VTV4 expands to OVs in Cambodia

Representatives of Vietnam Television (VTV) and Cambodia’s Royal Media Entertainment Corporation signed a cooperation agreement in Phnom Penh on August 7 to bring VTV4 broadcasts to overseas Vietnamese (OVs) living in Cambodia.

Under the agreement, VTV4 programmes, which provide overseas-targeted information, will reach 70 percent of the Cambodian territory beginning on August 15.

Representatives of VTV and Royal Media also agreed to broadcast some VTV4 programmes in Khmer to help OVs become more fluent in the ethnic language.

Royal Media Entertainment Corporation Ltd. is a joint venture between the Cambodian Royal Group of Companies and the General Satellite Corporation, which has its headquarters in Russia.

The main goal of the joint venture is to launch the DVB-T pay terrestrial digital television service with 60 channels in Cambodia and become a market leader in this new technology.

Opportunities for Vietnamese trainees in Japan

Vietnamese guestworkers trained in Japan are becoming key human resources for Japanese-invested companies in Vietnam.

Vietnam is running short of qualified human resources, and many Japanese-invested companies prefer to recruit those who have already worked in their country because of their command of Japanese and their professional skills.

Currently, more than 18,000 Vietnamese trainees are working in Japan. In 2011 alone, nearly 7,000 technicians were sent to Japan for training, 1.5 times the 2010 figure.

The number of contracts Japanese companies have signed with their Vietnamese counterparts to receive Vietnamese trainees is increasing, according to the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

DOLAB officials say that Japan continues to be a promising market for Vietnamese guestworkers in 2012.

A workshop was held in Nagoya city in late July to promote sending Vietnamese trainees to Japan and finding them suitable employment upon their return to Vietnam.

The Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO) proposed establishing an information channel to introduce trainees finishing their labour contracts and returning home to Japanese businesses that are developing investment projects in Vietnam.

JITCO representatives asked Vietnam to improve the quality of its trainees, especially in using Japanese language, to increase the number that can be recruited for various industries in the near future, mainly manufacturing.

They said Japanese businesses are now also in dire need of agricultural workers, which could offer many opportunities for Vietnamese trainees.

Disadvantaged youth learn hospitality trade

The NGO Sai Gon Children's Charity (SCC) held a graduation ceremony last weekend for 34 disadvantaged students who completed a free training course in hospitality.

The youngsters can look for jobs following their six-month training in waiting, bartendering, hygiene and customer care.

They were also taught to communicate confidently in English with the help of foreign volunteers and taught basic IT skills.

Besides vocational training, SCC builds schools in communities where there are none, and provides scholarships to more than 2,300 children from kindergarten to university each year.

Heavy rains kill two in Yen Bai Province

Heavy rains in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai over the past few days have killed two local people.

One was buried in a landslide in Mu Cang Chai District early yesterday morning while the other was struck by lightening in Van Chan District on Sunday.

Local authorities have evacuated two households in Tram Tau District's Ban Mu Commune in case of landslides.

The province has also asked for flood prevention and search and rescue activities to be enhanced.

Seven seamen rescued after vessel sinks

Seven sailors were successfully rescued at 5:30pm on Monday after their fishing boat sank off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The boat sank after colliding with a strange ship at 5am on Monday, according to the provincial Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue.

The seven fishermen, who were rescued by another fishing ship from the southern province of Binh Thuan, are in a stable condition.

They were expected to reach land last night.

Rok City presents fire trucks to HCM City

The Busan Fire Department of the Republic of Korea (RoK) has offered the HCM City Fire Fighting Department six fire trucks.
At a July 7 presentation, Baek Sung Gi, Vice Director of the Busan Fire Department said he is very impressed by the city’s development through his recent visits and he hopes that the gift will further cement relations between the two cities.

Major General, Tran Trieu Duong, Director of the HCM City Fire Fighting Department expressed his appreciation for the assistance and said the trucks will help improve the capacity for fire fighting and prevention in the city and neighbouring areas.

For his part, Le Minh Tri, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee asked local firefighters to effectively use the six fire trucks.

Crackdown on prostitution

Functional agencies will cooperate with authorities to crack down on prostitution.

According to the Social Evils Prevention Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Vietnam currently has more than 30,000 sex workers, mostly in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Vung Tau.

The number of prostitutes is escalating for lack of strict regulations and complicated services in secret brothels, bars and public places.

Meanwhile, there is growing concern over human trafficking in border areas between Vietnam and China. Since the beginning of this year, border guards have detected 133 cases of human trafficking cases involving 158 persons and rescued 177 victims, including 16 children.

About 200 Vietnamese sex workers are reportedly operating mostly at gambling centres in border areas near Cambodia.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre