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Social
News Headlines 23/4
Family of
Vietnamese in ferry tragedy arrives in RoK
Family members of
29-year-old Vietnamese Phan Ngoc Thanh, who was on board the capsized vessel
off the
Born in the
southernmost
Thanh’s father Phan
Van Chay and her sister Phan Ngoc Hanh flew to the RoK on April 19 evening,
with the assistance from the Vietnamese Embassy and the RoK’s Ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Family and Gender Equality.
They relatives met
with Kwon Ji-yeon and were taken to Chindo district where the center
overseeing the rescue operation of the capsized Seawol ferry is located.
Chay said his
family is still clinging on to the hope of a miracle to happen and stands
ready for the worst situation.
The aunt who is
taking care of Kwon Ji-yeon said there is no information on the spouses and
their six-year-old son Kwon Hyuk-kyu.
The capsized
five-storey ferry carried 476 crew and passengers, mainly high school
students, to the RoK popular holiday destination of Jeju island.
The latest
confirmed deaths from the disaster amounted to 104 and 198 others are still
unaccounted for.
Over 60,000
Vietnamese women are married to RoK citizens and many people from the RoK are
residing in
Phu Yen's
"Village of lost teeth"
Nearly everyone in
a village in the central
The people of Go
Mia Hamlet, in Hoa Dinh Tay Commune, regardless of age, do not dare smile at
strangers. Major dental problems there have become so ubiquitous that the
place has come to be known in the region as the "Village of lost
teeth".
Lam, a 45-year old
local man in Hoa Dinh Tay Commune said, “Everyone in the hamlet, from the
young to the old, men and women, all lose their teeth. People here try to
avoid going out as much as possible. They work the fields and then hide in
their houses, trying to avoid contact with strangers.”
Tran, a 34-year old
woman from the hamlet, is one such person. She now only has six teeth, two of
which are little more than stumps while the other four have turned black.
Her teeth started
to decay when she was 20, and by the age of 32 had only six left. "If
you were to cover my face and only see my mouth you would probably think I
was an elderly woman," she said.
All four members of
42-year old Tien's family have also lost teeth. Recently, they have had to
switch to a diet of rice gruel. "I'm so embarrassed when I have to do
things like attending weddings. I completely avoid joining in on activities
like singing," Tien lamented.
According to Lam, children
in Go Mia Hamlet usually start to show visible signs of tooth decay around
the age of ten, when they begin to turn yellow. By the time they hit puberty,
most children's teeth have already started to turn black, and when they
become old enough to marry some teeth have already fallen out.
"Many young
women from the hamlet have a hard time finding a spouse," he added.
Even though the
village is comprised mainly of farmers, many families have had to spend
millions of VND on dental care.
“I bought artificial
teeth for Tet. They cost VND5 million (USD236.8). Now I feel more confident
when I talk to people. Before that, I would never speak in class," said
one high school student.
Go Mia is a poor
and isolated hamlet and home to around 25 families and 100 people. Residents
say that they have asked for help from medical officials and the provincial
Department of Natural Resources and Environment. They eventually came to the
conclusion that it was the village's water supply causing the problems.
Most of those who
suffer from severe tooth decay grew up in the village or have lived there for
years.
Nguyen Phi Ho, Vice
Chairman of the communal People’s Committee, said that a clean water system
was built at a cost of over VND3 billion (USD142,079) several years ago, but
people no longer use it because of the distance residents had to travel. Now
the system is idle and aging.
Many of the
village's residents still use water from local streams for daily use. Some
have dug wells and only a few families were able to install a water
purification systems.
Government
assists farmers to convert rice into other crops
Ministries of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance, and Planning and Investment are
drafting a policy helping farmers convert part rice fields into other crops
in the Mekong Delta this year.
They plan to
convert 112,000 hectares of low-yielding rice farms into other crops or fish
farms from 2014-2015.
Cultivation of
other crops like maize, soybean, peanut, sesame, watermelon and vegetables
have profited farmers more than rice, according to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development.
The State will
support farmers maximum VND 2 million (US$95) per hectare to buy seeds for
new crops.
Master plan
for
The Prime Minister
has approved the master plan for the
The ring road is
planned to run through
The move came
following the approval of master plans for the
According to the
plan, the fifth ring road will have 41 kilometres overlapping the Noi Bai –
Ha Long,
Total investment
for the ring road is estimated at over VND85.6 trillion (US$4 billion).
It is scheduled to
open to traffic by 2020, with either two or four lanes and will be expanded
to four lanes on the entire route over the next decade.
Students
hospitalised due to food poisoning
Thirteen students
of My Tan primary school in the
They complained of
stomach ache, difficulty in breathing, and nausea. Doctors from the provincial
children's hospital said the students were initially tested for digestive
disorder.
A report stated
that another eight students had been hospitalised last Friday after drinking
the milk and were discharged the same day.
The milk samples
have been sent for examination.
The case is under
investigation.
61 detained
fishermen to return home from
Kien Giang province
called a meeting on April 21 to discuss protocol to bring home 61 Vietnamese
fishermen who were detained in
Eight Vietnamese
vessels had fished in
On January 4, four
out of the eight vessels with 61 fishermen on board were detained by the
Indonesian marine police. According to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the
four Vietnamese vessels violated the country’s fishing regulations.
At the April 21
meeting, Dai Duong JSC agreed to pay fees and initiate the necessary
procedures for the safe and timely return of all 61 fishermen. It will also
be accountable for maintaining the four seized vessels in
Dai Duong and
vessel owners will work together to settle all disputes relating to
fishermen’ interests.
Truck
collides with minibus, killing 2
A truck rammed into
a minibus in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai's Bao Yen District
yesterday afternoon, killing two people and causing serious injuries to
another person.
According to
witnesses, the accident occurred when a trailer-towing truck, carrying 70
tonnes of rice, tried to dodge a 20-seated bus parked at a rest stop in Bao
Yen District's
All the 20
passengers of the bus were fortunately safe as they were out of the vehicle
at the rest stop.
It took the local
police about two hours to clear the traffic jam and the rice scattered on the
road.
The police claimed
that high-speed driving and careless overtaking might be the reason of the
accident.
Ageing
population poses challenges to Vietnam
Ageing population
is requiring the health system to renew in terms of services provision and
healthcare finance.
The information was
released at a seminar in
According to
experts,
Statistics show
that there were more than 8.6 million elderly people of 60 years old and
above in 2011, accounting for nearly 10% of
Meanwhile, the
group of the elderly, while accounting for only 10-20% of the population,
uses up to 70% of a nation’s total medical expenses and 50% of medicine
consumption.
Difficulties faced
by the health sector when implementing the health insurance coverage for all
people were also put on table.
Participants
proposed amending policies and laws on health insurance and better controlling
the cost for treatment of health insurance card users.
As of December 31,
2013, more than 61 million people participated in health insurance,
accounting for 69% of the total population.
During the seminar,
the Japan International Cooperation Agency presented the results of its
survey on the health insurance coverage and ageing population in
It pointed out
shortcomings faced by the sector in these issues, including the lack of
geriatricians and the unclear classification of health insurance users.
This has been
stated by Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai, who is a
Politburo member, at a conference to carry out the anti-corruption and
wastefulness work in 2014.
He reiterated that
the combat against corruption is difficult and complicated, becoming a
regular task of the Party, State and people in the course of national
construction and defence.
To that end, the
city continues to step up the popularisation of the fight while working to
refine the regulations on socio-economic and cultural management and
stringently implement policies and mechanisms related to personnel.
A mechanism
encouraging and defending whistle-blowers is needed while severe punishments
should be given to those who cover up corruption, Hai stressed.
The US Agency for
International Development (USAID) is working closely with localities to
support disabled people, including dioxin victims, in accessing new treatment
and reintegrating into society.
KC Choe, Director
of the USAID’s Environment and Social Development Office, was speaking at the
second round-table of the Vietnam-US Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/dioxin,
held in
She announced the
first phase of a dioxin remediation project at
She added that the
agency is evaluating environmental impacts at
Both Danang and
Bien Hoa airports were used by the
Statistics show
from 1962 to 1971, more than 20 million galons of defoliant were stored at
airports and
Although the war
ended nearly 40 ago, the destructive aftermath of war, especially unexploded
ordnance and AO/dioxin chemical, still affects the lives of millions of
Vietnamese people and US war veterans.
Ha Huy Thong, head
of the group, said soon after the war ended, the Vietnamese Party and State
have devised a number of policies to reduce the harmful effects of dioxin on
people’s health and the environment.
He added that the
US Government has cooperated with
Delegates evaluated
programs in dealing with the consequences of AO/Dioxin chemicals in
The same day,
delegates made a fact-finding tour of hotspots at
Health
minister inspects measles control in Hanoi
Health Minister
Nguyen Thi Kim Tien on April 21 visited several hospitals in
Tien pointed out
the main reasons for the outbreak of the disease in recent days, including
vaccine shortages, an increasing number of patients in central hospitals, the
lack of medical staff and high humidity levels.
Since the beginning
of this year, more than 3,360 cases of the disease have been reported in 61
out of 63 cities and provinces.
It has claimed 25
lives so far, mostly children aged under 10 years. At the same time, 116
deaths have been caused by complications arising from the disease.
The Health Ministry
is carrying out urgent and drastic measures to contain measles in order to
reduce fatalities and complication cases.
Hospitals have been
asked to keep measles patients isolated to avoid cross infections.
Vaccinations
against this disease have been stepped up over recent days. As many as 57.5%
of unvaccinated children have been given shots during the additional round of
the national vaccination campaign.
To help the public
fully understand the disease and preventive measures, the ministry also
issued an updated guideline on measles diagnosis and treatment.
The guideline has
been published in all localities across the country, while experienced
doctors have been sent to local hospitals to support them in treatment.
Int’l
seminar discusses life in the universe
Scientists,
physicists and astronomers from 20 countries are meeting in Binh Dinh
province to discuss the basic thousand year old question – whether life
exists beyond earth or outside the solar system.
In an opening
speech, Swiss astronomer Michel Mayor said that humankind has at some time or
other, questioned if earth is the sole place with existing life or whether
other worlds and civilisations exist in the universe. The question stimulates
the development of science and scientific aspiration.
During the April
21-25 seminar, participants will discuss and research the newest scientific
issues in astrophysics, such as precise measurements of planets, attributes
of small exoplanets and spectrum collected from the latest generation of
astronomical telescopes in seeking planets like earth.
They will also look
at the development of equipment to seek life in the galaxy, future ground
stations and Antarctic research stations.
Professor Michel
Mayor is the first person in the world to find exoplanets from Keck Observatory.
He discovered a quarter of more than 1,000 planets.
He is due hold a
lecture for scientists and scientific students in
The seminar is part
of activities to mark the 10th Meeting Vietnam, founded and presided over by Professor
Tran Thanh Van, a French of Vietnamese origin.
Khmer-Vietnam
friendship school inaugurated in Cambodia
A Khmer-Vietnam
friendship primary school was inaugurated in Svay Rieng province in southeast
President of the
Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Men Sam On chaired the ceremony,
which saw the presence of representatives from Vietnamese localities.
Addressing the
event, Sam On, who is also
The school is a
vivid manifestation of the traditional solidarity and mutual assistance
between the two peoples, she stressed, adding that it also serves as a place
where children can learn about their origins.
She instructed Svay
Rieng provincial authorities and people to facilitate the training of Khmer
and Vietnamese languages at the school.
The school,
including four well-equipped classrooms, was built at a cost of US$110,000,
with US$95,000 provided by
Promoting
social services for migrant women
Deputy Minister of
Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thanh Hoa made the statement at a
seminar in
The seminar was
held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as part of an inauguration
ceremony for the Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN).
It aims to realise
the ASEAN leaders’ declaration on social welfare and development related to
the rights of ASEAN women and children and identify dangers and challenges
facing migrant women. It also shared successful examples and helped to build
a network for providing social services for migrant women.
Hoa said
The Nationality Law
has been revised to support and ensure the rights of nationality and
citizenship for women who get married to foreigners, as well as enhancing
communications to raise public awareness and to avoid risks related to
emigrants, Hoa added.
Delegates agreed
that domestic and international migration is common in many countries around
the world, particularly in the current process of international integration.
Migration has
brought about many advantages for the development process including
knowledge, skills, income and various other benefits for emigrants. However,
there are still challenges and risks for emigrants if it is not managed well,
such as human trafficking, overexploitation and abuse.
Participants
proposed solutions for promoting social services for migrant women, and
strengthening cooperation networks and partnerships among the ASEAN Women
Committee, AWEN, UNHCR and relevant agencies to protect the rights of migrant
women throughout the region.
The Viet Nam–US
Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin convened a second roundtable conference
in the southern
The toxic chemical,
AO, was sprayed by the
Head of the group,
Ha Huy Thong, briefed the
He also hailed the
The first stage of
the project will conclude this year.
The Ministry of
National Defence and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
launched a US$43 million project in August to clean up an estimated 67,000
cubic metres of contaminated soils and sediments at
Director of the US
Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Environment and Social
Development Office, Kyung Choe, remarked that the USAID is conducting a study
on the environmental impacts of AO/dioxin in a location around the Bien Hoa
airport.
Coordinating with
the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and localities across the
country, the USAID has offered support to those disabled and victimized by
exposure to AO, especially children, she noted.
A representative
from the Viet Nam Federation on Disability reported that Vietnamese war
veterans suffering from exposure to the toxic chemical should have also
reaped the benefits of the US social welfare policies similar to those
availed by victims from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Between the period
1962 and 1971, 20 million gallons of defoliants were sprayed over several
Internet
HIV prevention efforts prove successful
Le Son of
"Smartphone
applications such as Jacks, Grindr, Boyahoy and Hornet can help me seek men
who have sex with men (known as MSM) within a radius of 10 kilometres,"
Son said in a recent interview.
Son was chosen by
the
He said it had been
difficult to persuade the men to take HIV tests because of fears about
discrimination and a lack of privacy.
Apart from
smartphone applications, Son has also used online dating sites or chatrooms
where MSM congregate to spread the word about the importance of HIV tests.
"Smartphone
applications and the internet are the best tools to engage MSM in the city's
HIV prevention programme," Son said.
Nguyen Thi Hue,
head of the AIDS Prevention Committee's Harm Reduction Division, said the use
of an internet-based outreach was based on the findings of surveys of 20
internet forums and chatrooms for MSM seeking dating partners.
Dr Donn J. Colby,
senior technical advisor for the Centre for Applied Research on Men and
Health in
"MSM are a
small subgroup of the population so we cannot reach them on TV or with
billboards on the street," he said.
"We have to go
where MSM are, and at this time it appears they are on the internet," he
said, adding that there was not one location where even one per cent of MSM
could be found at any given time.
From July 2012 to
June 2013,
The centre's target
is to reach more and more MSM and increase the number of MSM using voluntary
HIV tests in order to detect HIV early and provide treatment.
An internet-based
approach saves costs as well,
"These
positive results have encouraged us to continue an internet-based outreach,
and we will increasingly use apps,"
The division's
report shows that HIV prevalence among MSM in
According to the
findings of a cross-sectional survey conducted by Colby, published in the
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes in 2003, the mean number of
sexual partners for MSM was 3.3 in one month.
Only 32 per cent of
219 surveyed MSM used condoms when having sex and only 50 per cent had
knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, the survey findings showed.
Four
drowned in Vam Co Dong River
Four people drowned
in the Vam Co Dong River in southern Tay Ninh Province of Chau Thanh District
when the boat carrying them across the river overturned yesterday afternoon.
The bodies of three
male victims, all aged 28, were found last night.
The body of Tran
Thi Thu Ha, 26, was found this morning at a depth of 15 metres and 30 metres
away from the sunken boat, said the district People's Committee chairman
Nguyen Van Hai.
The committee
officer noted that the four passengers were teasing each other carelessly,
and as a result, the boat had tilted. The driver of the boat swam to safety.
Dong Nai:
“Milk for schools” reduces child malnutrition
The southern
The programme,
which is to start from May this year, will be implemented in nursery schools
in the districts of Xuan Loc, Cam My, Dinh Quan, Tan Phu and Vinh Cuu and two
others in Bien Hoa city and Trang Bom district during its first phase.
It will benefit
children in all nursery schools and those from six to eight years old across
the locality by 2020. E ach child will be given 540 ml of milk a week, nine
months a year.
Aimed at improving
the lack of micronutrients, stunted growth as well as brainpower for children
under six and kids in primary schools, the programme will run at a cost of
1.3 trillion VND, with 658 billion VND coming from the state budget, 459
billion VND contributed by parents and nearly 197 billion VND from milk
companies.
Dong Nai is the
third locality to carry out the project, following southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau
province and northern Bac Ninh province.
According to the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one-third of Vietnamese children
under the age of five are stunted as a result of malnutrition. But
Data from the
United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDG) initiative shows that the
rate of child malnutrition in
Phu Yen
looks to achieve universal nursery education
The central coastal
province of Phu Yen has recently given 15 billion VND (705,000 USD) to the
building of 39 new preschool rooms to ensure children aged five in all of its
communes and towns have access to education by 2015.
The rooms, each
covering 110 square metres, will be completed before the 2014-15 academic
year.
At present, only 64
out of the province’s 112 communes, wards and towns have achieved universal
nursery education.
The main reason
behind the slow progress is the lack of investment capital for construction
of standard preschool rooms.
During the
2011-2012 academic year,
As of Mar 2012, 59
out of the country’s 63 provinces and cities realized universal primary
education at an appropriate age. All the 63 localities completed universal
secondary school.
Seminar
improves public administration for
Ways to improve the
provincial governance and public administration performance index (PAPI) for
southern central and Central Highlands provinces were discussed at a seminar
in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province on April 21.
Accordingly, it was
agreed that these provinces must continue improving the efficiency of public
administration at grassroots levels and ensuring the publicity of fees and
charges.
They should be more
transparent in budget collection and spending and land use planning while
respecting people’s assessments to promote the engagement of all members of
society in supervising the implementation of policies, said participants.
A recent survey
showed that despite positive changes in improving PAPI over the years, the
southern central and Central Highlands provinces are still named among the
group of localities with poor and average public administration performance.
People have usually
complained about the shortage of hospital beds, the poor attitude of health
workers and the lack of transparency surrounding fees, budget collection and
land use planning.
Commenced in 2010,
PAPI is a policy tool that aims to measure the administration and governance
efficiency of the State administration system in all 63 provinces and cities
nationwide.
The index is based
on a philosophy considering citizens as the customers of public
administration agencies. As such, they are capable of overseeing and
assessing the effectiveness of governance and public administration of local
authorities.
South Africa’s Freedom Day celebration to take place in Hanoi
An art performance
celebrating South African culture will be organised in
The information was
revealed at a press conference held by the South African Embassy in
South African
Ambassador Kgomotso Ruth Magau briefed participants on her country’s great
achievements over the past two decades.
She also
highlighted the traditional relations between
The ambassador
stated
Locals'
support key to success of new rural development
After three years
implementing a national programme on new rural development, 11 communes in
five Central Highland provinces have satisfied all the 19 of the programme’s
criteria thanks to their efforts in mobilising support from the people,
reported radio The Voice of Vietnam.
Among the 19
criteria for new rural development, developing a rural traffic system is one
of the hardest to achieve because it is expensive. But Ea O commune in Dak
Lak province’s Ea Kar district has found a way.
Over the past three
years, the commune has managed to build two bridges and 90 km of paved roads
connecting local hamlets and communes, worth around 3.5 million USD. The key
was getting 500 households in the commune to voluntarily contribute their
land use right, money and labour to build new roads.
Nguyen Minh Chuyen,
Chairman of Ea O commune People’s Committee, said that with locals' support,
the commune may complete the national rural development programme by 2015.
"In order to
encourage local people to support the programme, it’s important to acknowledge
their contributions in appropriate ways. For example, we went to every
household to ask for a contribution, stated the contributions clearly in a
report, and after the work was completed, we honoured them for their
donations in public," he said.
Similarly, the
communes of Quang Dien, Ea Tul and Ea Nuol have succeeded in mobilising
contributions to their new rural development. Hundreds of households in these
communes voluntarily moved their houses, donated their land, money and
contributed their labour to building welfare facilities and making roads.
Nguyen Loc, a
resident of Krong Ana district’s Quang Dien commune, donated 600 square
meters of his fields to make roads and encouraged his neighbours to follow
suit.
"My decision
was supported by everyone in my family because we understood that we
ourselves will ultimately benefit from this program. Once the roads are
completed, it will be easier for us to travel and this will also increase
local land prices," Loc said.
The national rural
development programme has also seen improvements in communes with an ethnic
minority.
Senior Lieutenant
Colonel Nguyen Minh Manh is the political commissar of Brigade 198, which has
provided assistance to three communes in Dak Lak province in implementing the
national rural development programme.
Manh attributed the
programme’s success in ethnic minority areas to efforts by the local
authorities to make residents aware of the programme and provide them with
clear instructions on the State’s rural development guidelines and policies.
Another important factor in the programme’s success, he added, is that
officers and soldiers get close to the people and stand ready to support them
at any time.
"We take part
in any works by the local people, from supporting their daily chores to building
roads, dredging irrigation canals, and so on… And this has created close
bonds between the soldiers and the local people, making it easier for us to
complete the new rural development programme, and carry out unanticipated
tasks," he said.
Southern
provinces exchange crime prevention experience
Officials of the
Vietnam Fatherland Front and police officers from 15 southern provinces
exchanged experiences in crime prevention at a conference in
Vice Chairwoman of
the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Ha Thi Lien, underlined the
involvement of people from all strata in ensuring security along with the
inter-sectoral coordination required in the work.
Many effective
crime prevention models were presented at the conference, for example a
hotline for reporting crimes in Long An province and community-based
programmes rehabilitating ex-prisoners in
Senior Lieutenant
Colonel Nguyen Dinh Trung from the Ministry of Public Security said there
were 59,000 criminal cases in
The situation is
predicted to worsen in 2014, especially in organised drug and economic crime,
he said, adding that all authorised agencies need to work more closely and encourage
people to join together in the work.
Project
opens wheelchair-accessibility to facilities
The disabled people
assistance project for 2014-2020 in
Architects will
receive training courses on designing wheelchair-accessible facilities. These
include new state-run headquarters, offices, medical clinics, educational
facilities, cultural houses, and public areas.
The city's Department
of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Culture, Sports,
and Tourism will be renovated for wheelchair accessibility, the paper said,
adding that customers with special needs visiting these facilities will be
able to receive help on the ground floors.
Bus drivers will
also receive training to serve people with disabilities.
Children under six
years old will receive thorough examinations to detect any disabilities.
Parents are encouraged to provide schooling for children with disabilities to
ensure education for at least 90 percent.
Private schools
with special education programmes will receive tax exemptions.
The project has a
total investment of 204 billion VND (9.7 million USD), the paper said.
Binh Dinh
fishing vessels invest in comms
Over 1,400
high-capacity offshore fishing vessels in the central
The well-equipped
vessels make up 52 percent of the total in the province.
The equipment will
track their location and movement, said head of the provincial Department of
Aquatic Resource Exploitation and Protection Mai Kim Thi.
Earlier, the
department invested over 500 million VND (23,800 USD) in building a station
in Tam Quan Bac commune, Hoai Nhon district in order to contact local fishing
vessels.
Construction of
another station at De Gi seaport, Phu Cat district is under consideration.
Int’l
science workshop in Binh Dinh ponders universal questions
Seventy
astrophysicists from 20 countries and territories around the world are
gathering in Quy Nhon city, the central
Opening the
workshop, Swiss astrophysicist and Professor Michel Mayor said human beings
have long wondered if life can only be found on Earth and if other
civilizations exist elsewhere in the universes. This question has promoted
the development of science and inspired passion in those who practise it.
During the five-day
function, scientists will discuss astrophysical issues, such as measuring the
weight of planets, finding out properties of small exoplanets, and searching
for Earth-like planets.
They will also
table new scientific ideas and the development of astronomical equipment.
The workshop is
part of the 2014 “Meet Vietnam” event, which offers a platform for global
scientists to exchange their views on numerous scientific issues. The annual
event is held by the France-based Rencontres du Vietnam (Meet Vietnam)
Association.
Kien Giang boosts
IT application in urban management
Under a Memorandum
of Understanding on cooperation between the local authorities and the three
groups signed on April 21, the firms will work with the province to research
the feasibility of the project in order to supply IT services to the
province’s administrative management.
Hitachi and Zenrin
will transfer their software and provide consultancy and support to Kien
Giang in implementing IT projects, especially the application of a
geographical information system (GIS) for mapping, to help the province
realise its socio-economic development goals set for the next five years.
According to the
provincial Department of Information and Communications, the project will
also help state agencies in the province improve their managerial competence.
Through the
project, Kien Giang is expected to become one of the first localities to
successfully apply the model of urban management by IT in
The project’s first
phase will give priority to Rach Gia city and Phu Quoc district, towards
developing the two localities into modern and smart urban areas in the
future.
Coastal
erosion threatens Binh Thuan province
An official from
the central
The hamlet, which
is located in the city’s Tien Thanh commune, is home to 280 households with
1,000 people. It has been the hardest hit by erosion, with 25 houses being
swept away by the sea since the beginning of this year, and more than 50
others facing the same fate, Vice Chairman of the local People’s Committee
Dang Dinh Hieu stated at an emergency meeting on April 21.
He noted that the
city has a 57 km stretch of eroded coastline. The wearing away of land has
taken place since 2012 as a result of rising sea levels, encroaching as deep
as 50 meters into the mainland. More than 75 households have been completely
destroyed.
Phu Quy island
district, located about 120km from the city to the east, is also taking
measures to prevent further damage. It is moving to relocate 280 households
in danger-prone areas to safer places before a band of tropical low pressure
arrives. It is also building storm shelters for fishermen during the rainy
season, said Chairman of the People’s Committee Huynh Van Hung.
Source: VNA/VNS/Dantri/VOV
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Thứ Ba, 22 tháng 4, 2014
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