Water prices rise in City

Water prices in HCM City have risen by 4-7 per cent since January 1, according to the Sai Gon Water Corporation (Sawaco).

The average increase of VND400-1,700 per cubic metre comes as part of a roadmap for price hikes in the 2010-13 period approved by the municipal People's Committee in December 2009, according to Sawaco.

A family in which a member uses four cubic metres or less on average a month will have to pay VND5,300 per cubic metre now, up from VND4,800.

It goes up to VND10,200 from VND9,200 if the average consumption is between four and six cubic metres, and to VND11,400 from VND11,000 for more than six cubic metres.

For industries, the rate rose to VND9,600 from VND8,200. Trading and service companies will pay VND16,900, a hike of VND1,700.

For State organisations, it has gone up by VND1,000 to VND10,300.

Bus fares have also risen in the city by VND1,000-2,000 depending on the distance.

For distances of below 18 kilometers, the fare goes up from VND4,000 to VND5,000, and to VND6,000 for longer distances.

Tet gifts for Truong Sa island district

Military Zone 4’s Naval Command launched three ships on January 2 carrying gifts for soldiers and residents of Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province, for the 2013 Lunar New Year (Tet).

Tet gifts shipped to Truong Sa islands. (Source: SGGP)

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Thuan, Deputy Chairman of Truong Sa district People’s Committee, the shipment includes dried food, vegetables and fruit, as well as young sticky rice, mung bean, pigs and leaves of phrynium to make traditional “banh chung” (square rice cakes) for Tet, gifts
from the Defence Ministry and Khanh Hoa province.

Hundreds of gift boxes from organisations and businesses nationwide have also been sent to soldiers and residents in Truong Sa town, Song Tu Tay and Sinh Ton communes.

Da Nang welcomes first int’l flight in 2013

The central city of Da Nang welcomed the first international flight from Singapore to its international airport on January 1.

The Silk Air’s flight had 126 international visitors on board. On New Year’s Day, Da Nang also welcomed another group of 80 visitors from India’s naval ship.

 In 2012, air travelers to Da Nang reached around 157,000, up over 236 percent compared to the previous year.
With the opening of nine air routes, Da Nang aims to increase the number of international tourists to the city in 2013 by 20 percent over last year.

Former Hai Phong leader on trial over land seizure

Investigative police in northern Hai Phong Port City have decided to prosecute the former chairman of Tien Lang District's People's Committee, Le Van Hien, for his alleged misconduct in an unlawful land seizure in his locality last year.

A police spokesman, Pham Duy Dien, said investigations would centre on an alleged lack of responsibility that caused serious consequences, as set down in Article 285 of the Penal Code.

Currently, Hien has been forbidden to leave his residence. He was removed from his post in February, one month after the local authorities carried out the forcible revocation of 19.3ha of aquaculture land operated by Doan Van Vuon, 49.

The land was alleged at the time to have passed the expiry date for its lease from the Government.

At the time the case happened, Hien acted as deputy secretary of the district's Party Committee and chairman of the district's People's Committee.

On January 5 last year, farmer Vuon opposed the land revocation and injured five people, including policemen, by using self-made mines and shotguns to protect his property.

The case quickly grew into a public outcry by farmers against land seizures. It also brought Hien's subordinates, including former deputy chairman of the district's People's Committee, Nguyen Van Khanh, and former head of the district's natural resources and environment division, Pham Xuan Hoa, to be prosecuted for alleged "property destruction".

On December 28, the city's police proposed to bring farmer Vuon and five others of his family members to court for murderous conduct and confronting people on duty.

The trial is expected to be held before Tet (Lunar New Year), which falls on February 10.

Robbers arrested in Tuyen Quang Province

Two robbers have been arrested for allegedly taking part in 10 robberies, Do Dinh Thuc, deputy director of the Tuyen Quang Province Police said on Tuesday.

Le Van Loi, 17, and Nguyen Ngoc Sang, 20, both from northern mountainous Tuyen Quang Province, confessed to carrying out 10 robberies.

Six of these robberies were within the province, three in northern Phu Tho Province's Doan Hung District and one in Yen Bai Province's Yen Binh District.

The robberies were said to have occurred in deserted areas. All victims were female.

The two alleged criminals were detained for further investigation.

Quang Ninh cops seize drug trafficker

A 44-year-old man from northern Nam Dinh Province's Xuan Truong District, was allegedly caught on Monday while trying to carry 14 kilos of drugs through the Mong Cai international border gate to China.

Forty nine nylon bags containing drugs were reported to have been found inside sandals, alphabet tables and children's painting books.

The alleged trafficker confessed he was hired by Chinese to transport drugs from Ha Noi to China.The case is under investigation.

Caged tiger given to national park

Authorities in central Nghe An Province transferred a tiger to Pu Mat National Park yesterday, said Le Cao Binh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The 200-kilo tiger was illegally caged at a local resident's house in the province's Yen Thanh District.

Eight fishermen missing in Quang Binh

Eight fishermen disappeared near the Gianh River, the Quang Trach District People's Committee announced on Tuesday night.

Reports indicated that the boat, captained by Nguyen Duc Thang from Quang Minh Commune, Quang Trach District, central Quang Binh Province, was about 30 nautical miles from the Gianh River estuary at about 5am on December 30. Contact was then lost.

Earlier on Sunday, another fishing boat carrying 14 sailors from Quang Trach District sank about six nautical miles from Gianh River estuary on its way to the shore. One body was recovered on Monday near Quang Trach, the coastal area of Quang Dong Commune.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA