Turk caught after grabbing money from shopkeeper

A shopkeeper in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang Monday caught a Turkish man who had allegedly grabbed VND11 million (US$564) from his hands and tried to flee.

Cem Turkdunmez, 39, came to the shop in Chau Thanh District belonging to Do Phuoc Hai, bought a beer, and paid using a VND500,000 bill.

When Hai was about to give him change from a bundle of money, he suddenly snatched the money, ran out, and drove his motorcycle away.

Hai chased after Turkdunmez and grabbed him with the help of people nearby.

They then handed him over to the police.

Low quality drugs recalled  

The Vietnam Drug Administration on January 3 announced a ban on the sale and use of the two lots of medications, Bocefac and Methotrexat Ebewe. This is because both drugs have failed to meet legal requirements.
 
The banned drugs are Bocefac dry syrup, which code is 22709001, with the expiry date of September 6, 2012. This drug was produced by the Boram Pharm Company Limited, Korea and imported into Vietnam by Quang Nam Pharmaceutical and Medical Materials Company.

The medication failed to satisfy the requirements of content. It is used for the treatment of ear, nose, throat, the respiratory tract, the urinary tract and skin infections caused by bacteria.

Vietnam Drug Administration also prohibited sales of Methotrexat Ebewe (for injection), used to treat cancer or severe diseases, caused by an overactive immune system. This is because it failed to meet the legal requirements.

This medication code is 93364804, 93364806, 93364808, 95598706, 95199210, and the registration number is VN-5351-10. The drugs do not have a clear induction of manufacturing and no expiry date. Ebewe Pharma Ges.m.b.H.Nfg.KG manufactures the drugs in Austria.
 
Vietnam is World’s most optimistic: Gallup

A research based on a massive BVA-Gallup poll published on French newspaper Le Parisien Monday finds that the Vietnamese are the most optimistic about economic outlook while France is the most pessimistic nation.

More than 70 percent of the Vietnamese people joining the survey believe that 2011 will be a year of economic prosperity for their country.

Meanwhile, 67 pct of the French believe that the number of unemployed will increase sharply in 2011.

On average, 49 pct of those interviewed in the survey believe that 2011 will be a year of economic prosperity.

The majority of Brazilians (61pct) believe in their job stability, slightly higher than last year’s 54pct and similar to the rest of the world (62pct).

In contrast, in the world’s most developed economies, the perception is one of economic disappointment. Among the 82,000 people interviewed in the G7 – USA, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan – only 17pct on average believed in prosperity for 2011 and 41pct think the situation will stay the same.

The most surprising thing is that Nigerian and Afghanistan people are more optimistic than the US.

Regardless of political problems, poverty, and corruption, Nigerians still believe in a prosperous future, according to Le Parisien.

The survey was conducted on every continent between October and December. Its margin of error is 3-5pct.

Vietnam eyes 6% increase in foreign arrivals in 2011

Vietnam’s tourism industry has set a target of 5.3 million international visitors to the country this year and US$5.64 billion in total revenues after a well-performing 2010.

It also expects to serve 30-31 million domestic travelers and earn VND110 trillion (US$5.64 billion) in revenues, which would account for 4.5 percent of the nation’s GDP.

As one of the steps to realize this target, Vietnam is set to join a series of tourism-related expos including, the FITUR expo in Spain in January, MITT trade show in Russia in March, an international tourism exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City in September and some other events.

Industry authorities are also preparing a proposal to attract more tourists from France, Thailand, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Russia.

Besides, they will try their best to successfully coordinate the National Tourism Year 2011 hosted by Phu Yen Province and other coastal provinces in the central region.

The country received 5 million foreign visitors last year, up 19 percent compared to its 4.2-4.5 million target and an increase of 32.5 percent over 2009, Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said.

Domestic travelers topped 28 million and revenues reached VND96 trillion ($4.92 billion), up 20 percent from the industry’s target.

Oil blobs mysteriously show up in renowned beach

Workers are cleaning up the mysterious blobs of oil that have been drifting towards the renowned My Khe beach in the central Danang City.

The coagulated oil blobs, some as big as eggs and others the size of peanuts, were mixed with seaweed and have been drifting ashore since last Saturday.

They have been spotted along a 1-kilometer stretch of the world-famous beach.

Local authorities said it was not known where the oil came from but assumed it could have originated from a spill.

Workers of the River and Sea Sanitation Company have been assigned to clean up the beach.

Aphrodisiacs, sex toys, fake guns seized in Nghe An

Two trucks carrying 1,400 toy guns and tons of aphrodisiacs and sex toys were seized in the central province of Nghe An Monday.

Local market inspection authorities in collaboration with police inspected and arrested driver Nguyen Thanh Truong of the Tay Ninh southern province after catching him red-handed transporting more than 1,400 plastic guns made by China.

In Vietnam, such violence-themed toys are banned.

Up north in Hanoi, police on the same day impounded a container running along the North-South route. Its driver - Do Trung Thanh from the capital’s Thuong Tin district – was transporting a batch of sex-enhancing drugs and sex toys worth over VND30 million (US$1,500).

Foreign-exchange students linked to Vietnamese cyber-crime gang

A US investigation dubbed Operation eMule has led agents to two foreign-exchange students in Minnesota who are accused of taking part in a cyber-crime ring in Vietnam that stole the identities of countless Americans and pilfered millions of dollars from online retailers.

According to Star Tribune, court documents identified major companies such as eBay, PayPal, Apple and Dell, as targets of the cyber gang. Authorities said stolen identities were used to open accounts with eBay, PayPal and US banks. Through those accounts, the fraudsters sold popular merchandise at discounted prices.

The two Winona State University students Tram Vo and Khoi Van allegedly controlled more than 180 eBay accounts and more than 360 PayPal accounts that were opened using stolen identities.

Investigators found the two students made nearly $1.25 million, much of which was then wired to accounts in Vietnam and Canada.

Immigration officials declined to comment last week on the two suspects’ status, saying the issue is part of an “ongoing criminal investigation.” Public records show no criminal charges against the students, however, Star Tribune reported.

Operation eMule officially began in September 2009 to investigate criminal rings based in Vietnam that target e-commerce and express mail courier operations. Investigators estimate the rings contribute “hundreds of millions of dollars” to an underground economy in Vietnam, according to an affidavit obtained by Star Tribune.

Vietnam student beaten in Australia still in coma

Vu Ngoc Minh, a Vietnamese student who was severely beaten up by a group of Australian youths on a crowded street in Melbourne on December 26, is still in a coma although his health is a little better.

Nothing can be said right now, said his father last Saturday.

The 19-year-old student of the Deakin University is having food transmitted to his stomach through a drip feed. His fingers can move when he is painful, the father added.

He and his wife flied from Ho Chi Minh City to Australia Thursday to care for their son.

They have officially requested assistance from the Vietnamese embassy in Australia.

The Embassy Saturday sent staff to visit Minh at the hospital and has pledged to work with Australian authorities to investigate the case.

Meanwhile, the Melbourne Crime Investigation police have sent an investigator to question Le Thanh Tung, the other Vietnamese who was with Minh when they were chased by a group of Australians.

When Minh and Tung ran in two separate ways, the group also separated into two to chase after them.

Tung was surrounded by 7-8 boys, with one of them using a knife to attack him but he escaped the stab. After failing to beat him, the group went away.

When Tung caught up with Minh, he saw the latter lying in a pool of blood.

Tung said he was now worried he could be the next target.

The police said Minh was beaten at a corner of Bourke and Swanton crossroad and the scene was not recorded by camera.

The cause of the attack is under investigation but according to an unconfirmed source, Tung could have angered the attackers and brought on the bloody assault.

Australian police are investigating.

Another school catfight caught on YouTube

Hanoi police are expanding investigations into a case in which four schoolgirls beat up two schoolmates from “personal conflicts” last Monday.

On Saturday, an 8-minute video clip capturing the beating scenes of the four eighth-graders of Duong Noi Secondary School in Ha Dong District was posted on the internet.

Bui Thi Dung, Nguyen Thu Hien, Bui Thi Tu Anh and another named Hang beat up two others while another group of three girls captured the scenes with a mobile phone.

Dung then posted the clip on YouTube.

Police have summoned the students and Trieu Tien Chinh, the deputy principal of Duong Noi School, for questioning.

The reason of the beating was “personal conflicts” between the girls, the police said without elaborating.

This is just a series of clips featuring brutal beatings among high school female students posted on the internet recently. In total, there have been over 10 such clips in the past year, mostly involving young girls in Hanoi, Ha Giang, Phu Tho, Nghe An, Quang Ninh, and Da Nang.

Cold weather forecast for northern Vietnam

A strengthened cold wave may hit the north this week, with the temperature dropping by 5-7 degrees Celsius, according to the Central Hydrometeorology Forecast Center.

The center also warned of frost in mountainous provinces. It said the temperature will plummet to 0 degree Celsius and snow will appear in Mau Son and Sapa.

Meanwhile, the cold spell will bring light rains and fog to the central region.

Down south, the temperatures may drop by 2-3 degrees Celsius, with the weather becoming cool at night and in early morning.

Thick fog will also blanket Ho Chi Minh City and other neighboring provinces.

Vietnam book buyers stick to tradition

Though 30 percent of Vietnamese, or 26 million people, use the internet, online booksellers have a long way to go to catch up with traditional bookshops.

The latter reported total revenues of more than VND2 trillion (US$100 million) in 2009, while the former managed a mere 1-2 percent of that figure.

One shop alone, the Fahasa chain, accounted for 50 percent of sales by bookshops.

Analysts said their competitive pricing policy is helping traditional bookstores remain ahead of web-based sellers.

Shops in downtown Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi regularly offer 20-30 percent discounts, while online sellers occasionally release a few promotional packs.

“With online sellers, I can sit at home and surf websites to choose books I like,” said Nguyen Thi Minh Trang, a HCMC-based high school teacher.

“I can also easily find books published a long time ago. However, the shipping fees of some stores are very high.

“Visiting bookstores gives me the joy of turning pages in a book. It also teaches children the joy of reading books.”

Efforts to compete with brick and mortar shops saw leading online stores offer promotional packs, freebies, and free shipping at the end of the year.

www.Tiki.vn and www.nhasachphuongnam.com announced a drawing contest with high-tech products, including iPad and Kindle, as prizes.

The former also offered a 20 percent discount to customers paying in advance for some new books and free leaf-shaped bookmarks to everyone buying for VND200,000 ($10) or more.

There are 20 web-based bookshops in the country though some bookstores and publishing houses also plan to expand into the online space. They include Fahasa Corp., Youth Publishing House, Alphabooks, Thai Ha Books, and Chibooks.

Vietnam’s eCommerce revenues are likely to reach VND2 billion in 2012, Nguyen Hoa Binh, general director of software developer Peacesoft, told TuoiTre.

Indian mafia boss captured in Vietnam

Prakash Pandey at Vietnamese police stationVietnamese authorities have arrested 89 wanted criminals so far this year, including mafia boss Prakash Pandey of India, according to Vietnamese police.

Dreaded gangster and extortionist Prakash Pandey, 40, was arrested in Vietnam in November and has since been extradited to Mumbai.

Police got information that Pandey was staying in Vietnam under the false name of Vijay Subhash Sharma. His passport was issued by the Indian embassy in Cambodia.

Pandey, who is facing prosecution in 34 criminal cases, was holed up in a rented apartment by the banks of the Nhieu Loc Canal in the Phu Nhuan district of Vietnam’s teeming Ho Chi Minh City.

He was also engaged in a bomb attack in Haldwani, India in early 2000.

A red wanted notice was issued against Pandey in 2004 by Interpol.

Pandey's journey in crime began in his home state.

According to Indian sources, Pandey initially joined hands with liquor smugglers and was jailed.

He came to Mumbai in search of a job, but met robbers and began working with them.

After the 1993 serial bomb blasts, he came in touch with underworld don Chhota Rajan and started extorting money on his behalf.

Cops started considering Pandey a threat in 1995 when he helped Rajan assassinate Thakiyuddin Wahid because of the airline official's refusal to pay extortion money.

He had been staying in a number of countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. But mostly he spent his time in Vietnam where he had a work permit and was posing as a labor contractor and consultant.

Tourism booms in New Year

The New Year holiday this time has seen a sharp increase in tourism demands, particularly for domestic tour packages and private car rentals especially as it coincides with the two-day weekends.

Since early December, Vietravel, a major Ho Chi Minh City-based tourism firm, has launched over new 100 tour packages.

Nguyen Minh Man, media representative of Vietravel projected the number of tour bookings to grow 25 percent over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 7,500 tours - 67 percent of which are domestic - have been reserved at Saigon Tourist, another tour operator, up 10 percent year on year, according to Doan Thi Thanh Tra, its marketing director.

This year, visitors from Ho Chi Minh City and the south-eastern region tend to choose Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa as their favourite destinations thanks to their traditional festivals and distinct traits, many tour agencies said.

People are also interested in Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An in the central region. Other popular travel spots are beaches in Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Con Dao, Phu Quoc.

Vehicle rentals saw a high hike this New Year holiday, catering to clients who rent motorbikes or cars to go to their hometowns or just to travel around.

A vehicle rental centre in District 1 owning over 50 vehicles still could not satisfy demand despite the rising prices.

The rental price of mini cars Getz, Matiz has risen from VND500,000 per day to VND800,000 per day but they are still in high demand.

Vietnamese French woman killed in Paris metro

A Vietnamese-French woman died after being pushed down by a running robber in a subway station in Paris last Sunday, French news agency Novopress reported.

Nguyen Vy Anh, 27, was going on the stairs of the Étienne-Marcel metro station when the snatcher pushed her down, causing her to fall downstairs with her head struck on the stairs.

“He shoved her because she prevented him from passing,” said a police officer. “It was very violent.”

After she passed out on the spot, Anh was taken to the Henri-Mondor Hospital in Créteil town near Paris but she died five hours later due to severe injuries.

Paris police are searching for the thief.

Vy Anh was working for a cosmetics company on Victor Hugo avenue in Paris.

PV