Suspected killer of Vietnamese woman under RoK police interrogation

A woman from Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ngan, was killed on November 30, police in Jeju has reported the news to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The Vietnamese Embassy’s counsellor Duong Chinh Chuc said on December 1 that right after receiving the bad news the embassy immediately contacted the Jeju police and the victim’s family in HCM City to give necessary support.

He added that the Korean police has not revealed any further information about the case and is interrogating the suspect.

Ngan’s father, Nguyen Ngoc Minh,60, said they wish to repatriate Ngan’s body to Vietnam. However, they are so poor that they do not know how to do.

Vietnam wins 7 awards at int’l robotics competition

Robotics students from Vietnam are on their way back home after nabbing seven top honours on November 30 at the Digital Youth Award-International Robotics Competition held in Malaysia.

This year Vietnam has sent 24 teams to the competition, coming from from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang.

The Digital Youth Award-International Robotics Competition 2014 themed ‘Urban waste management’, attracted students aged 6-13 from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Air traffic controllers suspended for weak English skills

Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) has temporarily suspended 10 air traffic controllers for their weak English skills.

Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation has temporarily suspended 10 air traffic controllers for their weak English skills

These staff members will be retrained, but if they still fail to meet the requirements for English, they will be dismissed.

From April to August, 2014, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) held three tests to assess the English skills of air controllers. The results showed that 31% fail to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s standards.

After the assessment, VATM held English training courses for the controllers who failed the test. After the courses, 10 people still could not pass the test and were suspended. They will have one more chance with a second round of training courses.

In December, VATM will continue retrain and reassess the English capacity of air traffic controllers to classify staff. This will affect pay scale and labour contracts.

Also in December, VATM will take measures to comprehensively reform its training system, focusing on improving English skills for air traffic controllers. The target for 2015 is that all staff will meet requirements for English skills and professionalism.

HCM City run raises funds for cancer patients

Over 16,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas joined the 18th Terry Fox Run on November 30 to raise funds for cancer patients.

The event, which took place at Phu My Hung new urban area, District 7, was jointly held by the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City , the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CanCham) in Vietnam and the municipal Union of Friendship Organisations.

Money raised during the run will be used to finance the city’s projects on cancer research, including the previous ones on molecular pathology and a new project on the research and early detection of oral cancer at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital .

Canadian Consul General to HCM City Wayne Robson said that Terry Fox Run has become an important event not only in the Canadian community and their friends in Vietnam as it provides a chance for them to show their efforts in the fight against cancer.

Last year’s event drew the participation of 15,500 runners and raised 1.8 billion VND (86,000 USD) for cancer research.

Terry Fox Run is a non-competitive charity event held annually in numerous countries throughout the globe to commemorate Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, who made a Marathon of Hope run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research in 1980 after losing his leg to osteosarcoma.

To date, more than 650 million USD has been collected over the world for cancer research.

Italian seminar features Vietnam in past and present

The Italy-Vietnam Friendship Association in Lombardy region recently hosted a seminar on "Vietnam: the Past, the Present and the Future" at the headquarters of the Milan Confederation of Labour.

The event reviewed the historic victories of the Vietnamese people in the 20thcentury, notably the Dien Bien Phu victory which played a decisive role in ending Vietnam resistance war against the French forces.

The participants confirmed the victory of Dien Bien Phu paved the way for the signing of the Geneva Accords that ended the war and restored peace in Indochina, thus making important contributions to national liberation movements, and encouraging colonial nations from Asia, Africa to Latin America to fight to free themselves from the invasions of colonialism and imperialism.

In his statement, Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long stated the Dien Bien Phu victory demonstrated the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the growth of the Vietnam People's Army, opening up a new revolutionary period towards the total liberation of southern Vietnam for national reunification.

Long also thanked Italian and international friends for their great support and assistance for Vietnam’s resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists, as well as the current Doi Moi (Renewal) process.

On the occasion, two books featuring legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap and fallen solider Nguyen Van Troi, newly translated into Italian language, were introduced during the seminar.

Hanoi marks International Friendship Day 2014

More than 600 participants, most of whom were entrepreneurs and Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) wanting to contribute to the country’s development, gathered in Hanoi on November 29 to celebrate International Friendship Day (IFD) 2014.

Themed ‘Leading Entrepreneurs’ the festivities served as a bridge to promote cultural exchange and tighten friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and other countries towards a peaceful and sustainable cooperation among nations.

It comprised three main parts. The first part included roundtable discussions on changes in the world and Vietnam’s development trend, overseas trained personnel- challenges and opportunities, and experience sharing among successful alumni.

The second part included workshops with the following topics – finance and construction, tourism and hotel, marketing and communications and information technology and e-commerce.

The third part was a gala dinner, which witnessed the establishment of the International Alumni Alliance to connect alumni globally.

The event was organized by the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese (ALOV) in collaboration with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Danish-funded project helps generate 30,000 new jobs

Denmark’s Global Competitive Facility (GCF) programme has funded more than 40 projects in Vietnam, creating nearly 30,000 new jobs for local people, told by a seminar held by the Danish Embassy and the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in Hanoi on November 28.

The seminar highlighted the role of the private sector in Vietnam’s agriculture and rural development  thanks to support of the GFC programme, which runs from 2011 till the end of 2014.

The programme, worth US$11 million in total, aims to help the Vietnamese government build capacity of local businesses to sharpen their competitiveness in the global market.

As many as 42 projects in eight Vietnamese provinces have been benefited from the GFC programme, including those in central, Central Highlands, and Mekong Delta regions.

Denmark is one of Vietnam’s largest international donors, making up 25% of total funding from the European Union.

In the 2014-2015 period, the Danish government is committed to granting US$90 million in official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, focusing on green growth, environment, private sector development, clean water, culture, and State governance.

Vietnam attends charity bazaar in Moscow

The Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow joined 68 others to attend the Winter Charity Bazaar which was held by International Women's Club (IWC) at Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel on November 29.

Thousands of people came to the bazaar from early morning to buy traditional handicraft products and specialities and enjoy cuisines from 69 countries and territories.

Vietnam has actively taken part in this annual event for many years. This year two stands of Vietnam showcased handicraft products, specialities like coffee and tea, and traditional cuisine, which attracted great attention from visitors.

Traditional songs and dances of different countries including Vietnam were presented at the bazaar.

The event provided a good chance for Vietnam to promote people-to-people diplomacy and introduce land, people and cultural identities to Russian and international friends.

Last year’s bazaar collected 7.2 million ruble for charity projects.

Pollution forces students wear face masks in class

All students at Thuan Mau Primary School in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have resorted to wearing gauze masks in class due to air pollution.

The pollution comes from a nearby quarry operated by Tan Thanh Dat Construction, Trading and Service Company. The problem has also affected nearly 300 local households for many years.

The mine began operation in 2007, and has plagued locals ever since. The situation gets worse when stone grinding begins at the quarry. Many people complain that the noise makes sleep impossible, and sometimes it continues throughout the night. One local resident, said that the dust makes it necessary to clean several times a day.

The households have petitioned local authorities many times, but the situation has not improved. In fact the quarry has only expanded and added to their operation.

Some families have even had to seek shelter elsewhere.

Finland continues to back Vietnam’s technology innovation

Finland continues to assist Vietnam in speeding up technology innovation via the second phase of the Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP), heard a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on November 28.

The event was jointly held by the city’s Department of Science and Technology and the IPP management board.

The second phase, from 2014 to 2018, will be implemented with 10 million EUR sourced from Finland’s ODA, said Programme Coordinator Luong Van Thang.

Its goal is to raise policymakers’ and enterprises’ awareness of the roles of creativity and innovation towards a sustainable development, he added.

During the workshop, IPP’s Chief Technical Advisor Lauri Laakso gave participants an overview of the programme and highlighted its support for local enterprises, notably those looking to start a new business.

Accordingly, startup businesses will be helped to improve innovation capability and gain access to financial resources in a bid to develop their initiatives and innovation projects.

The IPP is Vietnam’s first Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in the field of scientific and technological development and innovation.

The first phase of the programme was conducted between 2009 and 2014 with a total cost of 8 million EUR. It has been supporting businesses to spark innovation activities with an emphasis on legal framework, innovation mechanisms, capacity building and technological cooperation between Vietnam and Finland.-

Ho Chi Minh City to build new paediatric hospital

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has just approved a project to build a 1,000-bed paediatric hospital in the city.

The Ho Chi Minh City Nhi Dong Hospital project that costs nearly 4.5 trillion VND (214.2 million USD) will be built on a 125,000 sq.m land plot in the city’s Binh Chanh district.

When completed in 2016, the new facility is expected to ease the workload for the two existing Nhi Dong 1 and Nhi Dong 2 Hospitals, which are seriously overloaded at present.

Phu Quoc festival focuses on protecting dugong

Nearly 1,000 students from secondary schools in the southern province of Kien Giang ’s Phu Quoc island district on November 30 joined a festival of protecting dugong, a species facing extinction in Vietnam.

The event, which was jointly organised by the Wildlife at Risk (WAR) organisation and the Phu Quoc Maritime Conservation Area, also called for the engagement of locals, local officials, students and tourists in the work.

According to Do Thi Huyen, WAR’s Wildlife Education Manager, the festival is a chance for people to pay more attention to the protection of dugong and rare sea animals in general.

The preservation of Dugong as well as sea resources can only be successful with the support and positive involvement of all people and different agencies, she said.

Participants at the event also marched many streets to spread the message of joining hands in conserving rare maritime animals in Phu Quoc.

On the occasion, a contest for short plays staged by local schoolchildren was held, also on the theme of protection of dugong and other sea animals.

During this academic year, wildlife education has been integrated into the curriculum of seventh grade at schools across the island district.

Micronutrient Day launched to improve nutrition among mothers, children

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) under the Health Ministry launched the Micronutrient Day on December 1, with the aim of preventing micronutrient deficiencies.

During the biannual drive on December 1-2, children aging from 6 to 36 months nationwide are provided with free vitamin A capsules for the second time in this year.

The deficiency of micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron, zinc and iodine in mothers and children may lead to an array of health problems, head of the NIN Le Danh Tuyen said at the launching ceremony.

To address this matter, a project on improving nutrition among mothers and children has been implementing in Hai Phong city and Thai Nguyen province in the north, Quang Nam province in the central region and Ca Mau in the south.

The project aims to speed up communication campaigns on nutrition and measures to increase micronutrients in daily diets.

It has to date helped train over 1,000 medical workers on nutrition and provided 700,000 micronutrient powder packs for medical stations in these localities.

In 2013, one in every three under-five kids in the country was stunted, and the deficiency of iron, vitamin A, iodine and zinc was most common.

Vitamins and minerals are needed only in tiny quantities, but their absence can be devastating. Micronutrient deficiencies, however, often have no visible warning signs, causing a ‘hidden hunger’ with far-reaching consequences.

 Competition to promote safe electric bike riding launched

A competition to encourage safe riding of electric bikes and motorbikes was kicked off at Thang Long Secondary School, Hanoi on December 1.

The competition, second of its kind in Vietnam, aims to raise awareness of traffic safety among electric bike and motor bike riders, particularly students, in a bid to reduce traffic violations and accidents in the city.

The event is jointly organised by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) with prizes worth 100 million VND (4,700 USD).

Run until February 1, 2015, this year’s competition comprises three sessions including a multiple choice quiz and an essay, which can be taken at www.xedapdienantoan.com , and a test for group.

During the launching ceremony, the organising board handed over 200 hamlets to the school.

Last year, the competition drew participation of 40,000 contestants from 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

 Dak Nong eliminates illiteracy for ethnic minority women

Two anti-illiteracy classes have been organised for ethnic minority people in Dak Mil district, the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong since the beginning of this year.

Co-organised by the district women’s union and education department, the three-month evening classes attracted 100 local women aged between 15-50 from the Tay and Nung ethnic minorities in Long Son commune.

They were taught the primary education universalisation programme by teachers from the Kim Dong Primary School.

After the courses, the local ethnic women are able to read news and articles on newspapers, thus grasping good economic models of other ethnic groups throughout the country.

A 21-year-old man from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long reluctantly left his family to move to HCM City after his parents discovered that he was gay.

In the city, he became a male prostitute. Since then, he says: "I seem to have fallen into hell."

One day, he met a man who belonged to one of the city's 14 community-based organisations supervised by the LIFE organisation under the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Association.

The member of the M for M group gave him a condom and told him that he should receive free HIV testing at the consulting centre.

At first, he was very angry but later he decided to visit the centre for the test.

"I was shocked to discover when I tested positive for HIV. I felt overwhelmed and fearful. Why me?" he said.

He called the member, who told him to go to an HIV outpatient care and treatment clinic in the city. The man also taught him how to prevent HIV transmission.

Now that he has had treatment, the Vinh Long native feels that being HIV-positive is not a death sentence.

"My life started again when I joined the M for M group," he said.

Nguyen Van Hoang, another member of M for M, said the group's members used many methods, including social networks to access gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) to spread knowledge of HIV-transmission prevention and provide condoms.

They also work with medical facilities, with assistance from the city's AIDS Prevention Centre, to treat MSM or gays with HIV, and with local authorities to enhance prevention activities in the community.

This year, the group accessed 1,247 MSM and gays. Of them, 538 were sent to the city's free HIV testing and consulting centre, he said.

Community-based organisations help people with HIV, drug addicts and MSM, said Do Quang Khang, manager of a project carried out by the LIFE organisation in the southern region.

Dr Tran Van Phuong, deputy head of the city AIDS Prevention Committee's HIV/AIDS treatment and care division, said there was a shortage of foreign aid to carry out HIV prevention programmes.

The community-based organisations of the LIFE project are vital in assisting HIV-prevention programmes of the state, such as the committee, he added.

Thanks to these organisations, visits by people with a high risk of contracting HIV to HIV testing and consulting centres and HIV outpatient care and treatment clinics increased five times this year compared to last year.

Vaccine reaction all in the mind, official asserts

A senior official from the Ministry of Health claims that many children who experience adverse reactions after being vaccinated are suffering from "a psychological reaction".

Head of the ministry's Preventive Medicine Department, Tran Dac Phu, said inspections found that vaccination standards were strictly followed at the places where the injections were given.

In the latest case, 17 primary students in the central Highlands province of Gia Lai were taken to hospital after showing adverse reactions to vaccinations against measles and rubella last week. They complained of vertigo, feeling sick and breathing difficulties.

Earlier, 12 students in the central province of Quang Ngai and four others in HCM City had similar reaction after getting the vaccination.

Phu said examination found that the students suffered adverse reactions in groups. In HCM City, after one student had a reaction, those around him reported similar symptoms. At the same time, more than 1,200 other vaccinated students reported no reactions.

Doctor Doan Manh Thang from Gia Lai Province health department said many of the affected students did not have breakfast. He claimed this made them sick after vaccination.

After being given a cup of water mixed with sugar, they quickly recovered, he said.

Phu said that to prevent similar incidents happening again, it was essential not to gather too many children in one place for their injections.

More than 9.5 million children have been vaccinated in the last two months. The National Expanded Programme for Immunisation aims to provide a combined measles and rubella vaccine to about 23 million children.

Two literacy classes, organised for the ethnic minorities in Dak Mil district in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, have succeeded in eliminating illiteracy among ethnic women.

Jointly organised by the district women's union and education department since the beginning of the year, the three-month-long evening classes attracted 100 local women, aged between 15 and 50, from the Tay and Nung ethnic minority groups in Long Son commune.

The women were taught by teachers from the Kim Dong Primary School, as part of the primary education universalisation programme.

Following the completion of their courses, the ethnic women are able to read news and articles in newspapers, thus understanding and learning about the good economic models developed by other ethnic groups in the country.

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND