Social network attracts 12 million members

The Vietnamese social network, www.go.vn, reports that it now has more than 12 million members.

In March 2011, the network had only 3 million members however five months later it increased its membership to 5 million.

A big successful story was the Internet Olympic English (IOE) contest, an offshoot of www.go.vn, which attracted almost 5 million pupils and students from 33,177 schools and colleges across the country.

This convinced Vietnamese network developers to create a network that would be able to become a large social network for education, entertainment and communication in the country.

With its main emphasis on television and telecommunications, the network benefits Vietnamese people in many ways and allows them to access it from TVs, PCs and mobile phones.

PM asks for strong fight against bird flu

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked relevant ministries, agencies and localities to take drastic measures against the spread of bird flu.

Since early this year bird flu outbreaks have been detected in 11 provinces and cities and two people in Kien Giang and Soc Trang have died of H5N1 virus infection.

In a telegram dated February 20, the PM asked local authorities to strengthen inspection, especially at poultry slaughtering and processing sites, and control the trading of poultry products.

All provinces and cities were asked to work closely with the Ministry of Health and the National Steering Committee on Avian Influenza Control and Prevention (NSCAICP), and fully report the development of bird flu epidemics to the PM.

The Minister of Health was assigned to provide chemicals and medicines for local authorities to disinfect the affected areas and treat bird flu patients in time.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) was requested to join NSCAICP in helping localities timely detect and control new outbreaks of bird flu disease.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was also urged to direct press agencies to update information about the harmful effects of bird flu infection, and persuade local people not use sick and dead poultry products.

Japan wants to receive 10,000 Vietnamese workers a year

Japan, facing a shortage of workers, especially in the agricultural and seafood-processing sectors, wants to receive about 10,000 workers from Vietnam every year, said the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO).

After the disastrous earthquake and tsunami last year, the proportions of workers in the two sectors have declined sharply because of the repatriation of a large number of Filipino and Chinese workers, the JITCO said.

Japanese businesses, therefore, have been in need of foreign workers to fill the vacancies to maintain and expand their operation.

Considering that Vietnamese workers are appropriate for working in Japan’s agricultural and seafood-processing sectors, JITCO wants Vietnam’s labor suppliers to increase the number of workers to be sent to Japan to work in the sectors this year.

In general, Japan’s labor market can absorb about 10,000 workers from Vietnam a year to work in various sectors.

Nguyen Gia Liem, head of the Vietnamese Labor Management Board, said the average salary of workers on Japanese farms or in seafood factories is now between US$1,000-1,500 per month.

Following JITCO’s statement, Vietnamese companies that specialize in sending workers to Japan, said they would recruit workers from rural areas to meet Japan’s demand.

Work requirements in Japan are relatively easy, since Japanese employers demand that workers have secondary education and good health, no previous convictions, and have no legal barriers in leaving Vietnam or entering Japan.

Candidates who get through the qualification round will be given Japanese language training and orientation education for 4-6 months, after which Japanese recruiters will interview them for final selection.

Except for the two sectors, Vietnamese labor exporters will maintain sending to Japan mechanics workers, food-processing workers, engineers and experts.

(Except for the increased demand in the two sectors, Vietnamese labor exporters see no change in the number of mechanics workers, food-processing workers, engineers and experts they send to Japan every year.)

As for high-skilled workers, like technicians and experts, the salary can amount to US$2,000 per month and they are allowed to bring their families to Japan to live with them during their working term.

Nghe An struggles with unxploded ordnance clearance

Central Nghe An Province, in co-operation with the Ministry of Defence, is prioritising the clearance of unexploded ordnance. 18 per cent of its land is affected by unexploded ordnance, according to the provincial Military Headquarter.

Specifically, the province is focusing on raising people's awareness of unexploded ordnance and implementing programs of ordnance clearance.

Senior-lieutenant colonel Nguyen Anh Linh of the provincial Military Headquarters said people in the province are still suffering the impacts of unexploded bombs and mines, which prevent agricultural production and the building of infrastructure on nearly 280,000 ha of affected land.

He said that affected land is scattered all over the province's communes. Many people have been killed and injured.

The area of affected land is too large for the finance, staff and equipment necessary for this clearance process. This year's budget for the program is only VND 9 billion (US$428,000), he said.

The cost for clearing unexploded ordnance in the province is expected to be VND500 billion (US$ 23.3 million).

Scaffolding collapse kills one, injures four

Collapsed scaffolding in Ha Dong District yesterday killed one and injured four others.

The accident happened at the 34-storey construction site of Mulberry Lane in the Mo residential area.

The five victims were rushed to hospital right after the accident, but one died as a result of serious trauma, said Head of the Ha Noi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Labour Safety Office Bach Quoc Viet.

Further investigations are ongoing.

Crocodile spotted, captured in town

A 12-kilo crocodile was caught on Sunday in the densely populated neighbourhood of Dien Khanh District in central Khanh Hoa Province.

The one-metre-long reptile had been spotted in a local spring two days before it was caught by local residents who used electricity to paralyse it.

They sold the crocodile for VND1.5 million (US$72).

Local residents said that crocodiles had never been seen in the region before.

Baby saved from severe bee stings

QUANG NAM – An 11-month-old baby has survived being severely stung by bees on her face and head earlier this month, according to Dr Nguyen Minh Tuan from the Viet Nam-Korea National Children's Friendship Hospital.

The baby's father Nguyen Dinh Hue, a resident of Thang Binh District, said that bees swarmed around a female neighbour who ran into his house to escape them. The baby was stung seriously enough to render her unconscious.

Both father and daughter were taken to the hospital where the baby received large doses of antibiotics. After 10 days of treatment, she recovered her health and will likely return home in a few days.

VNN/VOV/VNA/VNS/Tuoi Tre