Social News 17/8 Teams to check food safety during Mid-Autumn Festival   Six teams have been set up to inspect food safety during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 12 cities and provinces, the Vi?t Nam Food Administration (VFA) said.  Inspections will be carried out from August 25 to September 14. The targeted localities are Hà N?i, HCM City, the northern provinces of Thái Nguyên, Lào Cai and Lai Châu, and the central Th?a Thiên-Hu? and Qu?ng Tr? provinces, as well as the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, and the southern provinces of Bình Duong, An Giang and Vinh Long.  The inspections will focus on food quality and origin, implementation of regulations on food safety and hygiene by large producers and restaurants that process or sell food, beer, soft drinks and particularly mooncakes. For other cities and provinces, local health departments should consult local people’s committees and steering committees on food safety and hygiene about intensifying inspections at food production units, business and import facilities and restaurants during the festival.  The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which falls on September 15 this year. Deputy PM wants quick arrest in multiple-murder case Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hòa Bình has asked the public security ministry and the local people’s committee to investigate and quickly arrest the murderer(s) of four people in Lào Cai. The victims, who were four members of a family, were found dead in Bát Xát District’s Tr?nh Tu?ng Commune in the northern mountainous province, following an incident of suspected robbery last Tuesday evening. The robber(s) ransacked the house and stole more than VNÐ10 million (US$434). Based on clues collected from the scene, the local police said a man was the prime suspect in the case, Ngu?i Lao Ð?ng (Labourer) online newspaper reported. The suspect lived near the house of the victims and has been missing since the day of the massacre, the police said. Col Nguy?n Van Thái, deputy head of the local border guard, yesterday said hundreds of soldiers had been mobilised to find the killer. Local residents and the task force for drug crime prevention were also called to join the search for the murderer, he said. Fish die en masse in Thanh Hóa Fish have died en masse in Cam Ngoc Commune in the central Thanh Hóa Province over the past few days. According to local people, fish being bred in cages along Mã River began dying on Sunday night. All fish, weighing nearly eight tonnes, have died, according to the commune’s people’s committee. Native fish in Mã River also died en masse. The case was reported to provincial authorities so that the cause of the mass deaths could be identified and measures taken to assist farmers. In May, more than 17 tonnes of fish being bred in cages in the province’s Th?ch Thành District had died. Investigations showed that a large amount of wastewater released from cassava starch and sugar plants in the nearby Hòa Bình province without proper treatment had caused the mass fish deaths. Mekong Delta lacks specialised medical staff The Mekong Delta region is facing a serious shortage of medical staff in five rare specialities including tuberculosis, leprosy, psychiatry, surgery and forensic science, according to the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy at a seminar held in Can Tho city on August 15. Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, head of the university’s training department, said that the region now has 152 doctors working in the five specialities, but half of them will retire by 2020. There are only four specialised doctors working at13 forensic medicine centres across the region. The region houses eight hospitals to treat tuberculosis and lung diseases, with only a few doctors working in the field. For instance, Kien Giang province has no tuberculosis doctor at present. Additionally, there are no surgeons working for the tumour departments of general hospitals in Can Tho city and in An Giang, Ben Tre, Hau Giang and Kien Giang provinces, he added. To deal with this situation, in 2015, the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region and the Ministry of Health assigned the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy to train 150 doctors to work in the five specialities each year to meet the region’s demands.  The Mekong Delta needs more than 4,900 doctors and nearly 2,000 pharmacists for the 2016-2020 period.-VNA Workshop seeks ways to restore Japanese Bridge in Hoi An More than 100 Vietnamese and Japanese scientists, experts and managers gathered in Hoi An city of central Quang Nam province on August 16 to discuss the restoration of Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge) – a tourist attraction in the locality.  Participants at the workshop focused on assessing the historical and cultural values of the bridge and its condition, while proposing measures to restore and preserve it in order to sustainably promote its historical, cultural and architectural values and boost Hoi An city’s socio-economic and tourism development.  Chua Cau, also known as the Japanese Bridge or Lai Vien Kieu, is a complex consisting of a bridge over a small canal and a pagoda on one end. It was said to be built in the early 17 th century by Japanese businessmen.  The bridge, recognised as a national cultural and historical relic site in 1990, is a symbol of Hoi An ancient town – a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage Site, as well as a symbol for the traditional cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan.  Although it has been restored many times, the bridge still faces a risk from natural wear and tear. NA Standing Committee closes second session The second session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee concluded in Hanoi on August 16. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the Committee gave feedback to the draft Law on Guard Force, the draft Law on the police force at communal level, and the government’s proposal on the adjustment of foreign capital plans for 2016.  The Committee also commented on the government’s proposal regarding the use of government bonds contingency during the 2012-2015 period for the compensation and relocation of people affected by Ta Trach Lake project. The assessment of the 1st session of the 14th legislature and preparations for the 2nd NA session were also high on the agenda. Ngan said the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly will run from October 20 to November 18 and will approve 4 draft laws and 1 draft resolution. The top legislator said the key task of the session was preparing opinions on 14 draft laws.  More efforts required to establish national population database Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked for intensified efforts to accelerate the establishment of a national population database which was approved by the Prime Minister nearly one year ago.  The database will be decisive to the success of the national scheme to simplify administrative procedures, citizenship documents and database related to population management during the 2013-2020 period (Project 896), Binh affirmed when chairing a meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of Project 896 on August 16.  The Deputy PM stressed the need to finish the selection of a contractor to implement the database project in August, so that it can be officially launched in September.  Reviewing citizenship papers and administrative procedures is important to remove unnecessary procedures and reduce the time for settlement, he said, asking the Ministries of Public Security and National Defence to complete the work soon so as to send the results to the Justice Ministry.  Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung stated that the Steering Committee for the Implementation of Project 896 should define the responsibilities of the Ministry of Public Security and relevant ministries and agencies for coordinating in carrying out the project to speed up the establishment of the database.  Head of the Administrative Procedures Control Agency under the Ministry of Justice Ngo Hai Phan said that the review of citizenship documents and administrative procedures is basically completed.  Ministries and agencies have proposed simplifying 1,126 out of 1,934 procedures involved in citizens’ information.-VNA Vietnam wins two bronze medals at World Mathematical Olympiad 2016 Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Nguyen Thanh Nguyen and Tran Phuong Anh earned two bronze medals at the 2016 World Mathematical Olympiad (WMO) held in Seoul in South Korea on August  13. A team of 12 primary school students whose were chosen from 700 students in the city participated in the competition for the first time. The 11th World Final of World Mathematical Olympiad attrtacted about 100 students from countries and territories worldwide, including Vietnam, the UK, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and China. The World Mathematical Olympiad (WMO) is the International Championship for Elementary and Middle School students aged 8-11 years old and is held annually in a different country. The first WMO was held in 2009 and has been organized in 30 cities in 10 countries around the world with the participation of thousands students. WMO breaks the traditional format of math competitions by challenging contestants to apply innovative methods to solve problems using creativity, teamwork, and intuition. The competition integrates science, technology, engineering, and the liberal arts, inspiring students’ natural curiosity to connect with their world. 13 people die of dengue in South Dengue outbreaks occurred in 20 cities and provinces in the South Vietnam in the first eight months of the year, claiming 13 lives and infecting 31,000 people, reported Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City . The figure showed an increase of 76 percent compared to the same period last year. It was announced at an inter-department seminar on dengue prevention supervision in the South held by the education and health sectors in Bao Loc, a city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Head of Pasteur Institute Pham Trong Lan  said that dengue cases are escalating quickly in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Ben Tre and Lam Dong. Currently, the disease in above-mentioned provinces showed an increase and it could be an epidemic. He noted that because there has been no vaccine against dengue, the best way to prevent it is killing mosquitoes and its larva. Locality authorities should spray  chemical to kill the insect, increase information of the disease’s danger to residents and clear waste items, collect wasted containers where is suitable for mosquitoes laying its eggs into, dredging canals and sewage to curb the disease. PM congratulates Vietnamese sports delegation Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated the Vietnamese sports delegation who brought glory to the home country in the Rio Olympics 2016, during a reception in Hanoi on August 16. He extended his special congratulations to shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won both a gold and a silver medal at the world’s largest sport competition. The PM also asked the sports sector to provide all possible support for athletes and coaches to improve their skills while effectively using the State funding. He also required the Defence Ministry to help Colonel Vinh, who won the medals, to fulfill his assigned tasks in the near future. At the reception, Vinh and other athletes promised to do their best to contribute to Vietnam’s sports in the regional and global competitions. On the occasion, the PM presented the Labour Order, first class, to Colonel Vinh. The Labour Order, second class, was also awarded to chief coach of the Vietnamese shooting team Nguyen Thi Nhung, while the Friendship Order was given to Korean shooting expert Park Chung Gun. Health officials inspect Da Nang’s dengue fever prevention The central city of Da Nang should roll out communication campaigns on dengue fever prevention on a larger scale and with diverse methods, focusing on densely-populated areas. This was among tasks spelled out by Director of the Nha Trang based Pasteur Institute Vien Quang Mai who led a delegation of the Health Ministry to inspect Da Nang’s dengue fever prevention on August 16. Apart from tightly covering water containers to hinder mosquitoes from laying eggs and spraying mosquito repellent, the city should encourage people displaying dengue fever symptoms to come to medical centres to receive timely treatment, he said. Mai suggested establishing a municipal steering committee for dengue fever combat, training health workers and heads of residential areas in dengue fever prevention skills and paying heed to other diseases during this rainy season. Mentioning the fifth Asian Beach Games to be hosted by the central city from September 24-October 3, 2016, the official reminded the municipal health sector to keep a closer eye on food safety and disease prevention. According to Ton That Thanh, Director of the Da Nang Centre of Preventive Medicine, the locality has recorded 2,240 dengue cases so far this year, with Son Tra, Hai Chau and Thanh Khe districts reporting the highest numbers of infections. He blamed the outbreak of the disease on the mosquito’s breeding cycle which peaks in the rainy season, recent rising temperatures and droughts due to the impacts of the El Nino and negligence of localities and residents. Statistics from the Health Ministry’s General Department of Preventive Medicine showed that the number of people that contracted dengue fever in the first six months of this year reached over 44,800, more than 2.5 times higher than the same period last year. Many new cases have been reported in localities including Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, An Giang, Dong Thap, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and HCM City. Given this, the ministry has established eight inspection teams to supervise and assist dengue fever prevention activities in 18 localities suffering the most from dengue fever throughout the country. Lack of oxygen caused fish deaths in Quang Ninh Lack of oxygen has been blamed for causing the death of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) fish in six farms in the Bến Do area of north-eastern Quảng Ninh Province’s Cẩm Phả City between August 9 and 15. The high density of fish was believed to have caused the lack of oxygen. Additionally, recent heavy rain in the area has changed the water environment, exacerbating the situation. The explanation was released on Monday afternoon, after the provincial Animal Health Division and relevant agencies conducted inspections and took samples of the dead fish in six farms for tests. According to local breeders, the number of dead fish had increased dramatically over the past few days, reaching amounts in tonnes. Ngô Thị Chanh, a breeder from Cẩm Thủy Ward, said most of the 200 cobia fish in her farm, weighing 4 kilos each, had died since August 9. Chanh said her family had many years of experience raising cobia fish and she had not made any changes to their diet. "Thus, we did not know the reason why our fish suddenly died like that," she said. However, the authorised agencies denied the number of dead fish amounted to tonnes. Thiều Văn Thành, head of the provincial animal heath division, one of members of the inspection team, said the breeders claimed the number of dead fish was in the range of tonnes, but when the inspection team visited they found no evidence of this. The total number of dead fish was estimated to be about 500 kilos, he said. Phạm Văn Kính, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Cẩm Phả City, said there were 163 fish farms across the city. All farms were checked and fish was found dead in several farms. The situation was not comparable to the mass fish death, like several media recently reported, he said. In response to the situation, the People’s Committee of Cẩm Phả City has ordered relevant agencies to instruct local breeders to farm fish following technical standards and immediately report to the committee if any abnormal phenomena were found. MV on heroic girls at Đồng Lộc T-junction Singer and songwriter Phạm Phương Thảo recently released a music video (MV) on heroic girls at Đồng Lộc T-junction that blends pop and Vietnamese folk music. Mười Đóa Sen Thơm (Ten Fragrant Lotuses) is written and composed by Thảo, who has spent 13 years working for the Việt Nam Music and Dance Theatre.  The song is in praise of ten young women volunteers who sacrificed their lives at Đồng Lộc T-junction in Hà Tĩnh Province in July 24, 1968 during the anti-American war.   “Mười Đóa Sen Thơm is passionate and improvisational. I created the song for only an hour after my visit to Đồng Lộc this year,” said 34-year-old Thảo.  Many fans, including some overseas Vietnamese, shed tears on hearing the song since it was released online three weeks ago. The Hà Nội-based artist recorded and filmed the MV in co-operation with film director Dương Lan Hương and cameraman Trịnh Minh Tuấn, both of whom are experienced in film and music producing. They travelled to Đồng Lộc historical relic for filming. In the MV, Thảo shows off her strong, clear and sweet voice. She decided to compose her song in folk style although the music is not popular among young people. “I wanted to introduce Vietnamese folk to more and more people,” said Thảo, the second runner-up at Việt Nam Television Singing Contest in 2003. National top karate-do clubs champs opens The National Top Karatedo Clubs Championships opened yesterday in the Central Highland Province of Đắk Lắk. Nearly 700 martial artists from 57 clubs across the country took part in the event. They will compete for 56 sets of medals in kata (performance) and kumite (combat) in age groups of 12-14, 15-17, over 18 and over 35. The event, which was organized by the National Sports Administration and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will finish on Saturday. The tournament’s best players will be selected for the national team to compete in international events. Hanoi targets care for 98 pct of children in special circumstances The capital city of Hanoi has targeted that 98 percent of local underprivileged children will receive assistance and protection between now and 2020.  The figure reached 97.3 percent for 2011 and 99.4 percent in 2015.  During the period, the city plans to reduce the rate of children living in special circumstances to 0.7 percent.  The results of the National Programme on Child Protection for 2011-2015 showed that the city has basically fulfilled two criteria on children living in special circumstances and those in risk of falling into special circumstances.  Local districts and communes worked actively to raise public awareness of preventing children from sex and labour abuse, and injuries as well as equip them with self-defence and life skills.  Community-based child support models have been spread wide and far while the capacity of officers and volunteers in charge of protecting and caring for children have also been improved.  Two southern islands to be connected to national grid Lai Son island in the southern province of Kien Giang is set to be connected to the national grid by the end of this month while another island in the locality, the Hon Nghe, will be connected one month later. The two islands are among coastal islands of Kien Giang benefiting from a project by the Southern Power Corporation of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) group. The project, with a total investment of 1.5 trillion VND (about 68 million USD), aims to build middle-voltage electricity transmission lines to Kien Luong district’s Son Hai Commune (Hon Heo Island) and Hon Nghe Island, Ha Tien Town’s Tien Hai Commune (Hon Doc Island), Kien Hai District’s Lai Son, An Son and Nam Du Islands, and Phu Quoc island district’s Hon Thom Commune. To bring electricity to the islands, nearly 97km of middle-voltage transmission line on land and around 74km of middle-voltage transmission line at sea will be installed, along with 45.5 km of low-voltage line and 159 transformers to supply power to 6,800 households. Lai Son Island is the first to get power supply under the first phase of the project (in 2015-2016), followed by Hon Nghe, Son Hai, Tien Hai and Hon Thom (the second phase in 2016-2018), while the third phase will be implemented in An Son and Nam Du (2018-2020). Lai Son Island, which is 60km to the southwest of Rach Gia City, has an area of 1,095ha and a population of 2,000 household. Ninety percent of the local populace use diesel-fueled electricity generators. Director of Kien Giang Power Company Truong Tan Luc said work has been on schedule to launch the power transmission line to the island at the end of August. Meanwhile, the progress on the line to Hon Nghe Island has been behind schedule due to unfavourable weather conditions. As weather has improved recently, contractors are required to accelerate the work with the aim of complete the transmission line by the end of September. Director General of Southern Power Corporation Nguyen Van Hop said the power lines will ensure stable electricity supply for the islands, facilitating the development of local economic and tourism activities. Binh Duong: Bus Rapid Transit project scrutinised Southern Binh Duong province has worked on a feasibility study on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) that links the province with Ho Chi Minh City’s metro line No.1. The bus route is designed to begin at Binh Duong New City and end at Suoi Tien metro station. The BRT project was developed with the aim to shorten travel time between Binh Duong, HCM City and Dong Nai province and expand the metro line’s reach from Binh Duong province to HCM City via Suoi Tien metro station. It also facilitates the increased use of high-quality public transportation and helps attract more investments in high technology, urban areas and services in Binh Duong New City and HCM City. The project includes the construction of seven concrete flyovers, four footbridges, 12 bus stops and 13 smart traffic light systems. It requires an investment of more than 1.8 trillion VND, or 82 million USD; 90.3 percent of the amount, or 1.65 trillion VND, will be sourced from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s loan. It is expected to be approved in the first quarter of 2017. The BRT is hoped to begin in 2018 and finish by 2019. Rice-shrimp farming model needs zoning Rotating rice and shrimp farming on the same fields in the Mekong Delta has proven so economically effective and environmentally friendly that experts have urged the creation of zoning areas for the cutlivation model.  Under the model, which was created by farmers in the Delta’s coastal areas, farmers grow rice in the rainy season and allow saline water to enter fields to farm shrimp in the dry season.  The model has a yield of 300-500kg of shrimp and 4-5 tonnes of paddy per hectare each year, providing profits of 35-50 million VND per ha (1,500–2,300 USD) a year, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.  Rice-shrimp fields also have 15-30 percent higher profits than when only rice or shrimp is cultivated in areas where saline water intrusion occurs in the dry season.  Shrimp bred in rice-shrimp fields also have less disease outbreaks as rice cultivation helps improve the soil. In addition, shrimp are farmed at a low density of three to five shrimp per sq.m and are not given animal feed.  Speaking at a recent forum held in Bac Lieu province, Tran Van Khoi, acting director of the National Agriculture Extension Centre, said the cultivation model needed less pesticides and antibiotics, thus ensuring cleaner produce and environmental protection.  However, irrigation systems as well as water supply and drainage canals are not well developed and other obstacles include a lack of quality rice seeds, shrimp fries and standard farming processes to improve yields, he said.  Zoning for rice-shrimp farming would help reduce these problems, he said.  Since the cultivation model uses rice fields to convert to other crops, support policies could be created for farmers, he said.  Nguyen Cong Thanh of the Minh Hai Fishery Research Sub-institute said proper attention should be paid to shrimp fries and rice seeds used in the model.  “Shrimp fries should be quarantined before breeding and rice seeds should be suited to the conditions of localities. And the farming schedules of rice and shrimp must be strictly followed. If this is done, the model could be sustainable,” he said.  Under the model, farmers breed black-tiger shrimp, white-legged shrimp or blue-legged prawn and cultivate several kinds of saline-resistant rice varieties that can grow in water with salt content of up to 0.5 percent. All of these rice varieties have a high yield.  Nguyen Van Hoa, deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Cultivation Development, said: “The Plant Cultivation Development and the National Seed Centre are researching new rice varieties resistant to saline water and suited to the rice-shrimp farming model.”  The Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute has created 11 new rice varieties that can grow in saline water with a salt content of 0.2-0.6 percent. The varieties have a yield between 5-9 tonnes per ha.  This year, the delta’s area under the shrimp-rice farming model has increased to about 153,000ha, up 2.5 times against 2000, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.  The coastal provinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu have the largest areas of rice-shrimp farming in the Delta.  Hoa said the area under shrimp-rice farming in the Delta was expected to increase to 200,000ha by 2020.  “Areas that have potential for rice-shrimp farming should be zoned. Programmes and investment projects for rice-shrimp farming and environmental evaluation should be built,” he said.  Phan Thanh Lam of the Institute of Aquaculture No 2 said rice-shrimp farming in the delta was an open farming model as most farming conditions depend on the region’s weather and climate conditions.  “To reduce risk of saltwater intrusion and be effective, proper attention should be paid to implementation, cultivation schedules, improvement of fields, water pumping systems and community-based management models,” he said.  The community-based management model of rice-shrimp farming, also known as a large-scale rice-shrimp field, is implemented in several delta provinces.  In 2014, the National Agriculture Extension Centre chose 25 households in Kien Giang province’s An Bien district whose adjoining fields with a total area of 42ha rotated shrimp and rice cultivation on the same schedule and process, managed by the community.  Participating households were paid 60 percent of shrimp fry costs and 30 percent of input materials and shrimp food costs.  The profits from shrimp and rice cultivation of the households totalled 56.8 million VND (2,500 USD) per ha, according to the province’s Agriculture and Fishery Extension Centre.  Last year, 23 households with 40ha of adjoining fields in Kien Giang’s An Minh district began participating in this model and earned profits of about 30 million VND per ha each year.  The National Agriculture Extension Centre has also implemented this model in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces, attracting the participation of a total of 190 households with a combined area of 190ha. Over 5,000 students walk to raise funds for needy peers More than 5,000 students and youths participated in a walk in Ho Chi Minh City on August 14 to raise money for scholarship funds in support for disadvantaged students.  The event was part of the 10th volunteers’ festival held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Students’ Association and the Vietnam Youth Federation of the city.  The programme’s objective was to call on donors to send money to the scholarship fund of the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper and another of the municipal support centre that are intended to help disadvantaged students continue their learning.  On the day, the organising board of the programme presented 40 scholarships to poor students and learning tools to students in outlying districts. Kien Giang develops rural transport infrastructure The southern province of Kien Giang aims to build 1,420 km of roads in rural areas with a total investment of 1.42 trillion VND (63.9 million USD). According to the provincial Department of Transport, the local rural road is 7,084 km. Director of the department Nguyen Van Dung said all communes in the mainland have roads concreted. Between 2011 and 2015, authorities injected more than 1.96 trillion VND (88.2 million USD) to build, upgrade, and expand 2,370 km of roads, raising the total length of reinforced roads to 4,258 km. The locality is carrying out a number of transport projects and strives to put into use 380km of roads in 2016. The improved transport system has facilitates local traveling and agricultural production, thus contributing to local sustainable poverty reduction strategy as well as reducing gaps between rural and urban areas. Developing transport infrastructure is one of the criteria of the national programme on new style rural building, which was initiated by the Government since 2010.- New-style rural building in Dien Bien’s ethnic minority, border areas The Prime Minister has issued a decision approving a project on new-style rural building in the ethnic minority and border areas in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien. The project covers a total area of nearly 338,021 hectares in Dien Bien’s 29 communes, with 12 in Dien Bien district, three in Muong Cha district, eight in Nam Po district and six in Muong Nhe district, reported the Vietnamese Government Portal (VGP). It will be implemented from 2016 to 2020 with the goal of promoting new-style rural building in association with rapid and sustainable poverty reduction, aiming to help communes in the areas to step by step meet the national criteria for new-style rural areas; upgrading fundamental infrastructure; improving the living standard of local people; building and protecting solid and friendly border areas; and safeguarding national defence and security, contributing to safeguarding national border sovereignty in Dien Bien. The project targets all communes of the province meet at least ten criteria of new-style rural areas by 2020, with seven communes expected to meet all the 19 criteria, two with 16 criteria, one with 14 criteria, five with 13 criteria, five with 12 criteria, seven with 11 criteria and two with ten criteria. In order to achieve the abovementioned goals, the project will accelerate the planning progress of centralised production zones, allocate farming production land and forest land for local people, protect and build new forests, and encourage enterprises to strongly develop cultivation zones for industrial use plants. At the same time, the new-style cooperative model will been facilitated in the form of joint ventures to expand business according to the product value chains in agricultural production. The project also seeks to boost the application of scientific and technological advances to production and accelerate the progress of mechanisation in farming production, contributing to increasing the crops’ output. Binh Phuoc strengthens community-based drug detoxification The southern province of Binh Phuoc currently has 1,371 dug addicts, 1,177 of whom are living in the community under the province’s programme on drug detoxification at the community, reported the provincial police.  The provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has coordinated with agencies to implementation communications measures to call for the involvement of the community in the work, with 32,400 flyers delivered, together with six panels placed in all districts and towns.  It has also coordinated with other agencies to manage and supervise drug detoxification as well as drug addicts to prevent them from relapsing into addiction.  In June, local authorities detected 164 new drug addicts and proposed to take community-based management of 52 drug addicts and send 12 others to compulsory drug detoxification centres.  So far this year, the department has received and sent 23 drug addicts to the provincial centre for treatment and education, while supporting 17 people to re-integrate into the community.  It has also provided law knowledge for 1,284 trainees and health care services to 1,848 others.  This year, as many as 38 out of 111 communes across the province set a target of eliminating drug addiction, while 102 communes aims to put an end to prostitution. Over 8.7 trillion VND for Thai Nguyen’s rural development The northern province of Thai Nguyen has targeted that 70 percent of its communes will become new-style rural areas by 2020 under a 8.7 trillion VND (395.4 million USD) plan.  In the 2016-2020 scheme on new rural construction adopted by the province on August 12, local people’s incomes will increase to 36 million VND (1,600 USD) per year from 23 million VND, while the rate of poor households will fall by at least 2 percent annually.  Of the total funding for the programme, more than 2.27 trillion VND will come from the State budget, another 2.4 trillion VND from the provincial budget and the remainder from other sources.  The sum is allocated for the construction of transport and irrigation facilities, rural markets and environment hygiene.  Between 2016 and 2020, Thai Nguyen will earmark nearly 1.7 trillion VND for the scheme each year.  Doan Van Duan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province will prioritise capital to upgrading rural roads, irrigation canals and 12 markets, building 25 medical stations and renovating 39 others.  In order to improve people’s income, the large-scale model field will be expanded in rice farming, while the VietGap standards will be applied to 13,200ha of tea field, or nearly 60 percent of the province’s tea coverage.  Duan said more attention will be paid to vocational training for rural workers, as well as connectivity in production, processing and consumption of farm produce. Hậu Giang has eco-tourism plan The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Hậu Giang is developing eco-tourism products based on its rivers, fruit orchards, and rural sights and life, according to its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. They include Ngã Bảy floating market in Ngã Bảy town, the Việt – Úc Ecological Tourism Zone in Vị Thuỷ District and agriculture tourism in Vị Thanh city. Đỗ Chiêu Qúi, the department’s director, said the province was undertaking a VNĐ35 billion (US$ 1.5 million) project to revive Ngã Bảy floating market for tourism purposes. The market would be turned into one of the province’s key river tourism products, he said. Since the floating market was established in 1915 it was located at the meeting point of seven canals and rivers in Ngã Bảy town and become one of the delta’s busiest markets. But a decade ago local authorities moved it to a new site three kilometres away to improve traffic safety at the confluence, and the market’s activities began to dwindle because of the inconvenient location. The project to revive it is expected to be completed in 2019. At the 145ha Việt – Úc Ecological Tourism Zone, several tasks have been completed, including the dredging of a 14km canal and creation of a 13ha fruit orchard, 5ha bird garden and 11ha area for breeding wild animals and freshwater aquatic species. The zone is expected to be ready by the end of 2018, according to the department.    The department is also working with relevant agencies and district authorities to conserve and develop historic and cultural relics, including the Temple of Uncle Hồ, Cần Thơ Party Committee base and Relics of Chương Diện Victory. The province has also set up community tourism sites at the Cầu Đúc pineapple farming area in Vị Thanh and Long Trị sweet mandarin area in Long Mỹ District and developed agricultural tourism in Vị Thanh. Hậu Giang has zoned off a 130ha eco-tourism area at the Mùa Xuân Agricultural Centre in Phụng Hiệp District. It also plans to develop eco-tourism at the 2,800ha Lung Ngọc Hoàng Nature Wetland Reserve in Phụng Hiệp. Hậu Giang, located in the delta’s central part, hopes to attract 160,000 tourists a year, including 18,000 foreigners, by 2020, according to its tourism development plan. Speaking at a meeting last Friday, the province’s Party Committee Secretary, Trần Công Chánh, told local authorities to continue surveying sites so that appropriate tourism development plans can be made and human resources developed. The investment to develop eco-tourism sites should be linked with the national programme to build new rural areas, he said. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism should monitor and provide advice during the process of creating eco-tourism products at the Mùa Xuân Agricultural Centre, he said. After two years of implementing the province Party Committee’s Resolution No. 9 on developing tourism, Hậu Giang has also organised many tourism training courses for households in eco-tourism areas. On August 3, for instance, 40 farmers in Vị Thuỷ District were provided training in tourism. The trainees also visited a community tourism model in the district. Lê Quốc Chiến, who has participated in a tourism training course, offers tourism services in his 1ha fruit orchard in Vị Thanh. He grows many kinds of fruits like durian, mangosteen, jack fruit, red flesh dragon fruit, mango and guava and also has ponds for tourists to fish. Lê Minh Tâm of Ngã Bảy town’s Ngã Bảy Ward developed his 5ha Burmese grape orchard into a tourism site in 2014. It receives about 100 tourists a day, and 300-400 during the peak Burmese grape harvest season. Tâm has tied up with travel companies in HCM City and Vĩnh Long and Kiên Giang provinces to bring tourists to his orchard, which has fruits between April and September. “I plan to replace old Burmese grape plants with other trees like king orange and rambutan to ensure my orchard has fruits year round.” One dead, three seriously injured in train-car collision One person was killed and three others were seriously injured on Saturday in central Khánh Hòa Province when a four-seat car, driving on the central Ninh Thuận-Khánh Hòa route, hit a southbound train in Cam Lâm Commune. One person died at the scene. Three other people, including 72-year-old Đào Thị Bé, 50-year-old Phương Dung, and a person only known as Thu, were seriously injured and were taken to the hospital. All three were residents in central Ninh Thuận Province’s An Hải Commune. The car was pulled off the tracks and train traffic resumed. Initial investigation showed that the accident occurred in a residential area, where there were no barricades to stop the crossing of tracks. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE