Quang Binh takes soft drinks from shelves

The central province of Quang Binh's Department of Food Safety and Hygiene has asked for a consignment of soft drinks labelled Dr Thanh manufactured on September 30, 2011 to be removed from the market.

Phan Thi Thuy from the department said that the drink was found to contain sediment, despite being within its expiry date.
The manufacturer, Tan Hiep Phat Company in southern Binh Duong Province, blamed the problem on negligent storage procedures.

The department would enhance inspections to ensure product quality, Thuy said.

Hanoi CPI up 0.16 percent in May

Hanoi’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) in May increased by 0.16 percent against April and by 7.8 percent over the same month of last year, according to a report from the Hanoi Statistics Office.

The post and telecommunications group remained unchanged while other groups saw wild fluctuations, the report says.

Housing, electricity, water, fuel, and construction materials declined by 0.24-1.03 percent, while tobacco, textiles and garment, hats, shoes, and home appliances climbed up.

The reasons cited by economic experts included an increase in petrol and oil prices in late April and a rise in minimum wage level as of May 1. The long holiday in late April and early May also contributed to the rising CPI of goods and services related to culture, entertainment, and tourism.

Another reason was the falling prices of food and vegetables as well as restaurant services due to a stable supply from the markets.

The May index for gold prices decreased by 1.76 percent from April but rose 11.82 percent against the same month of last year.
Flooding to appear in northern region

Light flooding of up to two metres was expected to hit rivers in the northern region of Viet Nam from May 24-26, while flash floods and landslides were likely in mountainous areas, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

Heavy rain is expected over the next few days, with temperatures ranging dramatically between 24 and 34 Celsius.

Ha Noi is forecast to be cloudy and rainy.

In the central region, the scorching heat they have been experiencing will continue, with temperatures in the provinces of Nghe An and Phu Yen set to hit highs of 37C in the next two days.

Those in the south can expect to enjoy dry, sunny days with rain at night, with lows between 25 and 28C and highs from 32 to 35C.

Vietnamese people association opens office in RoK

The Vietnamese People Association in the Republic of Korea on May 20 officially opened its headquarters in Incheon city, about 50 km east of Seoul.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Tran Trong Toan praised the association’s provisional executive board and its branches in helping the Vietnamese community integrate into the host country.

He highlighted the association’s contributions to the friendship and cooperation between the two countries although it was established just over one year ago on Dec. 22, 2010.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the office will connect and assist the Vietnamese community in the RoK and that the association will launch more activities to consolidate the solidarity among the community and boost exchange between the two countries’ people, contributing to the Vietnam-RoK relations.

The association’s Provisional President Tran Hai Linh thanked the Vietnamese Embassy, RoK offices and businesses for their support.

He took the occasion to review the association’s activities over the past time, such as participating in international cultural festivals in the RoK to promote the land and people of Vietnam and organising programmes to assist Vietnamese brides and children of multi-cultural families.

Industrial clusters to make way for rice

Seven industrial clusters covering more than 700ha will be removed to make way for rice cultivation in the southern province of Tay Ninh, following a decision by the provincial People's Committee.

The industrial clusters, located in Bau Don, Dong Khoi, Long Chu, Suoi Can, Suoi Ngo, Tan Dong and Tien Thuan, had failed to meet development plans.

The committee also ordered district authorities to outline their plans on how the land would be used for cultivation in accordance with regulations.

Hydropower plant comes on line

The first turbine of the A Luoi Hydropower Plant in central Thua Thien-Hue Province began supplying electricity to the national grid yesterday.

The VND3.2 trillion (US$155.5 million) plant, which has been under construction since 2007, has two turbines with a total capacity of 170MW.

The plant, the biggest of its kind in the province, is expected to produce nearly 690 million kWh a year. The Central Hydropower Joint Stock Company is the investor.

The second turbine is also expected to become operational this year.

Plant project manager Power Transmission Company 2 said the company had overcome difficulties, including unfavourable weather and continual floods to finish the project and complete the power lines linking the plant with Hue City.

The 29-km line, with 72 power poles, runs through mountainous areas, which posed difficulties in construction.

More than 100 households were relocated to make room for the plant's reservoir. It is expected to become a tourist attraction and improve living conditions in the area which was badly damaged during the American War.

Native fish released in Sai Gon River

More than 200 fishes belonging to three native species were released in the Sai Gon River in HCM City yesterday as part of efforts to protect the city's bio-diversity.

The Raspora paviana, Betta splendens, and Trichopsis vittatus fishes were bred by city-based Wildlife at Risk organisation.

They were released in the river's Cau Den Canal in District 2 by 25 students belonging to the We Love Nature club run by youth magazine Khan Quang Do.

The release was timed to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.

Remains of Vietnamese martyrs repatriated from Laos

A ceremony was held in Dien Bien district in the northwestern province of Dien Bien on May 21 to rebury 32 sets of remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who had laid down their lives in Laos.

The remains were reburied at the Doc Lap (Independence) Martyrs’ Cemetery in Thanh Nua commune, Dien Bien district.
The remains had been found during a 12-month mission by a search team of Military Zone 2 in co-ordination with armed forces from four Lao provinces.

HCM City hosts seminar on Ly family

An international seminar, themed “Prince Ly Long Tuong and Vietnamese-RoK relations from past to present”, took place on May 19 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Prince Ly Long Tuong left Vietnam and moved to the Republic of Korea in the 13th century. According to documents in Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, where the prince’s descendants still live today, Prince Ly Long Tuong, born in 1174, was the seventh son of King Ly Anh Tong. He had reigned from 1138-1175 and was the brother of King Ly Cao Tong and the uncle of King Ly Hue Tong.

He grew up when the Ly dynasty was coming to an end, eventually being replaced by the Tran dynasty in 1226. Prince Ly Long Tuong had made his escape by boat with several hundred followers and headed northwards to the RoK.

The Prince became a general serving the Korean King and helped him successfully fight off two Mongol invasions.

Ly Xuong Can, a 31st generation descendant of King Ly Thai To and a 26th generation descendant of Prince Ly Tong Tuong, was granted Vietnamese citizenship and now lives in Vietnam, working in investment in economic development as well as strengthening cultural exchanges and cooperative relations between Vietnam and the RoK.

The seminar enabled academics and students to understand more about this link from the distant past between the two countries, which are geographically quite far apart from each other, but have both had turbulent histories.

VNN/VOV/VNS