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Health authorities suspend operations of additive company
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During an inspection of the company on April 25, health authorities found that the company had no licensed certificate for food hygiene and safety requirements. Health authorities hence halted the operations of the company and took additive samples for testing.
HCMC Food Administration and health inspectors are on alert after a scare that some kind of “beef extract” additive from China was floating in the market that can turn pork into beef.
The inspectors checked the sale of additives in Kim Bien Market in district 5 on the same day. The inspection teams found 20 stores and 5 booths selling beef additives under the guise of powdered flour in 500-gram packs and liquid additive in one-liter bottles.
Rural poor households given new homes
As per the Prime Minister’s decision to support the disadvantaged in rural areas, the government gave approximately 340,000 houses to poor households.
After two years of implementation of the decision, 340,000 households or 66 percent of the poor and disadvantaged in the northern provinces of Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh and the highland provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong received support from the government to construct new houses.
Other northern provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La and the central provinces of Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Nghe An as well as the southern provinces of Soc Trang and Tra Vinh have already completed 75 percent of the construction work.
Nguyen Tran Nam, deputy minister for construction, said the houses are either built on 28-40 square meters or 50-60 square meters of land and cost from over VND25 million (US$ 1250) to over VND50 million respectively. They have all been constructed using good strong materials.
China Development Bank Corporation (CDB) has committed to providing a loan of about US$1.5 billion to Vietnam for the development of housing schemes for low-income earners under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction and the CDB in Hanoi on April 22.
Nguyen Hong Quan, Minister of Construction, said the MoU is the first step for Vietnamese construction enterprises to have access to a reliable credit source.
Low-income farmers get VND700 mln funding in Binh Dinh
Interest-free loans totaling VND700 million were presented to children from 60 low-income families in the central province of Binh Dinh Sunday as part of a program designed to support poor farmers in three provinces.
Representatives of animal feed manufacturer Green Feed Vietnam, the program’s financing organization, and Tuoi Tre Newspaper handed the loans to the farmers, who come from Hoai An and Tuy Phuoc districts.
A total of VND750 million was set aside for Binh Dinh, including loans of VND700 million and in-kind support.
“We expect the program to bring an opportunity to the local residents to escape poverty and gradually gain a stable life, ensure schooling for the children so that their hometown can get talents in the future,” Tuoi Tre deputy editor in chief Vu Van Binh was quoted by the newspaper as saying during the loan presentation ceremony, held in the province.
Binh Dinh People’s Committee Vice Chairman Mai Thanh Thang was quoted, “Funded farmers receive not only the loans from the program but also strong spiritual encouragement.”
The support program has VND2.1 billion (more than US$100,000) in loans for the three provinces – Long An in the south, Binh Dinh in the central region and Hung Yen in the north. VND700 million in loans was presented to 60 farmer households in Long An last December.
Under the program, funding company Green Feed Vietnam also supports farmers by giving advice of livestock techniques and skills.
The company is based in Long An Province.
HCMC not to raise tuition fees
The Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training (DOET) affirmed that the school tuition fees would not increase in public institutes and would remain stable in private institutes in the academic year 2011-2012.
Speaking at a press conference in the city on April 22, Huynh Cong Minh, the director of DOET, said that the education sector would make all efforts to provide enough classes and reduce overcrowding of classes.
The city has constructed two more high schools in district 6 and Binh Tan district. The numbers of students in a class in first grade are 40 and in the sixth grade, there are 45. However, many immigrants to the city are causing extra pressure on the education sector; for instance, the number of six year olds entering school in 2009 was 97, 872 but in 2011 they have increased to 102,119.
Talking to Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper, Huynh Cong MInh said the authorities would encourage private institutes not to hike school tuition fees. Parents should also be selective of schools and send their children to schools that offer reasonable fee levels that suit their financial condition as well as the education quality they wish their child to acquire.
House in Hanoi ancient quarters catches fire
On April 26, a 3-three building caught fire at an alley off 110 Hang Bong Street in Hanoi’s acient quarters in Hoan Kiem district.
At 3pm, an explosion was heard from the top floor of the ancient house which then caught fire.
Locals in time escorted an 70-year-old woman out of the site.
Two fire trucks and dozens of fire fighters managed to subdue to flame 40 minutes later.
The fire burnt down all furniture and badly damaged the third floor.
No human casualty was reported.
Easter celebrations held in Hanoi
Together with millions of Catholics all over the world, Vietnamese Catholics celebrated the Easter Day, one of the most important celebrations of Catholic followers in the year.
Many churches in the capital city of Hanoi held Mass on the morning of Sunday.
At the capital’s Cathedral, the Mass was chaired by Hanoi Archbishop Phero Nguyen Van Nhon with the presence for the first time of a dignitary of the Vatican , Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, non-resident representative of the Holy See to Vietnam .
During the ceremony, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli emphasised the significance of the Easter, which marks a new life - the life of hope and love, and called on parishioners to together share hopes and love with others.
He said he was pleased to visit Vietnam for the first time and attend the celebration for the Resurrection of Jesus at the capital city’s Cathedral as well as expressed hope to have more opportunities to visit the Vietnamese Catholic community.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli’s visit showed great developments in the Vietnam-Vatican relations, especially after meetings of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group, and represented the two sides’ aspirations and goodwill for cooperation.
After attending the Mass in Hanoi , Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli will take part in the first annual conference of the Vietnam Bishops’ Council in Ho Chi Minh City and visit several local parishes.
The Easter Day (also called Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday) is held to commemorate Jesus’ return from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.
Indian firm slapped $16,700 fine for environmental pollution
Indian-owned sugar processor NIVL Joint Stock Co has been fined VND350 million (US$16,700) for discharging untreated wastewater into the environment in Long An Province’s Ben Luc District.
This is the highest fine for environmental pollution in the province, Duong Quoc Xuan, chairman of the municipal government, told Tuoi Tre.
The company often discharges wastewater, some hundreds times more toxic than permit, into the Vam Co Dong River, Xuan added.
Ben Luc District’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment fined 171 environmental polluters some VND900 million in 2007-2010.
Only half of firms in the district have equipped with proper wastewater treatment facilities.
Passenger gives birth on train, baby safe
29 year-old Cao Thi Lieu from the central province of Quang Ngai unexpectedly gave birth to a 3.1 kg boy aboard on a train numbered Thong Nhat SE2.
The woman was immediately assisted by doctors of Ho Chi Minh City’s 30-4 General Hospital who happened to be on the train.
The train made an emergency stop at Bong Son Station in Hoai Nhon District in Binh Dinh Province.
Lieu and her baby were rushed to a general hospital. Doctors said they were now in good conditions.
City’s distant suburb gets clean water
Clean water flowed into homes in Ho Chi Minh City’s coastal Can Gio District yesterday, with three areas of the district benefiting initially.
Around 6,000 cubic meters of water is supplied per day by two pumping stations in the city through a 42-km long pipeline to Can Thanh town and Long Hoa and Binh Khanh Communes.
The system, which cost more than VND821 billion (US$40 million), will reach its peak capacity of 44,000 cubic meters per day next October when one more pumping station is built, Tran Dinh Phu, general director of the Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco), said.
It can then supply clean water to the entire district which has a population of 150,000, he said.
By 2020 it will be upgraded to double its capacity to 88,000 cubic meters per day, he added.
For the past several years, the city has spent VND50 billion (US$2.4 million) a year on subsidies for Can Gio residents to buy water, Huynh Cach Mang, chairman of the district people’s committee, said.
However, Can Gio residents have had to pay VND5,000 for a cubic meter of water – VND600 higher than in inner HCM City – and in remote areas of the district, the price could amount to VND60,000-80,000.
The district has a desalination plant to process seawater operated by Dang Doan Nguyen JSC but it only supplies 5,000 cubic meters a day, Mang said.
Speaking at the inauguration of the pipeline, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai praised it as a significant milestone in the district’s economic and social development.
Nguyen Thanh Tai, deputy chairman of the city people’s committee, said it will create favorable conditions for the district to develop its economy, including ecotourism.
Ho Chi Minh City telephone cable victim dies
An 83-year-old man in Ho Chi Minh City who fell off his bicycle and was injured when his wheel got caught in a falling telephone cable has died of his injuries but no telecom company has accepted responsibility.
Ly Van, a resident of District 8, passed away Tuesday due to progressive cerebral hemorrhage at Cho Ray hospital a week after he was admitted.
The same afternoon a representative of the Cho Lon Electricity Company (EVN Cho Lon) handed over the exhibits of the accident to the District 5 Investigation Police in the presence of representatives of four telecom service providers: Viettel, CMC, FPT and VNPT.
The hand-over was made in a report, which would be sent to the District 5 People’s Procuracy.
EVN Cho Lon, VNPT, and Viettel have said the cable belonged to FPT but the latter has denied it and demanded a fresh investigation.
The District 5 police said it would reinvestigate and collect testimonies from everyone involved to identify the cause of the accident and who is accountable for Van’s death.
If no firm takes responsibility or if investigators are unable to come to a firm conclusion, the local police will re-create the scene of the incident.
Van’s body remains in the hospital morgue pending an autopsy, Ly Khai Tan, his son, said.
The accident occurred on the morning of April 19 when Van was riding along the junction of Tran Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong Streets in District 5. The cable suddenly fell on his bicycle and got entangled with the wheels. Van fell on the road and suffered a severe head injury.
Local residents took him to Cho Ray Hospital.
HCMC to cut down on firework to save
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee will also have only 2 firework shows for its Reunification Day (April 30) celebration instead of 6 like last year in an effort to save.
One will be held at Thu Thiem Tunnel in Thu Thiem Ward, District 2 and the other at Dam Sen Theme Park in District 11.
Both shows will take place from 9pm to 9.15 pm on April 30.
Agribank staff detained for causing $2mln loss
Police in Ho Chi Minh City Tuesday detained former Agribank staff Vo Duc Hung and Nguyen Minh Hoa for irresponsibility in their work, causing serious consequences.
They were arrested for violating regulations on lending schemes for credit institutions.
Earlier they were indicted and put under house arrest for the crime.
According to the preliminary investigations, Hung, former head of the Assessment Department at Tan Binh District Agribank branch, offered a loan of VND43 billion (over US$2 million) to Cat Phuong Nam Ltd Company and Truong Phat Dat Ltd. Company without checking their illegal loan documents.
Meanwhile, Hoa, an internal inspector at the bank branch, was convicted of agreeing with leaders of the bank branch on lending money to Cat Phuong Nam and not reporting this case to his superiors.
3m-wide plaster falls off school ceiling
A plaster patch weighing dozens of kilos and 3m in width suddenly fell off the ceiling to the ground of 11A1 class in one of Vietnam’s most famous schools - Kim Lien High School in Ha Noi - Tuesday morning, but luckily no serious injuries were reported.
Nguyen Xuan Lam, the school’s vice principal, said that no student suffered from severe wounds.
Only one was reported to sustain some minor scratches above his hand.
According to the school board, a similar incident has occurred to another class at the school in the past.
The school’s temporary solution is to send staff to check the infrastructure every day to assure safety for students and will evacuate students in the worst scenario.
Lam said the school is proposing Hanoi government give it financial assistance to innovate the classes.
Kim Lien is one of the most high-profile high schools in Hanoi.
The school was set up in 1980s and was repaired for the first time in 1999.
4 arrested for trafficking schoolgirls to China
With tip-off from some sources, the Hanoi police today detained four people in a ring trafficking schoolgirls to China to sell to brothels.
They are Vu Van Ca 22, from Hai Duong province; Quach Hoa Phuong, 20, Ca’s wife, from Hanoi; Le Thi Toan, 22, from Hanoi; and Bui Thi Bich Tuong, 36, from Phu Tho province.
Ca told police that he and a teen named Nguyen Duong Hoang Phi, 14, still at large, usually approached schoolgirls via Internet and then lured them to China to sell them to brothels.
In late March, Ca and Phi made friends with Hao, a schoolgirl of a junior high school in Hanoi, and asked Hao to join them in a tour to China. When they were in China, Ca and Phi sold Hao to a brothel for VND10 million (US$485).
Ca said he and Phi sold Hao to two women named Thuy and Phuong in Hekou town, China.
Ca also admitted he previously sold another girl for just VND2.5 million ($121).
Hanoi policemen later coordinated with their Lao Cai province counterparts and saved Hao 20 days after she was forced to work as a prostitute in China.
On Apirl 23, Lao Cai police arrested Thuy and Phuong when they arrived in the province from China.
Thuy declared that her real name was Le Thi Toan and Phuong said her actual name was Bui Thi Bich Tuong.
Toan has worked as a prostitute in China since July 2010 under Tuong’s control, the police said.
“We have yet to know how many teen girls have been trafficked to China through this ring. We are expanding our investigation,” an investigator said.
Bac Lieu official face prosecution for taking bribes
Bac Lieu Province Police Department yesterday proposed the local Procuracy to prosecute Bui Van Hong, 59, former Chief Secretariat of the provincial People’s Committee for taking bribes.
According to the police’s investigation results, Hong received bribes totaling VND120 million (US$5,800) from Pham Van Quang, 54, director of the State-owned Bac Lieu Housing Construction and Development Company to help the company get illegitimate advantage in many projects in the province.
Specifically, Hong submitted to the leaders of the provinces a number of documents and proposals that benefit Quang’s company and in the process, causing damage to many households involved.
Nearly two year ago, in May 2009, the provincial police indicted and arrested Quang and the company’s chief accountant Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang, 35, for “deliberately acting against economic management regulations causing serious consequences.”
But recently, the police additionally charged Quang for giving bribes and irresponsibility causing serious consequences.
Quang ordered his deputy, Tran Thanh Tung, and Trang to carry out many wrongdoings in evaluating the company’s property before equitization in 2006, causing a total loss of over VND17 billion ($823,000) to the State budget.
Specifically, he ordered his deputy, and Trang to illegally write off VND2.7 billion ($130,800) worth of debts for the company’s construction teams.
He also ordered Trang not to put the sales of 405 house foundations into the books, causing a loss of VND1.3 billion.
Moreover, he asked the Viet Values Audit and Consulting Co., Ltd. not to re-evaluate the value of land use rights related to a residential project, causing a loss of about VND13.3 billion.
While conducting such wrongdoings, Quang gave Hong many bribes totaling VND120 million. Besides, Hong also borrowed a total of VND370 million from the company.
Recently, Hong handed in all these amounts – VND490 million ($23,700) – to the investigation agency.
39 motorbikes burnt to bones after truck fire
A truck numbered 88K-1609 carrying 50 Vespa motorbikes unexpectedly caught fire when it was traveling on National Highway 2A located in Vinh Phuc southern province on April 25.
Within minutes, 39 out of 50 Vespa expensive motorbikes were burnt to bare frames, causing an estimated loss of VND3 billion (US$150,000), excluding the truck damage.
When seeing the fire, the truck driver quickly asked a motorbike washing shop nearby for help, but it was too late.
Local firefighters arrived at the scene to put out the blaze. However, they couldn’t prevent the fire from destroying the truck.
As a result, 39 luxurious motorbikes were turned into scrap iron.
Police are investigating.
Two small quakes shake northern Vietnam
An earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale hit Lai Chau province in northern Vietnam at 03:37:09 (GMT) (10:37:09 local time) today, according to Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).
The earthquake occurred off the East Sea at a depth of 4km, with the epicenter 14km northeast of Lai Chau town or 26km away from Muong Lay’s People’s Committee.
One day earlier a magnitue 3.8 earthquake off the East Sea at the depth of 10km hit Sin Ho district also in Lai Chau at 5:30 p.m (local time). But no casualties or damage were reported, according to VnExpress.
VAST has warned the local government and people to be on the alert against the quake and possible damages.
Tra Vinh City police chief indicted
The Supreme People’s Procuracy yesterday filed charges against Le Van Viet, head of the southern Tra Vinh City Police Department, for his alleged wrongdoing in releasing a detainee in a drug case in late 2009.
Senior Lieutenant Colonel Viet was charged with “irresponsibility causing serious consequences” and was banned from leaving his residence – Ward 6, Tra Vinh town, said Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tu, Chief of the Secretariat of the TraVinh Province Police Department.
As requested by the Procuracy, the Provincial Police Department was considering suspending him from his post, Tu said.
According to case file, on June 2, 2009, local police caught Vo Thi Dai Trang, 33, hiding drugs on her body at a hotel in Ward 7, Tra Vinh town.
Three months later, the town police prosecuted Trang and her 5 accomplices, including Nguyen Huy Hoang, 33. Five members of the ring, including Hoang, were detained for investigation.
In December 2009, the police proposed the local Procuracy to cancel the detention warrant on Hoang but not to ban him from leaving his residence or going abroad.
Viet signed a proposal, which was later approved by Nguyen Van Doan, deputy head of the Tra Vinh Town [now City] People’s Procuracy.
Doan has been removed from the post.
Not long after being released from prison, Hoang went to Japan to settle under his wife’s guarantee in the form of family reunion.
The local police were not aware of Hoang’s settlement in Japan until the case was prepared for trial later.
Vietnam stops making coins
One of Vietnam's currency coinsMinting of currency coins has been stopped due to their poor quality, the State Bank of Vietnam said Monday.
The coins were reintroduced after a long gap in 2003 to enable their use in coin-operated machines, but they failed to achieve popularity and also began to discolor quickly.
The central bank will carry out research to improve their quality and report to the government, its governor, Nguyen Van Giau, said.
MobiFone hangs up on users
Many MobiFone subscribers have been complaining about being cut off from the network and unable to make calls or send messages.
Phan Kien Van of Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Binh District told Tuoi Tre that on April 22 this happened to him from 7:00 pm to 9 pm.
Truong Minh Huan, who works at an electronics shop in Go Vap District, said he was cut off from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm the same day and could not make deliveries since he could not contact clients.
Some MobiFone users in neighboring provinces also experienced similar disruptions.
On April 8 and 12 MobiFone users in HCMC were unable call other networks or send messages.
Vinaphone subscribers have also been suffering from the same problem.
Some subscribers said that they could not make a video call (3G) on the afternoon of April 24.
This has also been occurring in Quang Ngai and Binh Duong Provinces and Nha Trang.
Vuong Kim Dong of Binh Duong Province said she was unable to make outgoing calls from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm that day.
Train staff returns $2,380 left behind by passenger
A ticket collector on a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang City, who found a large amount of money left behind by a passenger, contacted the man and returned it to him last week.
Le Viet Tieng, an overseas Vietnamese living in the US, left behind US$2,000 and VND8 million ($380) as well as his passport on SQN2 train on April 19.
He told Tuoi Tre he was very surprised and touched to get back the money from Nguyen Ba Bang, the ticket collector. “I have received kindness from Bang,” he said.
A few hours after getting off the train at Nha Trang early that morning, Tieng got a call from Bang who arranged a meeting with him to return the money and passport.
Doan Long, director of the Saigon Coach Enterprise, said: “Bang has worked for [us] for more than nine years. He has returned money and other things left behind by passengers many times.”
Storekeeper found hanging in police custody
The warehouse head of Korean tire maker Kumho in Binh Duong was yesterday found hanging at a local police station where he had been held for questioning over missing goods.
The Ben Cat District police found Nguyen Cong Nhat, 30, dead, apparently after he had hanged himself with a telephone wire in the meeting room of the police station.
Nhat, 30, of Tien Giang Province, had been head of a finished goods warehouse at the local My Phuoc III Industrial Park from where Kumho had lost some 6,000 tires worth over VND6 billion (US$289,000) last year.
Last Thursday the Ben Cat police had called in Nhat for questioning, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, his wife, said.
Nhat’s family has yet to agree to an autopsy on his body.
The police are investigating.
WB helps Nha Trang improve environment
The World Bank (WB) will provide an additional loan of $14.5 million to help improve the environmental hygiene for Nha Trang city in the southern province of Khanh Hoa, according to the WB’s representatives.
An agreement to this effect is scheduled to be signed in mid-May and come into effect in August, 2011.
The agreement is part of the WB’s assistance to finance aproject on improving environmental hygiene in the coastal cities of Vietnam.
So far, the WB has provided $72 million for the project.
Saigontourist receives 2,000 maritime tourists
The Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) welcomed 2,000 tourists and crew sailing aboard the five-star cruise liner Costa Classica, which docked at the Lotus port in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26.
The visitors, most from Italy , Spain , the United Kingdom and Germany , will have a five-day Vietnam tour.
After docking at the Lotus port, the tourists were scheduled to attend entertainment activities through shopping at Ben Thanh Market, watching puppet shows, and visiting Phuong Nam lacquer workshop and a girdle cake shop in Cu Chi.
The ship will then leave Ho Chi Minh City for the central city of Da Nang , visiting Ngu Hanh Son mountain, Non Nuoc stone carving village, My Son heritage site, and Hoi An ancient town. The tourists will also visit Thanh Ha ceramic village, Hue ancient capital, Thien Mu pagoda and Huong river.
During the tour, the ship will arrive at Ha Long Bay to discover the bay’s beautiful landscape, visit Yen Tu village, and sample the daily life of local people.
On the evening of April 30, the ship will leave Ha Long Bay, finishing its tour of Vietnam.
Source: Tuoi Tre/SGGP/VNE/VNA
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