Vice President presents gifts to poor students in Hung Yen

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh presented bicycles and scholarships to 200 students from poor families in the northern province of Hung Yen on June 30. 

This formed part of activities of a scholarship prgramme funded by Bao Viet Life Insurance Corporation (BVL), which is jointly organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the Vietnam Children Sponsor Fund (VCSF) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The gifts, worth 300 million VND (13,200 USD) in total, came to the needy students with outstanding academic performance from Hung Yen city and nine districts in the province. 

Half of them were presented with school bags, bicycles and gifts, while the others received scholarships worth one million VND (44 USD) each.

This is the 13th consecutive year the BVL has funded the programme, which plans to give 3.6 billion VND (158,400 USD) worth of scholarships and gifts to needy students nationwide.

First energy-from-waste incinerator built in Can Tho

China’s Everbright International began the construction of an energy-from-waste (EfW) incinerator, the first of its kind in Vietnam, in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on June 30. 

The project will last 22 years, inclusive of construction period, commanding a total investment of 1,050 billion VND (45.6 million USD). 

Once operational in 2018 on a site of 5.3ha, the incinerator will process 400 tonnes of household waste and generate 150,000 kWh of electricity per day. 

Shao Qichao, General Director of the Can Tho Everbright Environmental Protection Holdings Ltd (EB Can Tho) – the project’s management unit, said the project will create jobs for 45 Vietnamese workers who will undergo four-month training in China before working for the incinerator. 

Vo Thanh Thong, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said the city collects over 650 tonnes of waste per day, or nearly 85-90 percent of the total, which are processed at solid waste treatment facilities in O Mon, Thot Not and Co Do districts using filling and burning technologies. 

He asked Everbright International and EB Can Tho to ensure the project’s progress and environment protection. 

Hu Yan Guo, Deputy General Director of Everbright International, said the company has operated in environment protection and green energy since 2003 with 213 projects in 80 cities and provinces in China, Germany, Poland and Singapore. 

In the waste-to-energy field, it boasts the most advanced technology used for 68 projects with a daily capacity of more than 70,000 tonnes.

Dong Thap children raise voices against violence

More than 100 children from across the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap took part in an open discussion on child abuse held in Cao Lanh city on June 29-30.

At the event, provincial authorities and UNICEF representatives listened to young participants’ views and aspirations regarding the issues of school violence, sexual abuse, labour exploitation, and self-defence skills.

Doan Tan Buu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said local efforts to protect and educate children have been facing various difficulties, while the rate of juvenile delinquency remains high.

Child abuse is on the rise, he said, adding that local authorities have promptly supported the abused and minimised the number of child-related cases.
 
According to Huynh Duy Khuong, deputy director of the Dong Thap Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the annual forum aims at raising public responsibility for the implementation of children’s rights and duties and helping children engage in more social activities. 

It also contributes to building a more friendly and safe environment for the younger generation to live in, he noted.

Within the framework of the forum, the participating children also joined a range of activities, such as painting pictures and performing music on the stage.

According to the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, by the end of June, the province had 45,000 disadvantaged children vulnerable to mistreatment.

Vice President attends ceremony honouring heroic mothers in Hung Yen

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh attended a ceremony to honour Vietnamese women whose husbands and children laid down in the struggle for national liberation and defence, held in the northern province of Hung Yen on June 30.

At the event, the Heroic Mothers title was posthumously presented to 117 women.

With the recognition, the province currently has a total of 2,165 heroic Vietnamese mothers.

Addressing the event, Vice President Thinh presented the title to families of the mothers. She also expressed her gratitude to the Heroic Mothers, who devoted their beloved to the struggle for the national independence, freedom and unification. 

Hung Yen province has allocated a sum of 30 billion VND (1.32 million USD) each year to support policy beneficiary families and those who rendered service to the country’s revolutionary cause. 

Nguyen Van Phong, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee pledged to create favourable conditions to raise living conditions of heroic mothers, families of martyrs, invalids and people who rendered service to the nation in the province.

Meals connect family members

Eating meals as a family and taking care of grandparents and parents are important cultural features of Vietnam.

Nowadays, family meals are more appreciated than ever as city life grows more hectic.

Over the past 20 years since she became a daughter-in-law in Hanoi’s Hoang Mai district, Phung Thi Tu Hoa does the shopping every morning and prepares the meals for her husband’s entire family.

Hoa considers cooking delicious meals a way to show her love for the family.

“I want to make delicious, safe, and nutritious dishes for my relatives, so I’m careful in my food selection when shopping. I pay particular attention to the origins of food,” she said. 

In Hoa’s family, as in many Vietnamese families, meals offer a daily opportunity for 3 generations to get together.

Mealtime, especially dinner time, is the time for the grandparents and children to show their mutual affection. The adults teach the children ethical standards and proper behaviors. 

Parents can ask their children about their day. The traditional Vietnamese family meal is one of the strongest bonds holding the family together.  

The rapid urbanization and industrialization of the early 21st century is changing Hanoians’ lifestyle. A busy schedule, meetings with clients, and frequent business trips are reducing the time available for family meals.

Vu Manh Cuong, a bank officer, said, “I always have business lunches with my colleagues. It’s quite usual for me to work late in the evening. Sometimes I must go out with my friends. But, frankly, whenever I have free time I want to be at home having a meal with my family.”

Culture expert Nguyen Thi Hong said, “In the past Vietnamese people waited for all family members to arrive before beginning a meal. But now the family connectivity has been loosened because of the pressures of modern life.”

Despite daily pressures, families in Hanoi are trying to preserve the custom of family meals, at least at weekends.

Ethnic minority activist devotes to improving rural women’s livelihoods

After graduating from the University of Agriculture, Lo Thi Cuong of the Xinh Mun ethnic group returned to work in her native commune in Son La province.

ethnic minority activist devotes to improving rural women’s livelihoods hinh 0
As the Chairwoman of the Phieng Pan commune’s Women’s Association, Ms. Cuong has made a significant contribution to local women’s livelihoods.

Several years ago, the illiteracy rate among women in Phieng Pan commune, was quite high due to limited educational opportunity. 

Changing local people’s way of thinking and making them appreciate the importance of education has been Lo Thi Cuong’s primary goal. 

Despite poor local transportation, Cuong and her colleagues have gone house to house to encourage women to go to school. In addition to learning how to read and write, local women are learning about the law, production, and family planning. 

As a result, no woman has given birth to a third child in the past 3 years, and the living standard of local women has gradually improved. 

Ms. Cam Thi Son, member of the Phieng Pan Women’s Association, said, “Ms. Cuong is an enthusiastic person. She traveled a long way to our hamlet to teach us how to implement women’s movements. We work together to communicate Party guidelines and principles of family planning to local people”.

Phieng Pan is a difficult border commune. The local economy is underdeveloped, and the terrain is broken up by unorganized and uncoordinated farming. 

Ms. Cuong took over the leadership of the local poverty reduction campaign, and started applying what she learned at university to raising corn, rice, and animals. 

After success in her household, Cuong began replicating production models with her neighbors. With support from Cuong and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, the local poverty rate has been considerably reduced.

After working at the Women’s Association for some time, Cuong realized that oral communication is the most effective, so it is essential to understand the language of every ethnic group. Cuong is now learning Mong and Thai to communicate better with these locals.

“I make fact-finding visits to communes to better understand their problems and help them work out appropriate action plans,” Cuong said. 

Vietnam’s immigration sponsorship application goes online

Businesses and organizations in Vietnam can now apply to sponsor their foreign partners or employees to enter the Southeast Asian country online, the Vietnamese immigration department has announced.

The new immigration sponsorship application section has been added to the National Web Portal on Immigration (https://xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn) and became available today, July 1, according to the Vietnam Immigration Department.

The feature, https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/trang-chu-moi-bao-lanh-nhap-canh, will facilitate the paperwork for organizations, businesses and agencies in Vietnam when they want to sponsor for foreigners to come to the country to work with them.

The sponsorship application can now be filed electronically via the portal. The applicants will also be notified of the result online.

This will save them from physically visiting an immigration office and manually complete the needed paperwork.

The southern chapter of the Vietnam Immigration Department said it has held a training workshop to familiarize 57 local businesses with the new service.

The immigration portal also has an English version at https://www.immigration.gov.vn.

The portal also provides other services including e-visa issuance and temporary residence declaration for foreigners, as well as passports issuance for Vietnamese nationals, with all services available in both Vietnamese and English.

Under a two-year pilot program effective from February 1, visitors from 40 countries are able to apply and receive Vietnamese visas via the portal, with applications processed by the immigration authority within three working days. After that time, approved applicants can access and print their e-visa using an ID provided by the website during the submission process.

In the meantime, landlords and house owners in Vietnam who host foreign citizens can go to the portal to proceed with temporary residency declaration procedures, without the hassle of going through the red tape at local police stations.

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica to undergo US$4.4mn restoration

The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a popular landmark in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to undergo a maintenance process as several parts of the century-old architecture are showing signs of deterioration.

These days, scores of workers can be seen circling around the place to take all kinds of measurements and evaluations to prepare for the restoration process, estimated to cost VND100 billion (US$4.41 million).

Multiple parts of the centuries-old cathedral, including its roof and windows, and the wooden structure holding the bell, have suffered damages and will undergo either reparation or replacement.

The massive restoration this time will also repair both the interior and exterior of the walls, all the iron and wooden doors, the floors, the lighting system among other units.

The restoration process is scheduled to last three years.

Built in 1877 and opened to the public in 1880, the 137-year-old church has not seen any major restoration.

The edifice adopted French architecture traits, with all the construction materials imported from France.

The chancel adopts Roman and Gothic architecture, which are conducive to the edifice’s elaborateness, elegance, and tastefulness.

Police arrest 2 suspects, seize 10 kilos of heroin in Lao Cai

Police in the northern province of Lao Cai said they have seized 10 kilos of heroin and arrested two suspects for transporting drugs with intent to distribute.

Do Hoai Nam, 36, and Ma Thi Hinh, 43, were arrested on June 28 and June 29, respectively for illegally transporting heroin into the province for sale and distribution. 

Local authorities applauded the hard work and efforts of police to combat drug smuggling and asked them to timely prosecute the cases in court.

HCM City declares health emergency over dengue fever

Ho Chi Minh City officials have declared a health emergency following reports of a spike in the number of reported cases of dengue and three deaths year-to-date from of the mosquito-borne disease.

HCM City officials said there have been at least 339 confirmed instances of dengue fever reported in the metropolitan area during the last week of June 2017, a significant uptick from earlier in the month.

Most of the cases are the milder, nonlethal form of the disease, reports Children Hospital No 2, with about 10% of the cases the lethal form, leaving patients in critical condition, fighting for their lives.

Dr Nguyen Minh Tuan, head of the dengue fever faculty at the HCM City Children Hospital No.1 also reports numerous patients near death with many placed on mechanical ventilators just to breathe.

Dengue occurs in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of four dengue viruses, the World Health Organization says.

Symptoms, which appear three to 14 days after the bite, can include mild to high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain and a rash, the WHO says.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a potentially fatal complication that affects mainly children, the WHO says. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and bleeding.

The disease cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.

Dr Nguyen Minh Tuan attributes the increase in cases in HCM City in part to population growth. Mosquitoes that carry dengue typically breed in areas near humans.

This is a disease that occurs where there's lots of population, he said.

He said mosquitoes carrying dengue viruses breed in exposed water, including places as shallow as jars, discarded bottles and plant saucers.

Babies are particularly vulnerable to dengue fever. If they show any of the symptoms, parents need to rush them to the hospital immediately.

Greater efforts needed to combat smuggling and counterfeit goods

The Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 1 held a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the market surveillance force (July 3).

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh warned of more sophisticated cases of smuggling, counterfeit goods and intellectual property infringements as Vietnam promotes its international integration. 

He praised the market surveillance force’s central role in domestic market law compliance.

“Smuggling and counterfeits crackdown is a constant mission, especially on key products for life and production such as agricultural produce and food. Corporate inspection and protection of domestic production must be strengthened to protect consumers while reviewing laws and regulations to fix overlapping," he said.

Hanoi officials defend controversial survey that backs motorbike ban

Many people are questioning the validity of the survey, and asking who was asked.

A new survey by the Ministry of Transport showing a majority of respondents backing a plan to ban motorbikes from Hanoi center has raised widespread hackles, but an official has come to its defense.

Le Do Muoi, deputy director of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute at the ministry, which proposed the ban, said they had surveyed 15,400 people about the issue.

More than 90 percent of them supported the plan to ban motorbikes, currently the country’s most popular means of transport, from the capital from 2030, Muoi said. A further 84 percent said they would switch to public transport if it was available.

“We did not make this up,” Muoi said at a meeting on June 30.

The defense came after members of the public questioned the survey’s authenticity in media reports. Many said it should have been available online to increase coverage and objectiveness.

VnExpress on Friday asked people to choose if they supported a motorbike ban if there was adequate public transport. The survey received 2,000 responses in a couple of hours and 70 percent of them said “No”.

Muoi said that although his institute’s survey could not represent the entire city, a large number of experts and officials supported the plan.

Vu Van Vien, director of Hanoi’s Transport Department, said at the meeting that Hanoi will develop an overall public transport system by 2030 and in order to phase out motorbikes.

“We must create a new habit of using public transport. Reducing individual vehicles will make the city cleaner,” he said.

The motorbike ban has been brought up and rehashed several times over the past few years, and received strong opposition from many experts and residents every time. Many also said cars were actually to blame for traffic jams, not motorbikes.

Cars now occupy over 40 percent of the roads in Hanoi, according to local police.

The ban, which is up for a final decision next week, also proposes restrictions on cars, but not a blanket ban. According to the plan, cars will have to stay away from certain streets during certain hours and days and pay higher parking fees in downtown areas.

Figures from Hanoi police late last year showed the city of 7.6 million people has more than five million motorbikes and 550,000 cars.

Buses are currently the only means of public transport in the city, and they are becoming less popular. The city has been pouring money into other projects, including a metro system with elevated and underground lines.

Ho Chi Minh City, which already has eight million vehicles, has 170 new cars and more than 800 motorbikes hitting the road every day, also plans to officially discuss a similar vehicle restriction this October.

Traffic congestion in both cities has become a major problem and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a plan to establish special committees to fight traffic jams in the cities.

Hanoi mulls no-Uber, Grab streets

Ridesharing apps are continuing their uphill battle against Vietnam’s regulations in Hanoi as authorities mull a proposal to ban Uber and Grab cars from entering certain streets.

The Hanoi Department of Transport has said the number of under nine-seat cars working for ridesharing companies in the Vietnamese capital is exceeding authorities’ expectations and putting a strain on the city’s already burdened infrastructure.

As of May 2017, seven entities, including Grab and Uber, were given the official green-light to launch ride-hailing services in Hanoi with their combined fleet of 7,310 vehicles, according to the department.

As more and more drivers continue to register their cars with the app-based passenger transportation sector, the situation has “greatly affected traffic management and the plan to limit the number of individual vehicles of Hanoi,” Ha Huy Quang, deputy director of the transport department, explained.

The department has since submitted a four-point petition to the Hanoi administration seeking a hold on the expansion of rideshare fleets.

The department also suggested banning Grab, Uber, and other tech-based cars from entering streets that are currently off-limits to traditional taxis. 

Earlier, local taxi operator Vinasun petitioned for the government to consider Uber and Grab’s business models similar to that of traditional taxis in order to ensure healthy competition.

However, the ministry responded that it is impossible to classify Uber and Grab as traditional taxi companies because their business models involve transporting passengers as per a contract made electronically via the app, rather than on paper as with traditional transport companies.

The e-contract, however, is totally legitimate and the government is piloting a plan to apply technology to the passenger transportation sector, the ministry explained.

Even though they are embraced by local commuters, Uber and Grab have faced constant objection and protest from the conventional taxi operators.

Following complaints from Ho Chi Minh City’s transport department and taxi association, the transport ministry has also banned Uber and Grab from offering special features allowing passengers to share rides and split costs with others.

Forum promotes gender mainstreaming in policy making

The 5th Vietnam-Korea Women Forum took place in Hanoi on June 30, focusing on the theme of mainstreaming gender into policies towards sustainable development.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) Bui Thi Hoa stressed gender equality is one of the principles constitutionalised in Vietnam’s first Constitution in 1946.

Regulations on gender equality have been included in many legal documents covering different fields such as politics, economy, finance-budget, labour-employment, education-training, healthcare, and population-family, she said, adding that attention have been paid to activities targeting development of women. 

The forum offered a good chance for the Governments, National Assemblies, local administrations and organisations of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea to expand cooperation programmes targeting women’s development in particular and sustainable development of the two nations in general, Hoa stressed.  

Lee Myung Sun, Chairwoman of the Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI), underlined the importance to make recommendations to policies concerning women, affirming that the institute will continue promoting cooperation with the VWU to connect women-related agencies and organisations, towards a better future for women of both countries. 

Participants at the forum shared policies and successful models at both national and local levels; outstanding policies on gender equality; experience in applying gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process and gender budgeting. 

They also discussed policies to build women friendly cities in the central city of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The forum was organised rotationally by the VWU and the KWDI over the last five years. The previous events focused on female human resources development, vocational training and job creation, creative industry, supporting female-owned entrepreneurs; and international marriage between Vietnamese and RoK citizens.

Thua Thien Hue destined for top destination in SEA

Thua Thien Hue province aims to become a top destination in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The province’s People’s Committee has announced a plan to preserve and promote Hue’s cultural values in the international economic integration. Under the plan, Thua Thien Hue province is expected to become an urban area with “heritage, culture, ecology, landscape and environmental friendliness”.

The province will promote diplomatic cultural activities and organize more cultural festivals to introduce Hue’s cultural values. 

Hue was recognized as “Cultural City in ASEAN”, and “ASEAN’s Environmentally Sustainable City”. 

By 2030, the province intends to welcome 7 million tourists, including 3.5 million foreign arrivals and earn VND20 trillion from tourism.

Saigon Saigon Bar to host Carnival Party monthly

The rooftop Saigon Saigon Bar on level 9 of the Caravelle Saigon will host its Carnival Party at 9 p.m. on July 5.

Participants are advised to spend their time enjoying cocktails on a rooftop, surrounded by samba dancers and non-stop Latin rhythms. 

The resident band Living Cuba is teaming up with music band Coranzón Latino to bring guests a hot party in Rio style on the first Wednesday of each month. 

A complimentary Caipirinha is offered for all participating ladies.

Vietnam named among world’s fastest growing travel destinations

The country is the place to be for young and old alike, if you can take on the challenge.

Vietnam’s tourism industry is moving in the right direction, and the country's 2016 visitor numbers rose at one of the fastest rates in the world, according to a new United Nations report.

A global report published recently by the United Nations World Tourism Organization ranked Vietnam’s tourism growth as seventh in the world, and the country was the only destination in Southeast Asia to make the top 10. Indonesia was ranked in 20th place. 

Sierra Leone topped the list thanks to the eradication of Ebola in November 2015.

Foreign visitors to Vietnam rose 26 percent to a record 10 million last year, earning the tourism industry VND400 trillion ($17.6 billion). Foreign arrivals to the country in the first half of this year increased 30 percent from a year ago to more than 6.2 million, according to the General Statistics Office.

The country has been rising in popularity, with the New York Times  late last year naming it a place to travel in your twenties.

The central seaside town of Hoi An was selected as one the world’s top destinations in 2017 by TripAdvisor users, who also selected Dalat and Sapa among the best vacation choices for the year.

The Telegraph also recommended Hanoi for an amazing food experience, while Ho Chi Minh City has cracked various lists of top destinations for solo and retiree travelers. Both cities were named among the world's fastest growing destinations by MasterCard last year, and more recently by Price of Travel as on of the cheapest cities for backpackers.

With visa waiver policies for big markets in Asia and Europe, as well as a new e-visa system, the country hopes to welcome 17-20 million foreign visitors and make $35 billion per year from tourism by 2020, contributing 10 percent to the country’s economy, compared to the current 7.5 percent.

Its top lawmakers have approved a brand new tourism development fund to boost tourism, which will be sourced from visa fees and an annual budget of $2.5 million the government sets aside for tourism promotions every year.

For S’Tiêng people, lives improving bit by bit

For hundreds of years, S’Tiêng ethnic people in the Central Highlands Province of Lâm Đồng lived in forest  in the border area among Lâm Đồng, Bình Phước and Đồng Nai, now better known as Cát Tiên National Park.

They used to live in the forest and rely on the forest. No roads, no schools and no healthcare centres. However, things have changed much thanks to improved public awareness and infrastructure, Lao động (Labour) newspaper reported.

S’Tiêng people living on the bank of Đồng Nai River are now residents of Phước Cát 2 Commune, Cát Tiên District, Lâm Đồng Province.

They live in Hamlet 3 and Hamlet 4 - the most remote and disadvantaged area of the commune.

In 2004, boat was the only way to reach Hamlet 3, with vessels only arriving every two days.

In 2005, a dirt path was built to link the hamlet to the centre of the commune – Phước Ái Hamlet.

The road stretches dozens of kilometers through forest, Nông Văn Thụ, Phước Cát 2 Commune’s Party Committee Secretary told Lao động.

Thụ said that work to make the dirt path a concrete road was completed last year..

“Youth Union members helped build the road. They went to the forest, cleared bushes to make paths and widened the path,” Thụ said.

“When opening a new road through the Cát Tiên National Park, they had to minimise negative impacts that harm the forest ecosystem,” Thụ said.

Once the road to the Hamlet 3 was opened, things changed a lot, he added.

In the last decade, S’Tiêng people started growing cashew, tea and raising cows or goats.

They replaced makeshift bamboo houses with cement ones.

Thụ said that besides farming, S’Tiêng people in Hamlet 3 have improved their incomes by protecting the forest.

Seventy-year-old Điểu K’Mốt, said that a few decades ago, S’Tiếng people lived like trees in the forest, seeking food day by day.

However, they had changed a lot, he said, adding that they took the advice of local officials, soldiers and forest rangers.

They farmed, sent children to school or ran businesses, Điểu K’Mốt said. His family now raises dozens of cows, buffaloes and goats and has a garden of a few hectares.

Điểu K’TRang, 57 years old, said they were poor because they did not have the chance to go to school.

In 2012, he donated about 3,000 sq.m of land to build a school. A new school with three classrooms was opened in 2013 for 27 children to attend from first grade to fifth grade.

Since 2014, children aged from three to six could go to preschool as local teachers volunteered to turn their housing into a classroom.

Điểu K’Dố, 35 years old, said that he followed Điểu K’Trang and donated almost 1,000 sq.m of land to build a healthcare centre in Hamlet 3.

“I saw many sick elderly did not have medicine or pregnant women had to travel tens of kilometres to reach the district hospital,” he said.

Hồ Văn Phát, a local health officer said working in the hamlet’s new health centre made him happy.

“Previously, there was little medicine and medical equipment available in the hamlet’s healthcare centre. Most patients were transferred to district’s hospital,” he said.

“Now, we have better facilities, offering healthcare for not only residents in Hamlet 3 but also people from other hamlets,” Phát said.

Chairman of Phước Cát 2 Commune People’s Committee said that the local residents, particularly S’Tiêng people in remote disadvantaged areas, now wanted electricity.

Once power lines reached Hamlet 3 and Hamlet 4, locals’ living conditions would improve further, he said. 

Sanitation worker’s assault: Police begin criminal proceedings

The investigative unit of the police in the capital city’s Hoàn Kiếm District on Friday began criminal proceedings against a citizen who assaulted a female street sweeper.
Phạm Thị Bích Diệp, 32, resident of the district’s Lý Thái Tổ Ward, was charged with intentionally causing injury to Trần Thị Thanh, an employee at the Hà Nội Urban Environment Company (URENCO).
While collecting trash on the route along Hàng Muối-Nguyễn Hữu Huân-Trần Quang Khải streets on the night of June 15, Thanh asked Diệp to collect the bagasse in front of her sugarcane stall at No 24 Hàng Muối.
Diệp did not agree and began quarreling with Thanh. The sweeper then moved on to collect the trash on Nguyễn Hữu Huân Street.
Meanwhile, the irritated sugarcane vendor called her husband, Nguyễn Đức Cường, 32, to drive her on their motorbike to search for Thanh.
Upon finding Thanh, Diệp approached her, and began cursing and hitting her until she fainted. Thanh was taken to Thanh Nhàn Hospital in Hai Bà Trưng District by her co-workers and residents in the neighbourhood.
Diệp was summoned to the police headquarters a day later for investigation.

Companies investigated for falsifying US water filters

Hà Nội Police on Friday launched a criminal investigation into two company directors for trading counterfeit products after police and the Market Watch Division last month confiscated more than 600 water filters illegally labeled “Made in US”.

The water filters were in fact made in China and bought by two companies – Nhật Quang Company, based in Gia Lâm District, and Thanh Huấn Ltd Co, based in Hoàng Mai District.

The two companies admitted to the police that after buying the Chinese water filters, they re-labeled them as “Made in US” and sold them for some VNĐ400,000 (US$17.6) each.

Increasingly concerned about food safety and pollution, many consumers in Việt Nam have been looking for quality water filters that they hope will make their drinking water safer.

Major Nghiêm Tuấn Anh, vice head of the Anti-Counterfeit Goods and Products department under the city’s Economic Police said that the fake water filters could pose a threat to users’ health as they failed to ensure safe water.

He said that the trade of counterfeit goods violates intellectual property law and harms the business of reliable producers.

Huge lead for Thanh Hóa in V.League

FLC Thanh Hóa defeated Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 5-3 yesterday, securing a sizeable lead for themselves over the other teams in the V.League.

Playing on their home turf under the watch of thousands of local supporters, Thanh Hóa sank the former champions with doubles from Pape Omar and Uche Iheruome each and an outstanding free kick from former national midfielder Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng.

On the visitors’ side, captain Nguyễn Công Phượng scored again after months of goal drought and midfielder Vũ Văn Thanh shone with two goals.

However, it was not enough to bring them a win. Suffering their second loss in a row, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai drifted to the bottom of the ranking. They have 17 points after 16 rounds.

Thanh Hóa, meanwhile, maintained their lead on the top with 33 points, five more than the runners-up Hà Nội FC, who lost 2-3 to Sanna Khánh Hòa, although they played on home ground.

Defending champions Hà Nội FC gave away three goals, one in the first half and two in the second half. It was an unexpected result, as Sanna Khánh Hòa were considered to be at a lower level.

It was after Văn Hậu of Sanna Khánh Hòa received a red card that Hà Nội FC managed to net twice to narrow the result in the last few minutes.

Quảng Nam and Sài Gòn were tied with each other in a 1-1 draw. Sài Gòn now stand at the fourth spot with 27 points, strongly chasing the top three positions.

Quảng Ninh Coal jumped to the third place after their 2-1 win over Long An, who suffered their 11th loss in a row.

Long An have become the No 1 candidate for relegation this season, as they have only five points.

In other matches, Cần Thơ defeated Hải Phòng 2-0 and saved themselves from the SOS area.

HCM City were tied with former champions Sông Lam Nghệ An 2-2. Three-time winners Becamex Bình Dương dropped to No. 2 from the bottom after losing 3-4 to SHB Đà Nẵng.

Book collection published to commemorate General Nguyen Chi Thanh

Marking the 50th death anniversary of General Nguyen Chi Thanh (July 6, 1967), the People's Army Publishing House published a book collection compiled by journalist Bui Chi Trung and numerous other authors, on June 30.

The collection consists of three books, including ‘Nguyen Chi Thanh - General of farmers’, ‘Nguyen Chi Thanh - Viewpoints from posterity’ and ‘Letters from North to South’, to offer readers clear insight into General Nguyen Chi Thanh’s life, career, thought, morality and style.

Each book has a different approach but throughout the collection holds to the particular idea that General Nguyen Chi Thanh was an excellent politician and military in the Ho Chi Minh era.

Besides portraying the life of General Nguyen Chi Thanh, the collection highlights the efforts and sacrifices of the Vietnamese people as well as affirms the pride of the Vietnamese People's Army - a revolutionary army celebrating 71 years of establishment of the People's Army of Vietnam and 26 years of the national defense movement. “Loyal to the country, devoted to the people, our army is ready to fight and sacrifice for the dependence and freedom of the Nation, for the Socialism; always fulfill any tasks, overcome any difficulties and defeat any enemy”.

The books are considered as a valuable historical source, reviewing the late general’s life and the nation’s glorious history in the resistance wars against American and French invaders.

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