Three jailed for violating firecracker ban

The People's Court of Cam Pha Town in the northern province of Quang Ninh yesterday, June 5, sentenced three people to between six and 12 months in prison for illegally transporting and storing firecrackers.

On October 28 last year, Duong Van Tong, 36, bought three firecracker boxes weighing a total of 16kg from a young man in Cam Pha Town. The firecrackers had been smuggled in by sea and Tong hid them in an offshore vessel.

The next day, he asked his son and brother-in-law to carry the products home, but they were arrested by the local police.

At the trial yesterday, Tong was given 12 months in jail and his son and brother-in-law got six months each.

The manufacture, trade, transportation and use of firecrackers have been banned in Viet Nam for almost 20 years because they posed a serious health hazard, causing serious injuries and several deaths every year. However, firecrackers are still sold illegally in some places during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Sonadezi to compensate Dong Nai farmers in full today

The Sonadezi Long Thanh Company will pay the entire compensation it owes farmers in the southern province of Dong Nai Province today, local officials announced.

The Sonadezi Long Thanh Company will pay the entire compensation it owes farmers in the southern province of Dong Nai Province today, local officials announced.— Photo vinacorp

The waste-treatment company had earlier been found to discharge untreated wastewater from the Long Thanh Industrial Park directly into local water sources, badly affecting farmers growing crops and breeding fish.

Chairman of the Tam An Commune People's Committee, Vo Van Luat, told Viet Nam News this morning, that the company has agreed to pay up the full amount instead of deferring partial payment until later.

The company was asked to compensate 169 households in the Long Thanh District a total of VND11.8 billion (US$561,900) as it had discharged untreated wastewater into the Ba Cheo Canal between 2008 and 2011.

However, the company said last Thursday that it could only pay VND3.6 billion ($171,400) now and would pay the remainder by mid-2013 because it did not have enough time to prepare the entire amount.

About 40 households did not agree with the decision and asked that all the money be paid before Tet.

On Monday the company announced that it would pay the entire compensation for the farmers after it received financial support from its headquarters in the same province.

The company is responsible for treating and discharge wastewater for manufacturers in Long Thanh Industrial Park.

Vice President Doan to attend Global Summit of Women

A Vietnamese delegation led by State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan will participate in the 2013 Global Summit of Women (GSW) themed “Women: Creating New Economies” in Malaysia from June 6-8.

This year’s event will highlight the significant contributions women have made to restructure the economies and change the markets.

Doan along with other representatives will discuss Vietnamese women’s role and their contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, State attention given to promoting gender equality and the advancement of women and Vietnamese policies on the implementation of millennium goals on gender equality.

The Vietnamese delegation will also share experiences, give opinions on GSW topics and examine ways to promote international cooperation for the advancement of women in various fields.

The annual Global Summit of Women aims to raise public awareness of gender equality and women role in the society. The event has always received a positive response from State, parliamentary and business female leaders.

Agencies plan to reassess petrol stations

Officials from the Industry and Trade Ministry said yesterday, June 5, that petrol stations would see tightened regulation and those not meeting regulations would have their business licenses revoked.

The Ministry organised an emergency meeting with the media in the aftermath of a fire that broke out at a Tran Hung Dao Street petrol station on Monday and lasted for five hours.

Media reports circulated about petrol stations on National Highway 20 bribing traffic police in Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces, as well as illegal trading and mixing substandard petrol in Quang Ninh Province.

As for the Tran Hung Dao petrol station, the ministry said Ha Noi had removed it from the list of public/commercial petrol stations in 2012. This means the station was not allowed to sell petrol to the public and could only sell petrol to military companies and units.

The Ministry asked relevant agencies to reassess petrol stations, especially those located near storage facilities, ports and major transportation routes.

Market watch offices would step up fines for petrol stations that reportedly received bribes from drivers who violated traffic laws.

Ha Noi has about 50 petrol stations that are not included in the city development plan.

H1N1 virus claims second victim

A 61-year-old man died of A/H1N1 influenza on Monday, two days after being admitted to HCM City's Cho Ray Hospital, doctor Hoang Lan Phuong from the hospital said.

The patient, from southern Dong Thap Province's Tam Nong District, showed flu-like symptoms, such as constant coughing and breathing difficulty after eating duck.

Test results from the HCM City Pasteur Institute showed that the patient proved positive for A/H1N1, which was previously known as swine flu, but now a type of common flu.

This is the second death from the virus in the city and the fifth nation-wide this year.

Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese youths joint hands to protect environment

A seminar on "Youth joining hands to protect the environment, national security, peace and development” was held in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on June 5 as part of activities to celebrate the 2013 International Youth Friendship Festival.

There is the growing threat of forest destruction, land degradation and environmental pollution in many parts of the world.

Regarding environment protection, participants called on the youths to drop the bad habits of using energy wastefully, dumping rubbish in public places and destroying the forest.

They proposed that the youths closely cooperate in safeguarding national sovereignty and border security as well as boosting the three countries’ traditional solidarity and friendship.

International seminar on Vietnam’s marine resources

Vietnamese and Russian scientists discussed issues related to marine resources and review their studies on Vietnam’s marine biodiversity at a seminar in Hanoi on June 5.

The event was part of efforts between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Far East Division (FED) to strengthen science and technology links.

VAST Chairman Chau Van Minh said his academy is proposing the Government allow the FED’s ship to anchor permanently off central Nha Trang City to serve VAST-FED sea research programmes, instead of using Russian ship Akademik Oparin biennially for joint surveys.

Both sides have so far conducted four joint surveys in Vietnam’s waters using the Akademik Oparin in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2013, which helped identify new creatures and chemical compounds generated by marine animals and create a number of valuable scientific research projects.

During the fourth joint survey, the scientists updated the data on Vietnam’s marine resources and biochemistry in the East Sea, charted orientations for future marine science and technology studies, and trained Vietnamese researchers.

At the event, delegates also heard reports on clusters of coral reefs as well as the collection and identification of seaweed species and microorganisms in Vietnam’s waters.

Mining companies see licenses revoked

Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong yesterday, June 5, decided to revoke 32 expired mining licences in Lam Ha and Lac Duong districts.

The sites have been mostly used to exploit sand, clay and building stone.

The mine owners have been reminded to restore the environment in the exploited areas.

Programme calls for support for fishermen

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) on June 5 held a ceremony to launch a campaign to call for continued support for fishermen in Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

During the event, the VGCL called upon organisations, businesses and individuals inside and outside the country to continue assisting fishermen through the “Fishing nets of love for fishermen in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa” programme.

The support will help fishermen meeting accidents at sea buy fishing tools and boats to resume their production.

VGCL Vice President Hoang Ngoc Thanh said over the past two years, the programme has encouraged fishermen and fisheries union members to persistently pursue their operation at the sea and islands under national sovereignty.

Benefactors can help fishermen by sending text messages with the content “ND” to switchboard 1407. Each message values at VND14,000.

Besides, kind-hearted people can also directly support Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishermen through the “Golden Heart” fund and its branch in Ho Chi Minh City.

The “Golden Heart” fund has so far received more than VND37 billion in support of the programme.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA