Dong Nai residents face eviction for airport

Authorities in Dong Nai Province have asked the central Government to allow it to evict residents and resettle them to make way for a project to build Long Thanh airport.

At a working session on Tuesday, Dong Nai People's Committee and a work panel for handling the resettlement, said it was important to hear comments from affected residents.

Tran Van Vinh, vice-chairman of the committee, appointed the provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment as the focal point.

It is supposed to work with other departments and agencies to complete a blueprint of the project and submit it to the committee this month. The committee will consider it and and forward it on to other relevant agencies next month.

Vinh also asked the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs to collect input from concerned departments and agencies on a vocational training scheme tailored for the affected residents.

This is hoped to help residents if they have to switch jobs. The needs of local businesses will also be taken into account.

Earlier, the province carried out a survey on the 4,566 families containing more than 14,400 people that are to be evicted.

They claimed that 99.9 per cent of the affected residents supported the building of the airport.

The survey results also showed that 9,200 residents were of working age while more than 5,000 were outside it.

Among the surveyed households, 1,820 presently live from farming; 1,100 are involved in industrial production; 307 live off services and the rest earn their incomes from diverse sources.

Located about 45km from HCM City, the Long Thanh airport, approved by the Government in 2011, is planned to open in 2020 with a capacity of 25 million passengers a year.

This will be increased to 100 million passengers when it is fully completed by 2035.

Designed to divert crowding from Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City, which will become overloaded by 2017, construction, scheduled to begin this year, will be carried out in three phases.

The first phase is expected to be completed in 2025 - and the second in 2030.

Total investment will amount to about US$18.7 billion. It will come from the State budget, Government bonds, Official Development Assistance and private sources, with investment for the first phase estimated at $7.84 billion.

59 sentenced for links with foreign gambling website

A Ho Chi Minh City court Tuesday sent 52 people to jail and gave seven others suspended sentences for involvement with the Philippines-based M88, one of the world's biggest online casinos.

Six of the accused, who were the site's agents in Vietnam, were sentenced to two to seven years in prison for "organizing gambling".

The rest were found guilty of "gambling", with 46 getting terms ranging from one and a half to four years.

Nguyen Vo Hoai Tram, believed to be the mastermind behind M88's operations in Vietnam -- where gambling is illegal -- is still at large along with several other suspects.

According to the indictment, Tram was the representative of M88, which offers sports betting and other gambling services in many Asian countries.

Through Tram, who was then the director of Hanoi-based media company News Plus, in 2010 his deputy Cu Thi Thanh Hai, Nguyen Le Sang, then deputy director of PR and marketing at Vietnam International Bank, and four others became the website's agents.

Their job was to open personal bank accounts, including in the name of their relatives, to obtain money from gamblers and send to winners.

When their operations were busted in early 2013, their illegal activities were worth VND2 trillion (US$91.63 million), prosecutors said.

In recent years, the government and many lawmakers have been considering legalizing sports betting.

Meanwhile, luxury casinos have been springing up around the country to cater exclusively to foreign nationals.

Petrol prices surge for second time in May

Domestic petrol prices have increased for the second time this month, up by VND1,200 per litre.

The price adjustment came following a joint decision by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry and Trade on May 20.

The two ministries stated that as of May 18, the import price of RON 92, a popular type of fuel with motorbike drivers, was higher than the domestic retail price by more than VND2,200 per litre.

A litre of RON 92 and RON 95 petrol is now priced at VND20,430 and VND21,030 respectively, while the prices of diesel oil and kerosene remained unchanged.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance cut the import tariffs on diesel from 12% to 10%, kerosene from 20% to 13% and mazut from 13% to 10%.

Since the start of the year, petrol prices have seen three increases totalling VND4,750 per litre.

VN signs UXO clearance aid pack with U.S. mine advisory group

Viet Nam's central Quang Tri Province and the Mine Advisory Group (MAG) of the United States on May 18 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to carry out an unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance project in the province between 2015 and 2017.

According to the MoU, the U.S. State Department has pledged to sponsor $10 million in aid for the province to disarm UXO left over from the war in Viet Nam.

The project aims to reduce the risks of injuries caused by UXOs while clearing contaminated areas and improving local livelihoods, reported Viet Nam's state-run news agency VNA.

Quang Tri Province and the MAG will decide on the operational scale of UXO disarming teams and will adjust as necessary through each period of the project.

Vice Chairman of the provincial people's committee Mai Thuc said both sides are expected to further their cooperation to ensure safe cultivative land for farmers and contribute to local socio-economic development.

Local authorities pledged to facilitate the implementation of the project, he added.

Statistically, some 391,500 hectares of land in Quang Tri are contaminated due to UXOs, making up more than 83 percent of the provincial area. In 1996, Quang Tri was the first locality in Viet Nam to receive global support in defusing bombs and mines.

Chinese woman detained for human trafficking

A Chinese woman was arrested and charged with human trafficking after she plotted to smuggle three Vietnamese girls to China, the police of northern province Son La said yesterday.

Duong Mui, 54, from Yunnan province in China, disguised as a Vietnamese named Giang Thi Dua from the northern border province of Lao Cai and persuaded the three girls from Son La, namely Giang Thi Phanh, 21, Ly Thi Xia, 17, and Song Thi Me, 19, from late April to early this month to move to China and marry Chinese men for a better life.

The three girls were told not to tell their families that they agreed to go to China with Mui.

On May 15, Mui and one Giang Van Chenh, 25, from Lao Cai, were arrested from Lao Cai bus station when they were about to leave with the girls.

The case is under investigation.

Inspection reveals degraded steel pilings

More than 200 steel sheet pilings used at the construction sites of the Ha Noi metro route are in degrading conditions, according to the Ha Noi Urban Railway management board.

The findings came after a thorough inspection of safety at the metro construction sites was carried out following a series of accidents early this month.

The Ha Noi Urban Railway Management Board this morning said that they will ask to replace the degraded steel sheets, which account for about 10 per cent of the total sheets used at the construction sites.

On May 13, the city's People's Committee issued an order suspending work on the Nhon-Ha Noi Metro Station project until investigations into two accidents at its project sites are concluded.

Tourist bus crashes, killing one

One person was killed and eight were injured when a 16-seater tourist bus crashed into a truck on the Ha Noi-Nha Trang central city route around 5 a.m yesterday.

The accident happened at the National Highway 1A section crossing at Nghi Yen Commune in Nghe An province's Nghi Loc district.

According to several eyewitnesses, the tyre of the truck that was moving at a high speed punctured and the driver braked the vehicle suddenly, giving the bus that was right behind it hardly any time to react, and it rammed into the truck.

The deceased was a female passenger in the bus.

The eight injured people, including the driver, are undergoing treatment at Nghe An province's 115 General Hospital.

PIV Tower named as Vietnam’s best office development

The PetroVietnam Insurance Corporation (PVI) Tower in Hanoi has been honoured as “Vietnam’s best office development” at the 2015 Asia Pacific Property Awards, which is given to only one project in each attending country.

The PVI Tower, belonging to PVI Holdings, is a Grade A office building with 25 floors, two basements and one technical floor.

Built in 2010 and inaugurated in the first quarter of 2014, the tower is located in an emerging district in the west of Hanoi, making it easy to access from almost anywhere in the city.

With a contemporary design, international-standard facilities and great hand-over conditions, the tower has the best occupancy rate in the area, up to 90 percent with such high-profile tenants as Samsung, FPT and Obayashi.

Bui Van Thuan from PVI Holdings said it is the first time the company has competed for the award and won in an important category.

The Asia-Pacific Property Awards are a recognised symbol of excellence for businesses throughout the industry globally, with categories in each property type in the real estate industry.

President Ho statue inaugurated in Tuyen Quang province

A statue of the late President Ho Chi Minh was unveiled in the northern province of Tuyen Quang on May 19 on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.

President Truong Tan Sang and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung joined other former leaders at the inaugural event.

The statue is located in the Nguyen Tat Thanh square in Tuyen Quang city where the President visited and met with provincial ethnic communities’ members in 1961.

The statute features Uncle Ho standing in the centre of a group of six local people and three bas-reliefs describing the Tan Trao banyan tree, cultural activities of local ethnic minority groups and local landscapes.

It took three years to complete the work which required 160 tonnes of iron and steel and over 3,000 cubic metres of stone.

Speaking at the ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said Tuyen Quang is rich in cultural and historical tradition and holds an important strategic position in national construction and defence.

He expressed his belief that with the traditional solidarity and self-reliance, local ethnic groups will be dynamic and creative in developing the province.

He said the inauguration of the statue is in line with the aspirations of local people and illustrates their sentiment and respect toward the great Vietnamese leader.

Following the ceremony was a special art performance to commemorate the significant contributions of the late President Ho Chi Minh.

Labour safety spotlighted at Hanoi workshop

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Better Work Vietnam held a workshop in Hanoi on May 20 to promote the implementation of international standards on labour hygiene and safety.

Participants said Vietnam has promulgated legal documents in the field, helping to create an important legal framework to protect the health, rights and interests of workers.

Meanwhile, the National Week on Occupational Health and Safety – Fire and Explosion Prevention has drawn more attention from workers.

Vietnam has built its law on occupational safety and hygiene (OSH) and gained experience from other countries worldwide to draft regulations in line with international practices and conventions.

The country has joined the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Convention 155 on occupational health and safety; Convention 187 on national labour safety; Convention 184 on labour safety in agriculture; and, most recently, Convention 187 on the promotion framework of occupational safety and health.

However, some shortcomings still lie ahead; for example, the technical documents on labour hygiene and safety have yet to be updated, while the insurance policy for labour accidents and occupational diseases addresses the consequences without suggesting means of prevention.

Ministries and sector leaders now plan to map out a roadmap to help Vietnam effectively implement its commitments to the joined conventions to protect the legitimate rights of employers and employees.

According to the National Steering Committee for Occupational Health and Safety – Fire and Explosion Prevention, more than 6,700 labour accidents occurred nationwide in 2014, killing 630 and injuring 1,544 workers.

The same year, the country reported 2,370 fires, claiming 90 lives, leaving 143 injured, causing an economic loss of over 1.3 trillion VND (62 million USD), and destroying over 1,300 hectares of forest.

Vietjet Air offers 3 million tickets at discount prices

Low-cost airline Vietjet Air on May 20 launched their biggest-ever promotional campaign, offering 3 million tickets at a discounted price for flights until the end of 2016.

Tickets can be bought at vietjetair.com from midday to 2pm every day.

In the first month of the programme, from May 20 to June 20, as many as 50,000 tickets, with prices beginning at 0 VND, will go on sale for domestic and international flights to Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea for flights during September 3 and December 15.

Deputy PM urges progressive thinking at science academy

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has urged the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) to innovate and effectively implement incentivised policies for researchers working in the sector.

Speaking at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 20 to mark VAST’s 40th founding anniversary, Dam asked the academy to increase its international cooperation while undertaking more scientific tasks at national level.

Dam stated that with a long tradition of achievement, the academy will develop strongly and continue contributing to the country’s industrialisation and modernisation.

The academy has 51 affiliates with more than 4,000 staff, of whom 750 have PhDs or doctorates.

According to Professor Chau Van Minh, President of VAST, the academy led the country’s basic research in 2014, publishing 35 monograph books and obtaining patents for 13 inventions.

VAST also led many key projects, such as building the Vietnam Aerospace Centre and capturing and storing images from the satellite VNREDSAT 1 to be used in security and defence.

VAST is also behind successes in many other sectors, including medicine and agriculture.

Two steel ships handed over to Quang Ngai fishermen

Two fishermen in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai took delivery of their new steel-hulled fishing vessels on May 20, which were built with preferential credit from the provincial Fishermen Support Fund .

Each vessel has a capacity of 811CV, equipped with a GPS system and other advanced navigation items.

Measuring 26m long, 6.8m wide and 3.8m high, they can run non-stop for one month and are expected to sail out to the sea in early June.

The vessels were built within seven months by Nha Trang shipbuilding company at the cost of 8.7 billion VND (400,000 USD) each. The ship owner paid 1.2 billion VND (55,000 USD) by himself, and the rest is sourced by the Fishermen Support Fund, to be repaid over a period of 11 years with a zero interest rate.

Also on the occasion, the State Bank of Vietnam provided an aid package worth 5 billion VND (232,000 USD) for the Quang Ngai Fishermen Support Fund.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Viet Chu said the local fishing fleet numbers more than 5,500 but most of them are made of wood, which are cheap to build but have limited operation range and are vulnerable to natural disasters and accidents at sea.

The building of high-capacity steel boats for deep sea fishing is one of the programmes introduced under Government Decree 67/2014/ND-CP to boost fishery development.

The move is expected to increase the volume of fish caught and lift fishermen incomes.-

Vietnam opens primary school in Truong Sa (Spratlys)

An elementary school has been inaugurated on Song Tu Tay Island, part of Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago in the East Vietnam Sea.

The inauguration ceremony was conducted on Monday with the participation of a Ho Chi Minh City delegation that visited a number of islands belonging to Truong Sa, which is a district of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.  

Also participating in the event were representatives from the High Command of Naval Zone 4, the naval force on the island, and islanders.

The school has two floors and six rooms, including a dormitory for teachers and a water tank with a capacity of 90m³.

The school was built at a cost of over VND8 billion (US$367,560), which was contributed by teachers and students in Ho Chi Minh City during a campaign titled “For the Beloved Truong Sa, for the Fatherland’s Frontline” launched by the municipal Fatherland Front Committee.

During its visit, the delegation also offered cash and gifts valued at VND10.3 billion ($473,230) as support for construction activities on the island.

Besides Song Tu Tay, the delegates also visited eight other islands of the archipelago, including Truong Sa Lon, Nam Yet, Sinh Ton Dong, and Da Tay, and marine platform DK1/14.

In a related development, a groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of Truong Sa Town Clinic in the Truong Sa archipelago was conducted earlier this month.

The clinic upgrade is being carried out with the coordination of Tuoi Tre(Youth) newspaper, Hospital 175 and the People’s Committee of Truong Sa Town.

Tang Huu Phong, Tuoi Tre editor-in-chief, handed to local authorities VND20 billion ($919,000), donated by his newspaper’s readers, for the upgrade at the ceremony.

Lemonade sellers make cold cash from hot days

Hanoi is sweltering in unseasonably high pre-summer temperatures, but lemonade sellers are rolling in cold cash as crowds of young people seek to escape the heat.

Shops on Dao Duy Tu, Nha Tho and Nha Chung streets are particularly popular, with footpaths packed with young people and tourists quenching their thirsts and chatting with friends.

Thuy, a shop owner on Dao Duy Tu Street, said she opens her shop 8am to 2am to meet demand, easily selling 140 cups a day at VND10,000 to VND15,000 a cup, bringing in monthly revenue of VND40-60m.

After rent and costs, she said she was clearing VND25-40m a month.

Another shop owner said young people liked to sip lemonade and chat with friends at all times of the day and night to escape the heat, the hotter the better, for vendors, who can turn 1,000 cups a day.

Trang, a shop owner on Nha Tho Street, said that due to the high profits and low overheads, almost every house on Dao Duy Tu Street served lemonade and other fresh fruit juice drinks, and the footpath was almost always crowded.

Young people like the juice shops because they are convenient, open onto the footpath and provide a cheap space where they can meet and chat with friends.

Thu Hang, a university student in Hanoi, said, "To many people, this is just like a habit."

Several female customers said they feel at ease wearing casual summer clothes than in more formal cafes or restaurants.     

Entech Hanoi 2015 introduces new environment and energy technology

The 7th International Exhibition Fair on Environment and Energy Technology (Entech Hanoi 2015), themed ‘Energy Efficiency, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development’, officially kicked off in Hanoi on May 20.

Entech Hanoi 2015 features nearly 200 booths representing 150 organisations and enterprises from at home and abroad including the Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Sweden, the UK and Taiwan (China).

The participants are introducing their products focusing on the fields of construction, renewable energy, new energy, transportation, oil, gas, coal and industrial waste treatment.

During the three-day event, Vietnamese enterprises are introducing their latest products including energy saving technology and advanced technology to reduce environmental pollution in industrial production and construction, as well as solar energy and energy-saving LED lights.

Numerous workshops and conferences on the environment and energy, such as a workshop on the environment and energy from the Czech Republic, a workshop on solutions to improve the efficient use of energy in industry and buildings, and a seminar on energy management system ISO 50001: 2011, are also being held on the occasion.

On the opening day, the organising board presented awards to winners of the contest ‘Green Products and Technologies’, honouring advanced products in the fields of energy saving and environmental protection by Vietnamese enterprises.

Initiated in 2009, Entech Hanoi has attracted more than 800 domestic and international businesses, with over 1,200 booths in total.

10,000 join fundraising walk to promote school sports

Around 10,000 people who are students and parents participated in a walk to raise funds for a school sports promotion program named “Milo – a journey of green energy” in HCMC’s District 7 last Sunday.

The second fundraising walk was organized by the HCMC Department of Education and Training and the Milo brand of Nestle Vietnam. It consisted of a walk, an exchange and a sale of sport equipment to raise funds from participants.

The organizer expected to mobilize over VND600 million to support sport development at 10 schools chosen by the HCMC Department of Education and Training.

Last year the program attracted 7,000 parents and students from elementary schools in HCMC.

Expatriate-funded speedboat presented to Truong Sa soldiers

A speedboat built using money donated by Vietnamese expatriates in Germany was handed over to soldiers on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on May 20, reported the Ha Noi Moi newspaper.

The paper said the boat, named Truong Sa CQ-01, will be sent to serve military units on Song Tu Tay Island, part of the Vietnamese archipelago.

The boat’s construction was funded with 110,000 EUR (about 122,370 USD) donated by the overseas community who wish to contribute to the protection of the national sea and island sovereignty.

The money was raised under a programme which was launched by expatriates in Germany in the wake of China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in May 2014.-

Vietnam, South Africa strengthen ties in biodiversity conservation

The Vietnamese Government is willing to enhance cooperation with South Africa and other countries in biodiversity conservation both bilaterally and multilaterally, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the African nation Le Huy Hoang.

He made the remark while joining a Vietnamese inter-sectoral delegation at a working session in Pretoria on May 20 with the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and relevant agencies to review their partnership in the field.

Do Quang Tung, Director of the Vietnam Management Authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), highlighted Vietnam’s efforts in coordinating with other countries in preventing wildlife trade, including issuing new regulations, amending laws, and launching campaigns to raise public awareness.

He cited a recent survey that after a year-long communication campaign, the number of people believing in the so-called “miraculous” medical power of rhino horns nosedived 60 percent while the rhino horn buyer number plummeted by 77 percent.

Skumsa Mancotywa, Acting Director of the South African department’s Biodiversity and Preservation Branch, spoke highly of the efficiency of the two countries’ multifaceted cooperation, including in biodiversity conservation on which the Governments signed a memorandum of understanding and an action plan.

South Africa valued Vietnam’s serious implementation of related laws and communication activities, she said, adding that her country welcomes Vietnam’s hosting of the International Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in late 2016.

The official also invited the Southeast Asian nation to send a delegation to the World Youth Rhino Summit slated for late June in South Africa.

At the working session, the two sides discussed measures to ensure conservation in the course of development along with ways to bolster cooperation.

The Vietnamese side handed over 14 samples of seized rhino horns to local agencies for DNA analysis.

Before arriving in South Africa, the delegation also made working trips to Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique to share experience and strengthen collaboration in the sphere.

Mekong River nations discuss countering drug smuggling

A conference between high-ranking officials of nations along the Mekong River was held in Hanoi on May 19 to discuss cooperation in combating drug smuggling.

Joint efforts to combat drug trafficking between Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have made major contributions to the fight against drug crimes in the region over the past 20 years.

The conference was considered an important platform to exchange information and experience between regional countries on the issue and uncover solutions for bilateral and multilateral efforts.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Public Security and the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Control.

Monument of national hero N’Trang Long built in Dak Nong

People’s Committee of Dak Nong province yesterday held a groundbreaking ceremony for erecting a statue of the national hero N’Trang Long in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong.

The statue reached a height of 18.5 meters and width of 25 meters, locating in Dak Nur hill, Nghia Duc ward, Gia Nghia town, Dak Nong province.

The construction is built at total cost of VND 67 billion, funding from financial source of resident and enterprises all over country. It was designed by two sculpture works of Pham Thi Mai Hoa and Lam Quang Noi.

The construction aims to commemorate great contribution of national hero N’Trang Long, who gathered M’ Nong ethnic minority people to resist French colonialists in the 1912- 1936 period.

At the ceremony, Deputy Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee of Dak Nong Nguyen Thi Ngoc Le stressed that the construction expressed not only a humanity deep mean but also young generation’s gratitude to national contributors.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri