A VND2.3 trillion (US$108 million) project is set to begin in November to expand T2 International Terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Minister of Transportation Dinh La Thang has approved the project of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which is scheduled to be completed in three years.

Accordingly, three areas of the terminal will be expanded, raising the current 22,000 square metres in use to 115,834 square metres. The improved terminal, which will include 120 check-in desks, 10 jet bridges and 19 gates, will be able to serve about 13 million passengers per year, increasing current capacity by three million.

According to ACV Deputy General Director, Ho Minh Tien the expanded areas will enhance the current architecture, especially the curved roof in the shape of a flying bird wing.

The current terminal was put into operation in September 2007, aiming to serve 8-10 million passengers per year. It served 9.2 million passengers in 2013 and expected to serve 9.8 million by the end of this year.

Lao Cai police arrest drug trafficker

Border guards and customs police in northern mountainous Lao Cai Province arrested a man for allegedly trafficking 1kg of drugs from Son La to Lao Cai.

Tenh Lao Son, 27, a resident of Long Phieng Commune in Son La Province, was caught in a hotel in Lao Cai City. The police said Son admitted to transporting the contraband to a person in the city.

Nguyen Van Lam of the provincial Customs Department said Son might be a member of a trafficking ring transporting drugs between Laos, Viet Nam and China.

Son was handed over to the provincial police for further investigation.

Houses remain isolated after typhoon flooding

Nearly 20 households in Phong Lai commune's Phieng Luong village remain isolated by water nearly two weeks after typhoon Rammasun battered the northern mountainous province of Son La.

Village head Sung Long Tu said water levels started to rise from July 20, resulting in serious flooding. Dozens of houses were flooded, while nearly 70ha of crops were submerged.

Houses in low-lying areas were flooded up to their roofs while houses on higher ground saw water levels reach up 50cm.

The only passage linking the village with others was flooded, forcing local residents to walk through dangerous mountain passes, he said.

Vu Thi Sinh, a local resident, said the flood waters had risen so fast they only time to collect important items, while rice and food stored in the house were completely submerged. After their crops flooded, their cattle had fled into the forest.

Another resident Lau Va Si said most local farmers had incurred debts to pay for their crops, fertilizers and pesticides, promising to repay the money after the harvest.

However, most of the crops had been destroyed, with many farmers now unable to repay their debts, he said.

While the water has receded slowly down by the mountainous terrain, it is expected to take another week for the flooding to ease completely, said Lu.

Local authorities have tried to provide local resident with basic necessities such as food and water and move those in submerged houses to temporary accommodation in the village's cultural house.

Chairman of Phong Lai commune's People's Committee Nguyen Van Bai said local authorities would also provide the residents with crops and invest in building in new roads.

Low-cost housing lacks funding

A shortage of capital is threatening the completion of social housing projects for students in tertiary education, workers in industrial zones and low-income earners in Ha Noi, the municipal Department of Construction has said.

At the conference on Wednesday, the department said there were 34 social housing projects that had been left unfinished and were lagging behind schedule due to capital shortages.

Currently, six projects overseeing the construction of dormitories for students have been put on hold due to a lack of funds. Meanwhile, housing projects at the Ha Noi National University of Education, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the University of Forestry and the Electric Power University were reportedly facing VND23 billion ($1.08 million) and VND111 billion ($5.2 million) in capital shortages.

Two dormitory complexes in My Dinh and Phap Van-Tu Hiep also faced a shortage of VND78 billion ($3.6 million) and VND700 billion ($33 million), respectively.

These projects were expected to provide accommodation for more than 39,860 students.

In relation to housing projects for workers, two in the Dong Anh and Chuong My districts had only been partially completed and put into use, reportedly lacking the funds needed to complete the rest of the projects.

Three others in Thach That Industrial Zone, Kim Chung New Residential Area and Nam Phu Xuyen Industrial Zone are facing the same problems.

The projects were initially expected to provide houses for 25,300 workers.

However, the department said that most investors had committed to complete 23 housing projects for low-income earners on time, but admitted some were encountering problems with site clearance and legal procedures. The projects are expected to provide 21,410 apartments for low-income earners in the area.

Vice chairman of the city's People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tuan has invited government departments to propose measures to allocate capital for on-going projects.

He has also asked the construction department to work with the management board of the industrial zones to provide accurate information on the housing demand of workers.

Tuan also called on investors to focus on completing the projects soon after receiving financial support.

Investigation launched into baby's death

Southern Binh Duong Province's Health Department must submit a report about the recent death of a foetus in Binh Duong General Hospital by August 7, according to a Health Ministry order.

The order followed claims by the mother's family that the death on July 29 was caused by irresponsibility on the part of the hospital's obstetrics department.

Hospital director Van Quang Tan said that Phan Thi Ha, 34, arrived at the hospital on Monday showing signs that she would soon go into labour. Hospital staff decided to perform a caesarean section the following day.

Ha's family said that they asked for a caesarean section as soon as she was taken to the hospital, but doctors refused.

The initial diagnosis showed that the 3.7 kg baby died of heart failure.

Police seize 5,000 unsafe helmets

Police seized over 5,000 substandard helmets during inspections of six major helmet stores in the capital last month.

Out of 21 helmets made by 11 manufacturers, 17 were found to be unsafe.

The manufacturers of substandard products include Son Tung Technology Development and Investment Ltd Co, A Chau Trade and Production Ltd Co, HCM City-based Tan Van Phuoc Ltd Co and Ha Noi-based Long Huei Industry Ltd Co.

Police seize 500 kilograms of rotting animal entrails

The Ha Noi traffic police found a car that was transporting more than 500 kilograms of rotting animal entrails on National Highway No5, Gia Lam District, yesterday evening.

The car driver, Vu Duc Thien, 43, who is from the northern Hai Duong Province, admitted to the police that he was hired to transport the animal entrails from the neighbouring Hung Yen Province's Van Lam District to a person named Ha in Bac Ninh Province.

Thien said that he has transported animal innards for Ha four times.

The police are investigating the case further.

Two men, a contractor (Vietnamese origin) and an inspection consultant, have been charged with conspiring to steal US$3.6 million in taxpayer money from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

Vietnamese origin Thanh Nguyen, 62, of King of Prussia and Robert Slamon, 54, of Shillington, Berks County, are charged with theft, bribery, corruption and related offenses.

Nguyen, the owner of V-Tech Services Inc. (V-Tech) and Utility Line Clearance Inc. (ULC), has received US$26 million in maintenance contracts from PennDOT since 2009.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General says during that time Nguyen knowingly over-billed the agency to the tune of at least US$3.6 million for herbicide spraying, litter cleanup, graffiti removal and landscaping work that his crews never completed.

Prosecutors say Nguyen covered up the theft by laundering money through checks made out to employees, who were instructed to cash those checks and deliver the money back to Nguyen.

Prosecutors say Slamon, in his role of PennDOT consultant inspector for Czop Specter Inc. in Norristown, falsified records, allowing Nguyen to be paid for work never completed.

They say on one occasion Slamon was seen accepting a US$5,000 cash payment from Nguyen.

Both men were arraigned on July 31 and released on US$50,000 bail each.

If convicted, Nguyen faces a maximum of 150 years in prison and a fine of US$250,000 plus restitution.

Slamon faces up to 95 years in behind bars and a possible US$150,000 fine.

A preliminary hearing has been set for August 13.

HCM City reports improvement in child nutrition, rise in obesity

The nutrition of HCM City's residents, especially children, has improved, according to Thi Ngoc Diep, head of the city's Nutrition Centre.

Speaking at a conference on nutrition yesterday, she said that the city had carried out many intervention nutrition programmes at schools, health facilities and communities.

They included school lunches, and nutrition clubs and health counselling for mothers with babies, pregnant women, students, workers and obese and diabetic patients.

The city's prevalence of underweight (4.1 per cent) and stunted children under five years old (6.7 per cent) has declined over the last 25 years, and remained the lowest rate in the country. Last year, in the country as a whole, the rate was 15.3 per cent and 25.9 per cent, respectively, she said.

The city's prevalence was the same as developed countries, she added.

In addition, several severe clinical micronutrient deficiencies have been eradicated, such as exophthalmia and goiters.

However, the city is seeing an upward trend of obese and overweight children among children under five years old, she said, adding that the rate had risen three times over last 10 years, from 3.7 per cent in 2000 to 11.5 per cent last year.

Research showed that the main cause was diets high in fat and protein, but low in vitamins and micronutrients. A lack of exercise was also to blame.

For instance, a research study of dietary characteristics of 331 obese children aged 6 to18 in HCM City treated at the Nutrition Centre showed that the average protein intake of children was more than 150 per cent higher than the RDA (recommended daily allowance) set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The average sodium intake was also very high, 2 to 2.5 times compared to the RDA, and the average fiber intake was less than 10 grammes each day.

Counselling on obesity prevention was still needed in the community, the centre said.

Children need to eat more vegetables, fruit, and milk and reduce sodium intake, and engage in physical activities, the centre's nutritionists said.

Nutritionist Nguyen Thanh Danh of the Nutrition Centre said that city authorities should create walking paths in the city for children and adults, and other places where physical activities can be enjoyed.

Danh said the Ministry of Health should work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to develop sports and physical activity programmes.

Quarry ordered to suspend operations

Environmental authorities in the central province of Thanh Hoa have ordered a stone quarry to stop operating after dynamite used to loosen rocks damaged dozens of houses in Dien Lu commune.

Report on the order has been submitted to the provincial Peoples's Committee.

Thanh Hoa-based company Anh Tuan has reportedly used dynamite at the quarry, located dozens of metres from the residential area, since 2004.

Blasts used to crush stones have broken roof tiles and cracked walls. Sometimes stones flew off and hit people, said Dien Giang village resident Le Thi Tam.

"Every time before the dynamite explodes, the company sends their workers driving along the village's roads to call us to get out of our houses and find a hiding place. We have to run for our lives just like in wartime," Tam said.

Dien Giang villagers have reported the blasts to the Dien Lu commune People's Committee for almost a decade, but the committee did nothing.

Ba Thuoc commune's Division of Environment and Natural Resources reported to the local People's Committee that the company's quarry license was expired and told the company to cease all operations at the quarry, said division head Nguyen Van Toan.

"Anh Tuan company was found to have been illegally running the quarry after their license expired in 2013," he said.

Company CEO Nguyen Thi Oanh admitted that dynamite blasts damaged houses.

"We went to check every house and provided approximately VND150 million (US$7,200) in compensation," she said. 

Kon Tum steps up forest development efforts

Solutions on removing difficulties for the Central Highland province of Kon Tum in managing and protecting forests were the main theme at a working session between the Steering Committee for Central Highland Region and local officials on August 4.

Participants reviewed the situation of forests and the conversion of natural forest land area into rubber planting area in the locality under the Prime Minister’s decision 750/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2009. The reshuffle of forestry businesses and forestry management units in the region was also tabled for discussion.

Addressing the working session, deputy head of the Steering Committee Tran Viet Hung said the province should pay more attention to preventing forest fire as well as drawing drastic measures to deal with illegal timber and forest products exploitation and transport.

He also underlined the necessity to enhance the role of forest rangers and local authorities in implementing works relating to forest protection and management.

Kon Tum tops the country in forest land area with 735,777 ha, accounting for nearly 80 percent of its natural land acreage. Of the total, 589,430 ha are natural forests.

In recent years, local authorities always heeds to the forest management and protection, with the cases of forest destruction and fire dropping remarkably.

Personal vehicles continue increasing in HCMC

The Traffic Safety Committee in Ho Chi Minh City said that personal vehicles have still increased from the beginning of the year until now.

Since the beginning of the year until now, more than 14,533 cars and 137,003 motorcycles have registered in police departments bringing the total number of vehicles to 563,044 cars and 6,113,656 motorcycles. Most of registered vehicles are personal properties.

City authority has approved an investment project of buses; under project, around 1,680 buses will travel in the city; however, currently, buses are being manufactured.

Health Ministry grants advertising verification via internet

The Ministry of Health officially launched the service of nutrition supplements advertising verification through internet on August 1 in Hanoi.

Four kinds of nutrition supplements that the ministry has tested and verified their quality will be allowed to be advertised. People and businesses can apply and finish all formality procedures via the website: http://xacnhanquangcao.vfa.gov.vn

Around 20 percent of children under six month breastfed

Around 20 percent of children under six month old in the country are breastfed.

The news was released at the launching ceremony of a campaign in response to the World Breastfeeding Week 2014 with the theme " Breast milk - Natural precious gift" held by the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children Fund and the World Health Organization on August 1.

Addressing at the ceremony, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien pointed out that breast milk also contains antibodies and lymphocytes from the mother that help the baby resist infections; accordingly, breast-fed children will have ability to fight illness-causing germs.

Children consume nutrients in breast milk easily as the proportion of nutrient in breast milk is naturally low enough for consumption.

According to the study conducted by the National Nutrition Center, the percentage of infants below six month old totally breastfed in six first months is nearly 20 percent while the proportion of children suffering from stunted growth because of malnutrition is up to 30 percent.

In addition, there is an upward trend of children having formula and powdered milk instead of breast milk before six month old.

Dairy manufacturers and businesses spent more than US$35 million on advertising milk products for children under five years old in 2013. Advertising on dairy products has become one in five most popular ads in the country.

Police bust phony phone scammers

Hanoi police have recently detained two men who allegedly were selling iPhone boxes that were filled with stones and rubble.

Vo Van Manh, 24, and Dinh Cong Tu Anh, of Ba Vi District have been accused of selling fake iPhones to many customers over the internet. They would deliver real-looking iPhone boxes that contained nothing but rocks, gravel and even candy.

One cheated customer named Ngoc reported the operation to the police. Early in April, she bought an iPhone 5 from the two men and agreed to meet at My Dinh Station for the exchange. As soon as she opened the box, it was apparent she had been cheated. The man who delivered the box, Dinh Cong Tu Anh, tried to get away when he saw she was opening the box, but she followed him and reported the incident to police. She had paid him VND1.8 million (USD85.7).

Once in custody, Tu Anh said that in November he met a person named Nguyen Manh Tung. Tung asked Anh to help him in his business by telling people they could get cheap iPhones online. Tung would prepare the boxes and send them to Tu Anh, who would deliver them.

After some investigation by police, it was found that Nguyen Manh Tung's real name was Vo Van Manh. Manh has since turned himself in and confessed to the crime.

Manh and Tu Anh have cheated nine customers out of a combined VND60 million (USD2,857) with their "stone and brick trick". The police are continuing their investigation.

Instant noodle prize-winner settles for half

The man in Binh Duong Province who found a VND100 million (USD4,700) winning ticket in a pack of instant noodles, which the company deemed invalid, agreed to accept half of the money instead filing a lawsuit.

On August 4, representatives of Tribeco, the company that held the contest, said the local Department of Industry and Trade had held a meeting between company officials and the prize-winner. After the meeting, Tribeco agreed to pay An VND50 million and make VND7 million in compensation for travelling fees.

Tribeco's department of legal affairs department was careful to make clear that they considered the VND50 million payment as compensation and not as an acknowledgement An had won the prize.

"The case attracted a lot of attention and we wish to maintain the confidence of our customers. Even though the card was invalid, we offered An VND50 million at his request and another VND7 million for travel expenses," the representative said.

An said that the arrangement was reasonable. Before the agreement, An had plans to take the company to court and had already retained an attorney.

After the story was published and gained attention, the Ministry of Industry and Trade asked the Department of Industry and Trade in Binh Duong Province to look into the case.

Professor points out weaknesses in Vietnam’s higher education

Professor Ngo Bao Chau recently brought attention to several weak points in Vietnam’s higher education system, including substandard teaching staff and bad faculty recruitment policies.

“The general quality of universities nationwide may be the brightest point in the overview of education in Vietnam,” the 2010 Fields Medals winner commented.

According to him, scientific research and assessment meetings show that the quality of university-level research and teaching staff is substandard.

Worse still, the methods being used in an attempt to recruit and improve staff at universities in Vietnam is not in line with those used in most of the rest of the world. He said that if this is not fixed soon, Vietnamese universities would quickly lag behind those of other regional countries.

“Low payment is the biggest obstacle to the development of quality teaching staffs. It would also discourage more research,” he emphasised.

In Vietnam, payment for researchers and lecturers at universities is based on the minimum salary policies for state officers. The salaries of young teachers are very low, discouraging them from doing anything more than what is required.

He noted that, with the current low pay, many lecturers find it difficult to sustain a middle-class standard of living, which he says is necessary for a standard education system, as it demonstrates how much value the country places on education. Those who are able to carry out scientific research must be freed up from daily tasks.

Currently, several universities in Vietnam prioritise recruiting their own graduates as lecturers, which does not make for a healthy competitive environment.

“While universities elsewhere in the world prioritise teachers’ research capacity, the process in Vietnam seems to be heavily administrative,” he assessed.

He proposed that the government work out a clear and comprehensive process of teacher recruitment and improvement for all universities nationwide.

Any decisions by the recruitment council should be made public, he said, adding that, while lecturers should be able to compensate their incomes, lecturing should be their main focus.

Stiffer sentence proposed for rhino horn trafficker

The HCM City People’s Procuracy has recently appealed against the verdict of two years probation handed to a rhino horn trafficker, asking for a stiffer sentence.

About seven years ago, Hoang Van Chung, 29, from Thanh Hoa Province, was caught smuggling two rhino horns weighing a total of 3.2 kilos from South Africa. He was discovered transporting the horns at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City on June 25, 2007. The horns' estimated value was USD60,800.

After he was caught Chung fled, evading law enforcement for over three years. Local authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, but they did not get him back into custody until July 2010 when he turned himself in to HCM City police.

In March 2012, the municipal People’s Court temporarily stopped his trial to allow treatment for his mental problems. Recently, the court resumed and Chung was sentenced to only two years probation, along with a fine of VND10 million (USD470.8).

The municipal People’s Court explained that they believed Chung’s statement that he bought the rhino horns for a fee of USD10,000 and that it was the first time he committed such an offence, and so showed him leniency.

However, the municipal People’s Procuracy claim that Chung’s actions were serious violations of state regulations of the trading in precious wildlife and breached the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, of which Vietnam is a member.

“It’s unacceptable that Chung would be sentenced to just two years probation. It does not reflect the seriousness of his crime and fails to create a deterrent,” the agency stated.

US University offers economics master programme in Vietnam

The Masters of Financial Economics (MFE) programme offered by US Ohio University opened for its second time in Hanoi on August 4.

The MFE is jointly offered by Ohio University and the Asia Pacific Institute of Management under the Vietnam National Economics University (NEU). The MFE is provided in the form of a 1+1 programme (one year studying in Vietnam and one year in the US), in which the degree is conferred to the graduate by Ohio University.

The MFE 1+1 is part of a high quality co-operation programme between the two prestigious universities in the field of education, especially economics and management, in the US and Vietnam. The degree granted by Ohio University is widely recognised around the world.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof., Dr Tran Tho Dat, Vice Rector of the NEU praised the initial results of the first course in Vietnam as well as the efforts of lecturers from the Asia Pacific Institute of Management in organising the course.

The programme was first launched in Vietnam in January 2013 to enhance the knowledge and skills in financial services and financial analysis of students in masters programmes in Vietnam. In addition, the programme is designed to assist students in achieving chartered financial analyst (CFA) certification.

The course is completed in a two year time frame, divided into four semesters taught in Vietnam and the US by professors from the NEU and faculty members at Ohio University. The US University is responsible for mapping out the programme’s structure which must consist of 52 credit hours.

Prof Roberts Sarikas from Ohio University said that he believes with the prestige of Ohio University (which is in the top 50 business schools and top 15 finance departments in the US) the programme will soon become a reliable avenue for Vietnamese students who wish to pursue careers in international finance.

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