Central provinces ready to cope with severer flooding 

The Central Committee of Floods and Storm Prevention and Control on Sunday afternoon sent an urgent dispatch to central provinces, asking them to be ready for more heavy flooding in their area.

The order came as the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center said that floodwaters in central provinces of Phu Yen to Khanh Hoa are continuing to rise.

On tomorrow morning, flood levels on some rivers in these areas would peak alarming levels 2 and 3, the center forecasted.

According to the committee’s dispatch, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan provinces and the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak should prepare to evacuate residents in low-lying, riverside and coastal areas.

Hydropower plants and irrigation reservoirs should only release water in urgent case in order not to cause flooding for the lowlands.

Police officials should monitor flooded areas, especially near wharfs and underground roads to guide people to travel safely.

Local authorities have also been instructed to regularly report the committee and the National Committee for Research and Rescue about the flood condition.

In related news, on Sunday morning, Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper coordinated with Phu Yen Newspaper to give 500 presents worth VND300,000 each to flood-hit residents in Da Loc and Xuan Lanh communes, Dong Xuan District, Phu Yen Province.

In recent floods, the two communes had two people dead and five homes collapsed and 70 hectares of crops inundated, leaving a total damage of VND5 billion (US$250,000).

Lecturers told to use teaching methods that foster creativity

Lecturers at universities should apply teaching methods that foster creativity and self-learning, experts said at a workshop yesterday in HCM City.

At the workshop on teaching methods, speakers noted that the Ministry of Education and Training had asked universities nationwide to apply new methodologies in the classroom.

However, rote learning, with students only listening to lectures and not asking questions, was still the predominant method used at the university level, according to Dr. Pham Duc Chinh of the University of Economics and Law under Viet Nam National University-HCM City.

Chinh said the traditional methods encouraged only passive learning, with many students unwilling to do research in the library or Internet.

The emphasis on exams also tends to promote this kind of learning, according to Chinh.

In addition, most universities and colleges nationwide, especially in HCM City, have had to rent spaces that lack proper facilities, including computers.

Some universities and colleges in Viet Nam have been applying the problem-based methodology, which is used in many universities around the world.

However, the learning results had not changed because lecturers at pedagogy universities were not trained in these methods.

Many lecturers, for example, assign students to solve problems but offer no guidance, which fails to attract students' interest.

The large number of sources on the Internet has also confused many students, who do not know how to select proper websites.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hanh, a lecturer with the Institute of Educational Management, said other methodologies, including project-based teaching, case studies, group discussions and research work, were available. Information about these approaches could be found on the Internet.

She said teachers should take more responsibility in choosing their materials and implementing new methods of teaching in the classroom.

Big demand for seasonal workers

The demand for seasonal jobs in December has surged to 20,000 positions, a rise of 20 per cent against the same period last year, according to the HCM City Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information.

The demand for permanent full-time jobs in the city remains at last year's figure, at around 15,000 positions.

Demand is highest in hospitality services, sales and marketing personnel, couriers and workers in construction and consumer product manufacturing sectors, according to Tran Anh Tuan, deputy director of the centre.

Some seasonal jobs require a certain skill set, particularly in the food processing and textile and garment sectors. The recruits for those positions are trained on-the-job and may continue to work on a permanent basis after the season ends.

VN leads region in closing gender gap

Viet Nam has achieved the best performance in Southeast Asia in eradicating the gender gap over the past 20 years, said Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at a seminar in the central province of Khanh Hoa on Saturday.

Viet Nam's gender development index climbed to 0.732 in 2009, ranking 94th out of the 155 surveyed nations, said Ngan, who also heads the National Committee for the Advancement of Women.

Women currently accounted for 26 per cent of deputies in the National Assembly, putting Viet Nam at the top of the list of eight Southeast Asian nations with parliaments and fourth in the Asia-Pacific region overall, Ngan added.

However, UN Development Programme (UNDP) country director Setsuko Yamazaki suggested that Viet Nam further increase the awareness and political will of women so that they could engage in higher leadership positions.

Viet Nam should also encourage localities to bring national gender equality policies to life and hold training courses to increase the capacity of women, Yamazaki said.

Cao Tran Quoc Hai, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Multilateral Economic Co-operation Department, also urged the Government to complete the legal system and establish specialised agencies to implement and monitor gender equality efforts.

The seminar, entitled Enhancing the Position of Women in Development and International Integration, was co-hosted by the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UNDP. Nearly 50 participated, including the ambassadors of Finland, Ireland, Canada and Laos.

Power shortages loom as projects behind schedule

Experts envisage great difficulties in meeting power demand in coming years, given that the output generated so far this year from all sources has met just 46 per cent of the annual target.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had approved an electricity target of 4,960 MW for 2010, but all power plants nation-wide have only been able to produce 2,272 MW.

The shortage in output is the main reason for the serious power shortages of recent times, and portends great difficulties in ensuring power supplies in the future.

Explaining the low capacity, industry officials said the construction of many new power projects, including the Hai Phong Thermal Power Plant, the Quang Ninh Thermal Power Plant No 1, the Dong Nai Hydropower Plant No 3, and the Son Dong Thermal Power Plant, has been delayed for various reasons.

They also predicted that it would be difficult for the electricity sector to realise the target of 5,401 MW planned for 2011 since four of the 10 power projects scheduled to be developed this year would be delayed until next year.

There are 33 power plants under construction nation-wide at present, but only 11 are on schedule.

Spanish agency helps fight human trafficking

The Vietnam Women's Union and Spain's Agency for International Development and Co-operation (AECID) launched an information campaign on Dec. 5 to fight the trafficking of women and children in the northern border province of Lang Son.

The launch ceremony drew over 500 delegates from the border provinces of Lang Son, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Nghe An, as well as donors and international agencies.

On this occasion, photos and documents on experiences of victims of human trafficking, as well as their process of re-integrating into the community were displayed.

Activities to help the victims under the project Peaceful House were also introduced.

The campaign called on all sectors, agencies and the community in the country and abroad to join hands to prevent crimes of this kind and help victims.

The Ministry of Public Security reported 1,949 cases of human trafficking, involving 4,793 victims from 2004.

Hanoi commemorates King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong

The Hanoi Buddhist Sangha held an incense offering to King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnam Zen Buddhism, in commemoration of his 702nd death anniversary at Ba Da pagoda on December 5.

Most Venerable Thich Bao Nghiem, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee, stated that King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong and his merit and religious career have gone down in the nation’s history and Vietnamese Buddhism in the cause of “defending the country and ensuring peace for the people”, uniting the entire people and promoting Buddhism in the modern era and the future.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran dynasty, ascended the throne when he was just 21. He was famed for defeating Mongol invaders twice during 15 years of his reign.

The king abdicated his throne at the age of 35 and spent the rest of his life on the Yen Tu Mountain practising and propagating Buddhism, and founding the Truc Lam School of Zen (the Bamboo Forest School ).

During that time, the King-Monk worked to unify different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee has long observed the day King Tran Nhan Tong attained Nirvana (the first day of the eleventh lunar month) as the national anniversary of Vietnamese Buddhism.

VND56 billion allocated for teaching about laws

By 2015, Vietnam aims to include education about laws and policies in school curriculums for children and adolescents with the goal of reducing the number of teenage lawbreakers by 80 percent.

Last November, the Prime Minister approved a project to promote education about the law for young people and teenagers in the 2011-2015 period.

The project will cost VND56 billion sourced from the State budget and will be implemented in the first quarter of next year until the end of 2015.

The cost of the project will be paid for disadvantaged localities with concentrated urban areas and industrial parks and young women and mothers under 30 years of age.

Icham sends love towards Central provinces 

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, shortly known as Icham, had a successful charitable trip on December 4 at Vinh City in the central province of Nghe An with full of heart-loving donation to the local flood victims

Early Saturday morning, the chamber’s delegation led by Chairman Tomaso Andreatta was accompanied with Vinh City Communist Youth Union to visit local families who suffered damages from two latest dangerous floods and also the pupils of the Cua Nam 2 Primary School.

Besides expressing deep sympathy to the people, the chairman donated VND82 million (US$4,200) with expectation to help them recover and get back to normal life.

The donation was mostly collected from two Italian companies of Intesa Sanpaolo and Rino Mastrotto Group. The others from the chamber; including Academia, Datalogic Scanning, Giovanni Ronchi, Interglobal, Studio DAG and Viet Y Trading; also joined hands in raising the donation.

Icham was established on November 5, 2008 with objectives to advance and develop the bilateral trade between Vietnam and Italy. The chamber already has offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh so far.

Police seize fake Adidas, Nike products in Hanoi

Police in Hanoi seized Sunday thousands of shoes, footballs, and other knockoffs of famous brands like Adidas, Nike, and Proace from a house in the suburban district of Thanh Oai.

They also seized fake quality certificates and stamps meant for affixing on the bogus rackets, clothes, socks, shoes, and footballs.

They raided the house a day after arresting Le Tien Truc, 47, whom they caught with nine bags of fake goods at Hanoi Railway Station.

Truc had confessed he was hired by 44-year-old Le Huy Tru of Thanh Oai District to transport the goods to the south.

They raided Tru’s house and seized the goods but did not reveal if they arrested him.

The products are estimated to be worth billions of dongs (VND1 billion = US$51,250).

Guard sets dogs on boy for trespassing into farm

The police have summoned a security guard on a rubber farm in the southern province of Dong Nai for questioning after his dogs mauled a 13-year-old boy who entered the farm to collect latex Sunday.

Bui The Ngu, an employee of the Trang Bom Rubber Farm in Trang Bom District, admitted to setting two fierce German shepherd dogs on Vu Thanh Tam who was cowering behind a tree.

He let them maul the boy despite his pleas for mercy and left. He only returned after a while and ordered the dogs to stop, leaving the boy lying in the plantation, covered in blood and with dozens of bites his arms, legs, buttocks, and back.

His clothes were torn and he was covered in blood.

Ngu told the police he was ordered by the farm managers to take the dogs without muzzles during patrol.

Nguyen Dinh Nam, the farm’s director, declined to comment.

The farm provided Tam’s family VND1 million (US$51) for his treatment after the case was reported to the local police.

Last January a 55-year-old woman was mauled to death by a group of German shepherds while collecting fallen coffee beans on a coffee farm in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

Bus, motorbike burn in Phan Thiet collision

Forty passengers narrowly escaped death when a bus burst into flames after being hit by a motorcycle in Phan Thiet city Sunday.

The bus was going on Tran Hung Dao Street when the motorcycle raced out of a hotel and slammed into its side.

It got stuck in the bus and was dragged for a distance and both vehicles went up in flames.

Eyewitnesses said the bus burned down completely and only its metal frame was left. But all 40 passengers managed to get out safely.

The motorcycle driver was seriously injured and the bike was reduced to ashes.

The police are investigating.

Silk firm fined for environmental violations 

Authorities in the central highlands province of Lam Dong said Thursday they have fined a local silk manufacturer over VND400 million (US$20,518) for environmental violations. 

Bao Loc Silk Manufacturing Company (Vikotek) in Bao Loc Town had failed to submit its environmental protection plans to related agencies, released untreated wastewater directly into the environment, and exploited water resources without obtaining the license and paying required fees. 

The company, run by South Korean Chung In San, was also ordered to pay more than VND25 million in environmental protection fees that it owed for the period between January 2004 and October 2010, local officials said.

Northern teacher arrested for raping student 

Police in Phu Tho Province on Thursday arrested a teacher after his 15-year-old student accused him of raping her. 

The girl's father told the police that his daughter seemed panicked after returning from a visit to her teacher, Le Minh Son, for a study session on November 23. 

The girl said that the teacher had raped her at his house.

Son denied the allegations,at first. However, police say he admitted to the crime after the family filed a formal accusation with the authorities.

The 56-year-old said he couldn’t contain himself. He's had to restrain his sex life recently due to his wife's bout with cervical cancer, Son said.

Raping minors in Vietnam can carry either a life sentence or the death penalty, according to the Penal Code.

Woman accused of exploiting girls for labor 

Two teenagers from the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have accused a woman of keeping them in virtual slavery for several months, Dan Tri reported Thursday.

Vo Thi Ngoc and Vo Thi Chung, both 16, said they have been working since May this year at a clothing store, identified as L.T.T., 47, in nearby Quang Nam Province from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day at a promised payment of VND600,000 (more than US$30) a month.

But T. has never paid them. They stayed at the store in the Tam Ky Market the whole day, and received just VND8,000 a day for breakfast and lunch.

On Wednesday, the girls told police they suffered torture and abuse.

After closing the fabric booth at the market, they had to go home and prepare dinner for T.’s family. When there was a lot of work at the booth and they returned late, they would be beaten, Ngoc and Chung said.

On Monday, they came late and T. pulled their hair and slapped Chung’s face, they said.

The girls also had to wash clothes for T.’s family and only were allowed to go to sleep after 10 p.m. Sometimes T. woke them up in the middle of the night to bring a bucket to her bed for her to go toilet and then take the dirty bucket away.

Ngoc and Chung said they often had to serve T.’s toilet needs at the cloth store as well.

They intended to run away on Tuesday but they didn’t have enough money and hoped that T. would pay them one day, if they stayed.

Other vendors at Tam Ky market helped take the girls to the police station.

“We’ve seen the girls working hard and being beaten in the middle of the market. They had to carry the heavy cloth like big men,” said one of the vendors.

Local police say they are investigating the case further.

Vietnamese delegates to join world youth festival  

Vietnam will send 135 youth delegates to the 17th World Festival of Youths and Students in South Africa, according to the country’s youth union.

The festival will take place from December 13-21 in Johannesburg.

The world youth’s most significant forum this year will host daily conference sessions on social, political and economic issues facing today’s youth.

It will also feature a cultural program that includes a poetry and song contest, and young filmmakers’ meeting.

About 30,000 delegates from all over the world are expected to attend the event, which is held every four years by the World Federation of Democratic Youth with 153 member countries.

PV