labour Management has asked businesses that sent workers to Japan to book tickets home for them, said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, the Department’s Director General.

Vietnam currently has about 120,000 workers in Japan.


Seafarers Union inaugurated to protect HCM City fishermen


Viet Nam Seafarers Union HCM City (VNU HCM City) officially came into existence yesterday, March 20.

The union's goal was to protect the interests of fishermen and other offshore workers, said Dr Le Tuan, head of VNU HCM City.

"We are planning to organise activities to assist our members, while collecting their opinions on how best to serve their interests, which we will submit to relevant authorities.

We will also arrange training courses," he added.

He also said the union would clamp down on boat owners who registered their vessels in other countries to bypass Vietnamese regulations.

Tuan said Vietnamese vessels were often detained in overseas ports for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of appropriate documentation.

As a result, crew members often went short of food, lost wages and could not contact their families.

He cited the recent case of the Phuc Hai 5 vessel that was detained in Indonesia. The 27 crew members had to live off food provided by local agents and other sailors.

He also said numerous seamen were unaware of their legal rights, which the union would address.

Tuan added that union officials would urge all seafarers to register with the union so that they could be legally protected.

Ha Noi's Viet Nam Seafarers Union was inaugurated in 2008. It also has a representative office in HCM City.


Creative youths praised for ideas

Outstanding youngsters should be encouraged to contribute more to the country through management and policy making initiatives, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan in Ha Noi yesterday, March 20.

Nhan made the statement during a meeting with all 140 past winners of the "Viet Nam Outstanding Young People" Prize who have been named since 1996 and representatives of ministries and authorised bodies.

Nhan lauded the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union for hosting the prize, which honours 10 young people annually for their excellent achievements in national construction and development.

He said the award had helped foster young talents to make contributions to the nation.

The Deputy PM also told awardees to propose their own ways to practise thrift and combat any waste of the country's property, capacity and intellect.

Nhan asked ministries, sectors and localities to work out good human resources plans from which they could work with education and training institutions and organisations to supply personnel to meet socio-economic development demands.

At the meeting, awardees shared ideas and aspirations calling for more Government policies to attract and foster talented people and create opportunities for young people to contribute to national policy making.

Voices were also raised to ask for preferential policies for young people in remote, island and border areas.

Some suggested the Government should establish a specialised information channel which would facilitate contributions from outstanding youngsters to the country's policy making and management.

Since its inception 14 years ago, the country has recognised 23 individuals in the education sector, 24 in science and technology research and 25 in national defence and security.


Woman killed by low-voltage power line


Nguyen Thi Phai, 76, died in northern Hung Yen Province's Van Lam District on Saturday after being struck by a low-voltage electricity line near her home.

People in the district blamed the degraded power lines, which have often caused fires on electricity poles. Although residents have reported the dangerous power lines to local authorities, nothing has been done.

The case is under investigation.


Swine flu strikes Lao Cai Province


The Preventive Medicine Centre of northern Lao Cai Province has reported that 103 students at Lao Cai Highschool are suspected to have contracted flu A/H1N1 virus.

Over 90 of them have tested positively. The centre's epidemic prevention team, in combination with the school, have implemented measures to prevent an outbreak. Infected patients have been isolated for treatment.

They also provided masks for teachers and pupils and carried out disinfecting procedures. The school's leaders said that its students could return to school today. Only 14 people have been treated.


Ha Lam Company suffers coal bed fire


A coal bed fire at level minus 50, bedding 11 took place at the Vinacomin's Ha Lam Coal Joint Stock Company in the northeastern Quang Ninh Province late Saturday.

The company immediately stopped production and evacuated all workers. With the help of the Mining Emergency Centre, the company has isolated the area and put out the fire. Production has resumed.

Another fire occurred on March 4 at level minus 35, bedding 6B, in the Lo Tri area of Thong Nhat Coal Company. The company took seven days to extinguish the fire using nitrogen gas.


Farmer discovers 2.1 metre bomb


A 2.1metre bomb was discovered in the central coastal Phu Yen Province yesterday by a farmer while working in his mountain field.

Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Huynh Ngoc Dan, a member of the Song Hinh River Military Command, said the 40cm diameter bomb was the biggest ever found in the province.

The command has the bomb in its possession and has reported it to relevant agencies to resolve.


Vietnam, Thailand step up cooperation in ICT


Representatives from 30 Vietnamese and Thai businesses operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) explored cooperation opportunities at a recent meeting at Thailand Software Park in the Thai capital city of Bangkok.

During the meeting, themed “Business networking and matching session: Potentials and Cooperation Opportunities”, businesses exchanged information and experiences in the ICT sector and set up ties.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Duc Thang to Thailand said Vietnam’s ICT sector has gained remarkable achievements, recording a turnover of 6.17 billion USD in 2009, an increase of 18.14 percent over last year, of which hardware accounted for over US$4.62 billion.
According to Pirasan Punyagupta from the Thailand Software Export Promotion Association, with the establishment of cross-border partnership, cooperation between the two sides would prosper in the future.
Currently, Thailand’s CT Asia and Wealth Management System Ltd., are operating in Vietnam, providing software solutions, he said.


VNN/VOV/VNS