HCM City, Hanoi police bust online football gambling rings

Ho Chi Minh City police on July 3 smashed a huge online betting ring for allegedly taking more than VND1 trillion (US$47.6 million) in bets on football matches.

The gambling ring used M88.com website to take bets from gamblers, who are required to deposit their money at banker account abroad. These sums will be converted into points used for betting with the banker.

The case turns complicated after bets were found to be transferred via different accounts run by foreigners.

Police arrested ten people involved, including those believed to be the ringleaders.

Also on the day, Hanoi police arrested nine football gamblers of a big online football gambling ring at the peak of the ongoing World Cup season.

The ring, which is allegedly taking up to VND8.1 billion in bets on Euro Championships and World Cup matches, was led by Pham Quoc Tuan, 45, a resident in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi.

Police found bets were initially taken via account Tva7gd06 on the website www.bong88.com in early June, and then Tva7gd06sub01 and Tva7gd06sub02 and other sub-accounts.

In another raid, Hanoi police seized three football gamblers of another online betting ring. The case is under further investigation.

Nearly 170 youth return home for summer camp 2014

An estimated 170 Overseas Vietnamese (OV) youth are returning to the homeland for Summer Camp 2014, raising the awareness of the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

This year’s summer camp, themed “My Homeland’s Sea and Islands”, are taking from July 8 to 27 at many locations throughout the nation, packed with a wide range of activities.

The information was released by Dang The Hung, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) in Hanoi on July 3.

Hung said the annual event aims to help young overseas Vietnamese people fully and deeply understanding the national sovereignty over sea and islands, patriotic tradition, culture and solidarity among 54 ethnic groups, raising their pride and attachment to the homeland.

During the camp, they will visit President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and Van Mieu – Vietnam’s first Temple of Literature in Hanoi, and historical and cultural relics in Quang Ninh, Hue, Danang, and Da Lat,  as well as exchanging with youth in Quang Ninh and Quang Ngai provinces.

The opening ceremony will be held in Quang Ninh on July 11.

Young returnees will also have a chance to meet with law enforcement forces at sea, fishermen and Danang youth to inquire about their efforts to defend national sovereignty.

Hung revealed that OV youth prepared a special gift for law enforcement forces and fishermen.

The annual camp has been held since 2003 by the COVA under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnamese communities in Ottawa and Vancouver, Canada have donated 10,000 CAD to Vietnamese coast guard and fishery surveillance forces and fishermen who are protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty right and jurisdiction in its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

The donation was made during talks on the latest developments in the East Sea briefed by Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada To Anh Dung in Ottawa and Consul General in Vancouver Tran Quang Dung on July 5.

Since the beginning of May 2014, China has illegally dispatched the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters.

China’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

Chinese ships have continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.

On May 26, Chinese ship 11209 sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel while it was operating normally in its traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

On July 3, China detained Vietnamese fishing boat QNg 94912 TS with six fishermen on board while they were normally operating in the traditional fishing ground in Hoang Sa.

Ambassador To Anh Dung also updated Vietnamese community with Vietnam’s response to Chinese aggressive acts. Some said that they are supportive of firm and cautious stance by the Vietnamese state and government in the fight.

In Vancouver, Consul General Tran Quang Dung told participants that Vietnam advocates settling the dispute by peaceful and legal means.

Similar events will be held in Montreal and Toronto soon.

Court sentences men over anti-China riot

A court in HCM City's Thu Duc District yesterday sentenced 10 men to four to nine months in jail for damaging property during an anti-China riot that broke out in HCM City and Binh Duong in May.

Nguyen Van Mai of Nghe An Province, Pham Thanh Tung of Ha Tinh Province and Nguyen Duy Phuong of Dong Nai Province were sentenced to nine months in prison for "causing public disorder" and property destruction.

Six other people were sentenced to six months on the same charges. They are: Le Hoang Chau of Bac Lieu Province, Nguyen Tan Hung of Soc Trang Province, Le Trong Hieu of Dong Thap Province, Pham Thanh Tan of Binh Phuoc Province, Huynh Ngoc Hieng of Ben Tre Province and Le Van Huy of Thai Binh Province.

Soc Trang native Huynh Au Duong, 17, received a four-month suspended sentence.

The 10 men were arrested on May 14 along with 46 other people who took part in a riot involving 1,500 people, according to the court.

The men had walked from Binh Duong's Di An District to HCM City's Linh Trung Export Processing Zone 1 and 2, and then to Binh Chieu Industrial Zone in HCM City's Thu Duc District.

They were protesting China's deployment of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig in Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone.

According to the indictment, police saw Mai and other rioters use bricks, petrol bombs and motorbikes to attack police officers.

The riots in the Binh Chieu Industrial Zone caused property damage of VND163 million (US$7,760). Sixteen police at the scene were injured.

Northern, central provinces pledge smoke-free workplace

Nine northern and central provinces on July 4 signed a joint commitment to building smoke-free workplace in a bid to curb ill effects of cigarette smoking.

They include northern and central provinces of Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh,Hai Duong, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh.

Representatives from the provincial Labour Federations pledged to realise the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm, at a conference held by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and the Ministry of Health in ThanhHoa province.

To concretise their commitments, the localities plan to intensify communication campaigns to raise local workforce’s awareness of tobacco harms.

According to the office of the health ministry’s tobacco harm prevention programme, Vietnam is one of 15 countries with the highest rate of cigarette smoking in the world.

Up to 47.4% of Vietnamese men and 1.4% of women are smokers, equivalent to 15 million grown-ups.

Additionally, 33 million non-smokers in Vietnam are exposed to tobacco smoke at home, while 5 million people are passively affected by the smoke at workplace.

Experts also pointed out a large number of evils of smoking and being exposed to the smoke, naming risks of suffering from life-threatening diseases, losing work capacity, and dying young, among the few.

Agriculture minister delivers gifts to Quang Ngai fishermen

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat on July 6 visited fishermen in the central province of Quang Ngai and presented them with gifts donated by the ministry’s staff.

Twenty fishermen in Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district, received 3 million VND in cash in addition to other goods.

Minister Phat also handed over 15 million VND to Binh Chau commune’s fishing union and 5 million VND each to five local fishing cooperative groups to assist with their operation.

On the occasion, the minister hailed all fishermen for standing side by side with law enforcement forces to safeguard the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

He affirmed to the fishermen that a 16 trillion VND credit package to help fishermen build new vessels is now ready for disbursement, adding that the government will do its utmost to support fishermen so that they can operate safely and effectively at sea.-

Bus and truck in head-on collision, 20 tourists hospitalised

At least 20 tourists aboard a passenger bus have been hospitalised after a head-on collision between the bus and a truck on National Highway 1A in Nghe An province on July 6.

The bus which was carrying a group of 39 tourists from Hanoi was said to crash into a truck in opposite direction in Nghi Yen commune, Nghi Loc district, at around 06.00am.

The front part of the passenger bus was seriously deformed after the crash

All the passengers are old age pensioners from Phu Dong commune, Gia Lam district on the outskirts of Hanoi, who were on a summer holiday in Nghe An province.

The powerful crash seriously damaged the front parts of both the bus and the truck.

The bus driver trapped in the cabin and 20 other passengers were admitted to 115 general hospital of Ngha An province for emergency treatment.

Most victims suffered injuries in legs, arms and faces. Five seriously injured, including the bus driver, were brought to a centrally-run hospital.

Son Tra Peninsula design wins American architecture prize

The Son Tra Peninsula Strategic Vision Plan, which was designed by the US's Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), has been awarded the excellence prize from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the city's construction department announced on July 4.

According to AIA, SOM was responsible for two of the six winning projects in the Regional and Urban Design Category for the Denver Union Station Neighbourhood Transformation project and the Son Tra Peninsula Strategic Vision Plan.

Both projects demonstrate SOM's commitment to ecologically integrated and livable development strategies.

Adjacent to downtown Danang city and covering nearly 60sq.km of unique natural landscape, the Son Tra Peninsula project outlines strategies to guide future development and to protect this peninsula's unique natural assets, which are currently threatened by a wide range of economic development pressures.

Arrests made over bank fraud

The Ha Noi Police yesterday arrested a Chinese national and his accomplice for allegedly using the Internet and telecommunication networks to defraud banks.

Police investigations have revealed that the Chinese national Zeng Xiao Tian was living in Viet Nam for the past three years. In 2013, Zeng Xiao Tian hired Dinh Van Chinh to set up four fictitious companies. These companies signed contracts with local banks to hire point-of-sales (POSs).

The suspects then used fake credit cards via the POSs to transfer over VND1 billion (US$47,000) into the banks accounts of the companies. After that, they quickly withdrew the money at automated teller machines (ATMs).

The police seized two cars, one motorcycle, five POSs and a lot of faked bank cards. The police are investigating further.

Illegal logging in Ta Dung Nature Reserve

The Dak Nong's Police in Central Highlands Province, yesterday, took into custody a suspect involved in sawing timber at the Ta Dung Nature Reserve in Dak Nong.

Nguyen Sy Dat, 28, from the neighbouring province of Lam Dong's Dam Rong district, was caught red-handed with his gang while sawing timber in the reserve.

Forest rangers discovered one cut down magnolia and three other sassafras trees, which are included respectively in group 3 and 2A of the national wood list.

Despite efforts to protect the forest, illegal chopping of trees has been reported frequently in recent times in the province.

Firms fail to pay insurance premiums

More than 3,000 businesses in the central province of Thanh Hoa have failed to pay social and health insurance premiums for their workers in the first half of this year, according to the provincial social insurance agency.

Their debts amount to over VND370 billion (US$17.6 million).

Top of the list include HANCORP.2 Company, a branch of the Ha Noi Construction Corporation, with a total debt of VND10.3 billion ($490,000) and the Licogi 15 Bim Son Company with a total debt of VND7.3 billion.

Director of the provincial Social Insurance Agency Le Thanh Sinh told Lao Dong (Labour) Newspaper these businesses' violations seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of thousands of workers, he said.

Workers at enterprises that do not pay social insurance risk being not able to get sick pay, maternity and paternity leave or compensation after suffering from workplace accidents.

Deputy Director General of HANCORP.2 Construction Company Cao Van Tan said economic difficulties had caused a lot of challenges for businesses, but the company had to managed to pay workers' salaries.

Provincial authorities have fined many companies for not paying insurance debts over the years, but the punishment was not strong enough.

Under current regulations, businesses that do not pay social and health insurance fees for workers are subject to criminal prosecution.

The maximum administrative fine for such violators is only VND30 million (US$1,430), while insurance premiums can total billions of dong.

The problem has also been recorded in other localities nationwide.

Up to half of the 300,000 businesses nationwide failed to pay social insurance premiums for their workers, according to the Viet Nam Social Insurance Collection Board.

Head of the board, Tran Dinh Lieu, said at a recent press briefing that the number of enterprises owing social insurance premiums was increasing, and the debt amounted to trillions of dong.

Minor quakes hit Quang Nam again

Two minor earthquakes accompanied by explosions occurred in the vicinity of Song Tranh 2 hydro-electric power plant in Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam province, on July 5.

Local people got into a panic after the earthquakes shook their houses for over 29 seconds. There have been no reports on casualties.

A number of earthquakes have been reported near Song Tranh power plant over the past few years

According to the Institute of Geophysics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the first 1.6 magnitude quake jolted the area at 4h46’30” at a depth of 6km, and the second, measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale, occurred 29 seconds later at a depth of 5.5km.

The Institute of Geophysics advised local people to keep calm, saying earthquakes in the vicinity of the Song Tranh 2 power plant are of minor ones, but they often shake a wide area because they occur at a depth of between 5-7km.

On July 4, a 2.5 magnitude earthquake hit Que Son district of Quang Nam province.

The Institute of Geophysics said it is keeping a close watch on these quakes.

AO documentary broadcasts live from Quang Nam

A documentary on Agent Orange (AO) was broadcast live on television from Quang Nam province on July 5, aiming to provide viewers an complete picture of the AO disaster in Vietnam.

The event was co-organised by the Quang Nam provincial Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and the local Radio and Television Station.

Duringthe programme, participants interacted with AO victims who demonstrated outstanding strength and courage to overcome their special circumstances to live a normal life and integrate into the community.

Through the event, citizens across the country also donated VND560 million to help AO victims in the province.

There are currently 35,000 people affected by AO in Quang Nam province, with thousands of victims having died from AO related complications.

Since early this year, the local government has mobilized more than VND7 billion for vocational training for the victims, creating conditions for trainees to have steady jobs in the future.

Online football gambling ring busted, US$37.7 million seized

Thua Thien-Hue province has busted a huge online betting ring, seizing US$37.7 million, as the World Cup in Brazil is getting into full swing.

Major General Mai Van Hai, Director of the provincial Department of Public Security, said more than 150 people took part in the betting on the Internet.

Police arrested the ringleader – Vi Van Nhan, 31, a Hue resident – along with his top five coconspirators who helped Nhan organize the scheme.

Searching Nhan’s house, police seized large quantities of gambling equipment, such as computers, fax machines, ipad, mobile phones and a notebook recording over VND200 million of wagers.

The investigation of the case is continuing.

Vietnamese-funded road project inaugurated in Laos

Laos and Vietnam on July 5 celebrated the opening of a highway section connecting landmark 790 to the PhuCua International Border Gate, funded with Vietnamese non-refundable aid.

The 328m long and 9m wide highway was built at a cost of VND50 billion, linking Laos’ southern provinces to Vietnam’s central highland region and Quy Nhon, Dung Quat, and Danang ports.

At the inauguration ceremony, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke highly of great efforts made by relevant agencies from the two countries, Attapeu province of Laos and contractors to complete the project on schedule.

“The stretch of the highway an important gateway to Vietnam”, he said. “It is also one of important routes in the East-West Corridor, helping to promote cooperation among development triangle area of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.”

On behalf of the Lao Government, Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath thanked Vietnam for its financial assistance and said that despite facing a number of difficulties in capital for infrastructure development, Vietnam still supports Laos, testifying to the special friendship between the two countries.

Media workers honoured for contributions to energy savings

An awards ceremony in Hanoi on July 4 recognised journalists for their outstanding contributions to raising public awareness on the benefits of energy saving and efficiency in 2013.

First instituted in 2007, the annual media awards aim to applaud journalists from both local and central press agencies for their journalistic efforts to promote and popular is energy saving and efficiency.

The winners were selected from roughly300 candidates and 60 works from all media platforms - TV, radio, print and online.

The jury board presented awards and cash prizes of – four A prizes (VND10 million each), eight B prizes (VND7 million), 12 C prizes (VND5 million), and eight consolation prizes (VND2 million).

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung thanked the winners for playing an active role in stepping up information dissemination on energy savings, changing the community’s attitude and ensuring energy security towards a green and sustainable economy.

On the occasion, the organizing board launched a similar competition for 2014 that is expected to draw participation of the media from across from the country.

Participants can send their works which are published on mass media from January 1to December 31, 2014.

The deadline for receiving entries will run until to February 15, 2015 and an award presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place in April 2015.

Ministry inspects medical equipment

The Ministry of Science and Technology will begin a three-month inspection on the use of X-ray machines and measuring equipment in medical stations this month.

The inspection aims to ensure residents' safety in the wake of reports by provincial and city departments of science and technology that indicated many violations in manufacturing, importing, trading and using measuring equipment, Tran Minh Dung, deputy chief inspector of the ministry told the Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper.

Four out of five inspected enterprises in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong used out of date electricity meters. Seven out of 10 medical stations in the southern province of Bac Lieu used substandard sphygmomanometers, thermometers and electroencephalogram meters. The inspectors also checked more than 22,300 clean water meters in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang and found that 15,000 were out of date.

Last year, 12 out of 40 inspected medical stations in HCM City had serious violations related to the use of X-ray machines, such as not obeying safety regulations when operating the machines and not putting the machines in the right place.

"These violations seriously affect patients," said Dung.

The inspectors will inspect X-ray machine room quality and operating process as well as the qualifications of the operators and their use of protective equipment such as coats and glasses.

Punishment for X-ray machine-related violations will be based on Decree 107/2013/ND-CP, in which the highest fine for an individual is VND500 million (US$23,800) and the highest for an organisation is VND1 billion ($47,600).

Punishments for violations related to measuring equipment will be based on Decree 80/2013/ND-CP, in which the highest fine for an individual is VND150 million (US$7,100) and the highest for an organisation is VND300 million ($14,200).

In addition to levying administrative fines, ministry inspectors may withdraw equipment and profits from illegal trading.

The ministry asked provincial and city people's committees and other relevant departments to help conduct the inspections. Last year the ministry held a preparatory training course for 250 inspectors from the country's 63 provinces and cities.

Underprivileged children get assistance

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan on Saturday presented VND420 million (US$20,000) in scholarships to 140 children.

The children receiving scholarships included 30 children of soldiers and officers from Naval Force Zone 3, while 110 underprivileged children from Da Nang were given scholarships.

The programme, which was launched in 2012, has provided VND18 billion ($857,000) in scholarships for 6,400 poor, underprivileged and disabled children in 47 provinces and cities.

Exhibits affirming country’s sovereignty presented to Navy

The Ministry of Information and Communications on July 5 presented the Vietnam Navy a set of maps and documents, which are evidence affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

The 121 items are collected in both Vietnam and other countries across the world, issued by the Vietnamese feudal states, China and western countries from the 16 th century up to now, affirming the fact that the archipelagos belong to Vietnam.

Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan said the objects are put on show as a way to honour naval soldiers who laid down their lives safeguarding the country’s sacred sovereignty.

Last year, the ministry organised 10 exhibitions themed “ Hoang Sa, Truong Sa - historical and legal evidence” in many provinces and cities throughout the country, contributing to raising awareness, unity and a sense of responsibility among Vietnamese people in and outside the country, especially youngsters, in protecting and affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos.

As many as 48 posters are being displayed at an exhibition on the country’s sea and islands sovereignty in Ho Chi Minh City, which was also opened on July 5.

The event creates a good chance for the city people to learn more about the national sovereignty of their homeland, and demonstrates Vietnamese people’s patriotism and firm attitude against violations of the country’s territory.

The exhibition will run until July 17, after which it will be held in other provinces and cities.-

Phu Yen Province builds flood detour

The People's Committee of Dong Xuan District in central Phu Yen province started the construction of a flood detour across the Ky Lo River.

The route, with total investment capital of more than VND104 billion (US$4.9 million) from the State budget, can withstand earthquakes up to level 7 and floods up to alarm level 3. It will connect Dong Xuan District and Tuy An District with a road that is more than 1.05 km long and 15 metres wide and has a loading capacity of 10 tonnes.

The committee expects the route to be complete in 14 months.

Fishing boat rescued off Nha Trang

The Marinetime Rescue Co-ordination Centre of Zone 4 in southern Khanh Hoa Province towed a fishing vessel with 12 crew members into port yesterday.

The fishing vessel was about to sink after its engine broke down in the sea about 173 miles off the coast of Nha Trang, amid rough seas and strong winds.

The centre found the vessel after Captain Truong Quang Khanh and his 11-member crew called for help. All the crew members are safe.

Three killed in Can Tho shop fire

Three members of a family residing on Nguyen Trai Street in the Mekong City of Can Tho were killed when a fire swept through a footwear shop early yesterday morning.

The victims included the husband, retired (army) colonel Doai Phuoc Trieu; his wife, Nguyen Phuong Nga, a retired employee from Can Tho Hospital; and their daughter, Doai Phuong Dao an officer at the Can Tho Police Department.

The family members were unable to escape the fire because the ground floor of their house was the footwear shop, which does not have an exit, said representatives of Ninh Kieu District authority at a press meeting in Can Tho yesterday morning.

However, their son - policeman Doai Phuoc Men - escaped the fire, as he was watching a football game elsewhere at the time of the fire.

Can Tho Police are assessing damages and looking into the cause of the fire.

Ha Noi plans to grant new housing certificates

Ha Noi's authorities have said they are determined to issue 40,000 land-use right certificates and home-ownership certificates to residents who have bought houses or apartments at housing development projects in the city.

Figures from the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed there were 223 housing projects which were allocated land to build 216,580 houses and apartments in Ha Noi. About 112,150 houses and apartments have been built and handed over to buyers.

However, only 36,100 home-owners had been granted certificates. The remaining number are yet to receive any information from investors.

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, deputy director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Huu Nghia said that only a low number of certificates grants had been made to home-buyers this year.

By June 20, land registration offices in Ha Noi had received nearly 12,200 applications from house buyers for certificates. The offices have sorted through more than 9,700 applications, accounting for 24 per cent of this year's target, he said.

Explaining about the low rate of grants, Nghia said that it had been delayed by project investors.

He blamed project investors for being irresponsible and not providing proper legal documents pertaining to contract liquidation or VAT. Many had also failed to fulfill their financial obligations to buyers, causing a range of difficulties for home-owners seeking complete their applications to authorised agencies for certificates.

Nghia said the department had asked investors of housing projects to urgently complete files for house buyers and submit the files to relevant authorities as soon as possible.

In the event that investors refuse to co-operate, house buyers should report to the land registration offices. The offices would then send the list of violators to the city authority for punishments.

The department is also planning to strengthen inspections on units. Those who were found to keep any files unchecked or unsolved for five days would be switched to other positions, he said.

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