Bird flu re-emerges in Quang Binh Province

The Animal Health Department of central Quang Binh Province announced on Monday that H5N1 flu or avian flu had broken out in the region.

The news was released after samples from dead ducks in the communes of Son Thuy, Loc Thuy and An Ninh were found to be positive for H5N1.

According to health department head Pham Hong Son, his department and the local Agriculture and Rural Development had sprayed the infected areas with disinfectants.

Son said blockades had been set up and poultry had been banned from moving in or out of the area.

In February, Viet Nam experienced large-scale outbreaks of bird flu, which killed two people and 6,000 poultry in provinces across the country.

Man steps on beloved turtle statue, causes outcry

Stone turtles at Hanoi’s Temple of Literature are supposed to bring good luck, but curses are raining down on a young man who dared to stand on one.

A photo of Trung Kien Mai, feet planted firmly on a turtle’s head, incited outrage when it surfaced on Facebook on July 9, according to newswire VietnamNet.

In recent years, students have taken to rushing to the temple, Vietnam’s first university, to jostle for a chance to touch the turtles heads. They believe doing so, and buying calligraphy paper, can bring good luck ahead of university entrance exams, which this year concluded July 10.

To stop the superstitious practice, temple officials have erected a fence and mobilized volunteers to block visitors – not that this deterred Mai.

Critics say his behavior has tarnished Vietnam’s cultural and historical image.

Hanoi invests in 37 urban technical infrastructure projects

Hanoi will concentrate its investment in 37 urban technical infrastructure projects, including more than 10 transport ones.
At a working session with the municipal Department of Transport (DoT) on July 17, Vice Secretary of the municipal Party’s Committee Nguyen Cong Soai said the city will give priority to key and urgent projects.

He urged the DoT to quickly complete the planning of key projects, aiming at limiting the transport of individual vehicles, and improving fee collection and management network.

Soai said the city will develop plans for transport infrastructure development until 2020. To accelerate the implementation of key projects, local authorities should iron out snags in land clearance and investment capital and improve administration reform, he emphasised.

Crocodile bites park employee’s arm off

An employee at Dong Xanh Park in the central highlands province of Gia Lai got her left arm bitten off by a hungry crocodile during a feeding session last Sunday.

The victim said she collected waste food from nearby restaurants on July 15 before bringing them to the cage where the park’s crocodiles are kept. When she extended her hands over the fence to feed the large reptiles, one of them jumped up from the water and bit her left arm so hard that it was torn off.

After the incident, Luong Thi Bich Lien, the feeder, shouted for help and later was rushed to hospital for emergency care. However, doctors failed to reattach her arm.

The 60-year-old has been paid VND1.5 million (US$75) per month for feeding crocodiles for the last year.

The park’s board of directors has raised a total of 20 large crocodiles in a cage called Kingdom of Crocodiles to attract visitors.
This is the first incident of its kind at the park, they said.

Cop who caused death sees 4-year sentence upheld

At an appeal hearing yesterday, the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi confirmed the sentence for a former police official whose actions caused the death of a local man last year.

Nguyen Van Ninh, former police Lieutenant Colonel of Thinh Liet Ward, Hoang Mai District, was sentenced by the Hanoi People’s Court to 4 years in prison for “causing death to others while on duty.”

The verdict was announced at the first instance trail on January 13, 2012, but Ninh later appealed for a commutation.

The victim was Trinh Xuan Tung, of Hanoi, who died at the age of 54 in March 2011 at the Viet Duc Hospital.

According to the indictment, on the morning of February 28, a traffic police team led by Ninh at a check point in the ward found Pham Quang Hung riding a motorbike without wearing a helmet, with Tung sitting behind.

Ninh stopped the vehicle for inspection and then made a report on Hung’s violation and fined him VND150,000 (US$7). Hung refused to sign the report and walked away from the scene with Tung, the owner of the vehicle.

At about 3 pm Hung and Tung returned to the check point and told Ninh they agreed to pay a VND100,000 fine so they could take back the bike, but Ninh refused.

Tung then insulted him and slapped him on the face. In response, Ninh grasped Tung’s hair, held his arm and pushed his head down, causing Tung to fall to the ground.

Ninh then handcuffed Tung and escorted him to the local police office.

At 9:30 pm, after finding Tung in critical condition, the police took him to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Tung died on March 8, 2011 and doctors from the Military Forensic Institute concluded that the death was caused by respiratory and circulatory failure due to a cervical spinal injury together with spinal cord paralysis.

Ninh was seized after Tung’s death and Ninh's family later gave Tung's reletives VND500 million (US$24,000) as compensation.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre