Social News 10/5 Early summer rain alleviates saltwater in Hau Giang   A heavy rain that lasted for one hour on May 9 has helped ease the after-effects of saline intrusion in many parts of the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang. The rain came as a release after nearly half a month the province bears the brunt of the worst saltwater intrusion in history. In early May, the province had to declare an emergency situation due to high salinity in Vi Thanh City, Long My town and the districts of Long My and Vi Thuy. As of early May, the serious situation caused damage worth 13 billion VND (585,000 USD) in Hau Giang. According to Truong Canh Tuyen, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, if the situation continues to get worst, the province will lose another 3,000 hectares of summer-autumn paddies by May’s end. If the intrusion persists in June, there will be a high risk of mass crop failure and many local craft villages will have to suspend operation over materials shortage, he noted, adding that damages might amount to more than 150 billion VND (6.75 million USD). Nam Định police arrest wildlife trafficker The police of northern Nam Định Province have arrested Phạm Văn Tú, 26, from central Hà Tĩnh Province, for illegally trafficking and trading four frozen tiger cubs. Tú admitted to the police he paid VNĐ2 million (US$90) to buy the frozen tiger cubs from a Laotian man at a market near the Việt Nam-Laos border. Tú was caught red-handed with the cubs, which he planned to sell for VNĐ8 million ($360) to a man he befriended on a social networking site. The police are investigating the case. Early voting held for officers working at sea platforms The Election Council of Vung Tau city in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on May 9 organised early voting of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils at the polling station No. 12 for military officers who are going to undertake duty at sea. The polling station No. 12 has more than 1,500 voters who are officers of Naval Brigade 171, Battalion DK1, Fisheries Surveillance Platoon No.2 and several units of the High Command of the Naval Region 2. On the morning, over 100 officers cast their votes at the polling station, which remains open until May 21. With the support of the navy, early elections will be organised at 47 locations from the waters off the coast of central Binh Thuan province to those of southernmost Ca Mau province. The official election day is slated for May 22. Rockslide kills 2 at coal mine in northern Vietnam Two workers were killed in a rock slide at a coal mine in Quang Ninh Province on May 8. The men, aged 43 and 54, were sitting in the cabin of a bulldozer when huge rocks and soil fell on it and buried it. Their colleagues rushed to the rescue but both were dead by the time they were found. The police are investigating. New Zealand youth advances on Vietnam Idol Kids Eleven year old musical prodigy Jayden Trinh Jesudhass on May 5 successfully advanced to the next and fourth episode of the music talent competition for children ‘Vietnam Idol Kids’. At competition in the third episode held in Hanoi, the judges commented that they were impressed by Jayden’s skilful guitar playing and amazing vocals during his performance of the song ‘60 nam cuoc doi’ (60 Years of Life). At the event, Jayden said he has been performing since he was five years old on the streets of his hometown Dunedin as well as several other cities in New Zealand and Europe. He said his mother is Vietnamese but his father is from Singapore. One of his all-time favourite performers is Michael Jackson, whom he says he likes to imitate in his song and dance routines. The fourth episode will broadcast May 15 on VTV3 channel. Hai Phong’s Cat Bi airport to welcome international flights Cat Bi international airport in the northern port city of Hai Phong will officially welcome international flights starting from May 11, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Cat Bi has been recently recognised as an international airport in accordance with a master plan on the domestic airport network, and another plan on adjustments to Cat Bi airport approved by the Prime Minister in 2009, and 2012, respectively. In recent years, the airport has recorded an average growth of 20 percent annually, with the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost airliners Vietjet and Jetstar Pacific offering flights connecting Hai Phong with Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Buon Ma Thuot, Cam Ranh, Pleiku and several Chinese provinces. As scheduled on May 11, the airport is to put into operation a new runway and terminal that will accommodate 2 million passengers per year. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, the second stage of upgrading and extending the airport will be concluded, enabling Cat Bi to handle more modern aircraft. Cat Bi international airport is also expected to link with Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Can Tho and Vinh; and internationally with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia in the near future. Various activities scheduled in response to World Environment Day World Environment Day (June 5) in Vietnam will be organised under the theme “Nature’s call and our actions” by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) with a variety of activities. In a document issued on May 6, the ministry called on other ministries, state agencies, authorities of cities and provinces and concerned organisations nationwide to join activities of the Action Month for the Environment in response to World Environment Day. Ceremonies and parades in celebration of World Environment Day will take place across the country while banners and posters that promote biodiversity protection and the fight against illegal trade in wildlife will be placed at public places and main streets to improve public awareness on the environmental issues. Media agencies at national and local levels were requested to increase coverage of news and documentaries regarding environment protection and illegal wildlife trade prevention from now to the end of June. More activities are also scheduled, including freeing wild animals, planting trees, recycling, environmental cleaning, collecting litter, and dredging canals and lakes. Northern Lao Cai province will be the host of the national celebration of World Environment Day this year. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day aims to inspire people around the world to take action to prevent the strain on planet Earth’s natural systems from reaching breaking point. This year’s theme is the fight against illegal wildlife trade, which erodes the precious biodiversity and threatens the survival of awe-inspiring species, such as elephants, rhinos and tigers, as well as other creatures that are less celebrated. Vietnam began observing the day in 1982 and has undertaken many activities to contribute to raising public awareness on environment protection and sustainable development. PM attends ground-breaking ceremony for Hon Dau resort Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a groundbreaking ceremony of the Hon Dau luxury resort in Do Son district, the northern port city of Hai Phong on May 7. The resort, invested by the Him Lam Joint Stock Company, is scheduled to be completed by 2021 at a total cost of nearly 5 trillion VND (225 million USD). Located nearly 1km to the southeast of Do Son peninsula, Hon Dau covers 10 hectares. It is home to a lush tropical forest. As part of the project, a 2km suspension cable system will be installed to facilitate travelling between the mainland and the islet. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed the municipal authorities’ efforts to develop big infrastructure works serving the city’s socio-economic development. He suggested the city focus on promoting agricultural-industrial production, and pouring more investments into services, especially tourism. The PM asked the Him Lam JSC to ensure the progress of the project as well as regulations related to environmental protection.- PM attends Red Flamboyant Flower festival in Hai Phong The Hoa Phuong Do (Red Flamboyant Flower) Festival 2016 opened in the northern port city of Hai Phong on May 6, with the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The annual event, named after the symbol of Hai Phong - the red flamboyant tree grown across the city - was initiated in 2012 as a new tourism product with attractive and colourful cultural and sport activities at various cultural sites, popular tourist destinations and the main streets of Hai Phong. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Government leader praised efforts made by the local Party committee, authorities and people in making important achievements in socio-economic development and national defence and security, gradually asserting the city’s role as a key centre for industry, trade, services, and tourism in the northern region. The PM hoped that Hai Phong will continue promoting its traditions and facilitating innovation to create an attractive environment for business and investment, while building a modern government apparatus to serve the people and businesses and drive socio-economic development and international integration. A carnival with the participation of arts troupes from localities nationwide, and internationally from the Republic of Korea, China, Laos and Thailand was the highlight of the opening ceremony. About 70 other activities will form part of the three-day event such as a dove release ceremony, an orchid exhibition, street music performances and a golf tournament. At the opening ceremony, the port city received a certificate recognising its Opera House as a national artistic and architectural relic site and another certificate presented to bestow national intangible cultural heritage status to the festival worshipping Le Chan – a female commander during the Hai Ba Trung (Trung Sisters) uprising against foreign invaders in around 40 A.D. Briton donates rare-type blood to save Vietnamese man A man having a rare blood type in southern Vietnam who was admitted to hospital in a critical condition has been saved by a British donor after his grave state was described on Facebook by a medical worker. Tran Van Tuan, 37, was admitted to the emergency ward at Phu Quoc General Hospital in Kien Giang Province on May 4, with his lung pierced, suffering from pulmonary effusion. With Tuan’s blood type being A, Rh-negative, which was extremely rare among the Vietnamese community, doctors could not find proper blood for his transfusion from the hospital’s blood bank. After the hospital had contacted local organizations, hotels, and blood donors for help without success, Nguyen Phu Quy, an employee at Phu Quoc General Hospital, decided to use Facebook to spread the news in search of a suitable blood donor. Quy’s Facebook post was quickly spread across the social community, and was come across by Gareth Meadows, a British national who is director at an English center. With his limited Vietnamese proficiency, Meadows asked a local colleague to contact the hospital to confirm the information. After learning about Tuan’s case and knowing that his blood was compatible with the patient’s, Meadows rushed to the infirmary for a blood test and donation. After receiving blood transfusion, Tuan overcame the critical condition and was transferred to a higher-level hospital for further treatment. Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Meadows said he had been living in Vietnam for seven years and on Phu Quoc Island for three years, but this was the first time he had donated blood in the country. Meadows added he used to be a member of a blood donor club in the UK and had regularly donated blood in his home country. According to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, a blood type is considered rare when its occurrence in a community is below 0.1%, and is extremely rare if the rate is below 0.01%. In Vietnam, the Rh-negative blood type only occurs in 0.04 to 0.07% of the population, while the occurrence rate of this blood type in Caucasian communities ranges from 15 to 20%. Coach-truck accident kills 1, injures many others One man was killed and13 others were seriously injured when a coach collided with a truck early this morning on National Highway 1A in this central province’s Bình Sơn District. The accident occurred at around 1am when the coach, travelling north to south, rammed into a truck on the opposite site, killing the truck driver on the spot. Twelve seriously-injured passengers were transported to neighbouring Đà Nẵng City for treatment, along with the truck driver’s body. The others, who suffered multiple trauma and broken bones, were sent to the local Quảng Ngãi General Hospital. Two vehicles were damaged and traffic was blocked for a while. The initial investigation revealed the accident may have occurred when the coach tried to pass another vehicle and encroached upon the truck’s lane. The police will investigate the accident further. Lao man arrested for illegally trading drugs The police in the northern mountain province of Điện Biên arrested a man for illegally trading six cakes of heroin in Núa Ngam Commune of Điện Biên District yesterday. Ly A Chính, 37, of Lao nationality, was arrested while trading 2.1kg of heroin. Chính claimed he bought the drugs from Laos to Việt Nam for consumption. The case is being investigated. On Friday, the police in Lai Châu Province’s Than Uyên District arrested a 36-year-old man for the illegal trade of three cakes of heroin. Sa Pa summer festival promotes folk culture The Sapa summer festival took place in Sa Pa, northern Lao Cai province on May 7 as part of the four seasons’ festivals in the resort town to promote the distinctive beauty of local people and landscapes. It was also the start of a series of activities to celebrate the 2017 national tourism year in Lao Cai. The festival recreated the signature rites that represent unique folk cultures of local ethnic minority groups, including the Mong group’s pan-pipe prom, wedding ceremony on terraces of the Giay group, and village refreshing ceremony of the Xa Pho group. The performances were followed by a parade across main streets of Sa Pa and a firework display. Located at 1,600 metres above sea level in Vietnam’s remote northwest mountains, Sa Pa is a picturesque town famous for its fine, rugged scenery in line with rich cultural diversity of many ethnic minorities. Sa Pa is home to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation and Fansipan, the highest peak of the country. The town has become an ideal destination for domestic and foreign travellers, particularly with the opening of the Hanoi – Lao Cai expressway in 2014 which reduces the travel time from Hanoi to Lao Cai from seven to 3.5 hours. Lien Viet Postbank second at Thai volleyball open Vietnam’s Lien Viet Postbank finished second at the open volleyball club tournament for youths in Bangkok on May 7. The team lost to Nakornnont 3BB of the hosts 16-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 13-15 in the final. In the third-placed match, Bodindecha defeated Nakhon Non Wittaya School 6 3-0. The tournament featured 24 teams divided into eight groups. Vietnam topped group D. Vietnamese specialties form part of world culture festival in Brussels Vietnam joined some 30 countries in a festival showcasing the world’s cultural diversity at Place de la Bourse, the Belgian capital city of Brussels, on May 7. The Vietnamese Embassy and the general association of Vietnamese people in the country brought to the event the distinctive dishes of their homeland. Truong Thi Quyen, owner of restaurant Litte Asia in the downtown of Brussels, performed the making of “nem cuon” (fresh spring rolls), “nem ran” (fried spring rolls) and “nom du du” (green papaya salad), which are some of Vietnam’s delicacies, and invited visitors to taste them. A local citizen said she will learn to cook Vietnamese food and introduce it to her friends after trying “nem cuon”. Meanwhile, a group of young Cameroonians expressed their surprise at the special flavour of the sauce of the dish. The festival of the world cultures is held annually to honour the traditional cultural values of the foreign communities in Belgium. Visitors to the event also have a chance to have better understanding of the cultural identities of many countries through poems, novels, arts performances, and sculptures. A big parade was among the highlights of the festival. This year’s event also aimed to attract more tourists to Brussels after terror attacks at the city six weeks ago. National highway section reopened A 115-km stretch of the National Highway No 6 running through the provinces of Sơn La and Hòa Bình was re-opened to public on Saturday, May 7, 2016, by the Ministry of Transport after a year of road works. The upgraded stretch, funded to the tune of VNÐ600 billion (US$26.9 million) by the World Bank under the Việt Nam Road Asset Management Project, made traffic smoother for road users and shortened travel time from Hà Nội to Sơn La to about 4 hours. Cầm Ngọc Minh, chairman of the People’s Committee of Sơn La said National Highway No 6 was known as the arterial route connecting Hà Nội and the north-west region, so the upgrade was important. It would help boost socio-economic development in the province and the north-west region, he said. Speaking at the opening ceremony, National Assembly Vice-chairwoman Tòng Thị Phóng asked the transport ministry to co-operate with administrations of the two provinces to operate the stretch. Victoria Kwakwa, Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, said modernisation and upgrading of infrastructure was important, but sustainability was crucial. Road maintenance was the key to sustainability, as the costs of maintaining new facilities was rising rapidly, but it was often not taken into account in budget allocations, she said. Studies had proven that one dollar spent on road maintenance would save three dollars in later rehabilitation, she said. Tennis teams gear up for national championships The National Tennis Team Championship will begin in Đắk Nông Province on May 11. The annual tournament will feature 12 men’s and six women’s squads. The finals are on May 16.                                                  The matches will be lived aired on VTVcab. Popular in Vietnam, Thai fruits, vegetables fail toxic test at home Fruits and vegetables from Thailand have become popular in Vietnam thanks to competitive prices and presumed high quality, but recent safety tests may make consumers think again. Thailand since August 2014 has surpassed China to dominate the imported fruit and vegetable market in Vietnam, making up 38% of all sales. Figures from Vietnam’s Fruits and Vegetables Association showed that nearly US$60 million worth of Thai produce were sold in Vietnam in the first quarter of this year, up more than 2.2 times year-on-year. China came second with nearly 25%, followed by the US with 10%. Nguyen Thanh Ha, deputy director of Thu Duc wholesale market of agriculture produce in Ho Chi Minh City, said many local consumers have switched to Thai products as they were concerned about the quality of Chinese produce. She said most of Thai fruits are very popular in Vietnam because they look better but are not much more expensive than local ones. It therefore came as quite a shock for Vietnamese consumers when many Thai produce reportedly failed safety tests at home. Thai media reported earlier this week that tests conducted by Thailand’s Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) on 138 samples of popular fruits and vegetables found 46.6% of them contained residues higher than the safety standards. The tests were conducted in March, looking into 450 kinds of toxic residues. Thai-PAN coordinator Prokchol Ousup was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying that residues of 11 prohibited substances were found in the samples. Many of the tainted samples were guaranteed by the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards as of high quality. Ousup said 25 percent of the products certified as being organic, which were supposed to be free of chemicals, were found to contain chemical residues beyond the safe limits. All orange, guava and red samples failed the tests, so did 71.4 percent of dragon fruit samples, 66.7 percent of papaya, basil and long beans, 44 percent of mango, 22 percent of water spinach and 11 percent of tomato and cucumber. But cabbage and watermelon samples were free of harmful residues, according to the network. Vo Huu Thoai, deputy director of the Southern Fruit Research Institute, said Vietnamese government needs to take actions given new alerts from Thailand. “The authorities need to urgently deploy technical measures to protect consumers,” he said. However, according to some traders, the authorities have not been able to control quality of Thai fruits and vegetables brought into Vietnam via cross-border trade. Heat wave to extend across Vietnam in days to come A heat wave measuring up to 40 degrees Celsius (104oF) will be prolonged across Vietnam in three to five days to come, according to the country’s weather forecast center. According to forecasts by the National Center for Hydro – Meteorological Forecasting, provinces in the northwest and central regions will continue to experience high heat of 35 to 38 degrees Celsius (95-100.4oF) on Saturday, while the southern region will see a gradual drop in the intensity of the heat. The hot spell in northern and central Vietnam is forecast to last for at least three to five days and temperatures are expected to reach the highs of 37 to 40 degrees Celsius (98.6-104oF), with certain places hitting over 40 degrees. The heat wave will end in the northern region beginning next Tuesday, while decreasing in intensity across central coastal provinces. Vietnam’s southern region has recently been hit by an unusually extreme hot spell, beginning in March, which sent thousands of children to hospital while interfering with locals’ daily activities. Showery weather & thunderstorm appear in southern region The National Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center said that showery weather and thunderstorm are hitting the southern provinces of Vietnam starting May 7- 13, with its rainfall of 15 mm. The rainfall in the upper reaches of the Mekong River was measured at less than 5mm meanwhile the downstream reaches' area had no rains. The lowest temperature in the areas maintains at 25- 27 degrees Celsius, and the peak temperature at 35- 37 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature in the southeastern and southwestern region is measured at 34- 36 degrees Celsius. In parallel, the water level from the upstream Mekong River is higher than the yearly average at 0, 3- 0, 6 mm; and the water level from downstream reaches' area is lower than yearly average at 0, 1- 0, 3 mm. During May 7- 13, the water at Sai Gon, Dinh An, Vung Tau reservoir releases water is forecast to respectively reduce to 3, 4m, 3, 5 m and 3, 4m. At present, the salinity at the stations is higher than the same period of last year and yearly average. HCM City universities attend 2nd Science & Technology Forum The second science and technology forum under theme of "Connecting knowledge - Building the future" was opened at Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic University on May 7 with the participation of 11 universities across the southern region. The forum aims to connect scientific research lovers with experts in many fields, businesses and investors; and support students, helping their potential products become the start-up projects. Many events will be held during this year’s forum such as technological exhibition and performance, discussion following Fishbowl conference model and others. After the success of the first science and technology forum was held in Hoa Lac High Industrial Park last year, this year’s forum attracted the participation of crowded students and science- technology lovers from Institutions of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corporation in HCMC, Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic University, HCMC Industrial University, National University of Science and Technology in HCMC, FPT University, Hoa Sen (Lotus) University, HCMC Architecture University, HCMC Agriculture and Forestry University, RMIT University, RMIT International University, University of Natural Resources and Environment and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Exhibition for Peace & Friendship opens in HCMC The Ho Chi Minh City War Remnants Museum and the Vietnam Army Ordnance Museum jointly organized the exhibition titled “Humanity”. 87 images, documentaries, marterials are on display in accordance with three topics: the war in the north by US airforce and Navy; American pilots in the Vietnam War; the normalization of relations between Vietnam and the US. Chairwoman of HCMC War Remnants Museum Huynh Ngoc Van said the exhibition opens opportunity to domestic & international visitors to understand clearly the spirit of humanity of the Vietnamese party, government and Vietnamese people in the wartime. The exhibition lasts till May 31. Inspection of maritime environmental protection completed After four day working, the interagency inspection delegation chaired by Ministry of National Natural Resources and Environment yesterday completed inspection of law enforcement on maritime environmental protection, wastewater treatment system for some giant projects operating at Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh province, including Son Duong deepwater seaport complex project of Taiwanese Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company. Agencies and inspection teams had a final meeting with representatives of Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company and some enterprises operating at Vung Ang Economic zone to announce and summary test results after the four day inspection. As plan, the interagency delegation will send all reports to Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and functional agencies soon. Meanwhile, an expert group and representative of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also was on a fact- finding tour to Quang Binh to collect information about the mass seafood and coral deaths. Earlier, the delegation consisting of the Ministries of Natural Resources & Environment; Agriculture and Rural Development; Public Security; National Defense; Construction; Industry and Trade and leading domestic and foreign experts on the maritime environmental protection tested adopting progress for inspection of law enforcement on fresh environmental protection, wastewater treatment system, gas exhaust and industrial waste management for some projects at Vung Ang Economic Zone. VND2,100 bil invested in HCMC Highway The Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project proposed an investment of VND2,100 billion (US$ 94.4 million) for the Chon Thanh-Duc Hoa Highway. The Ho Chi Minh Highway for Chon Thanh – Duc Hoa section linking the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh and Long An under the BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract is expected to invest over VND 2,100 billion. Under the plan, the project will start construction in the end of 2016 and be completed in 2018. In the first phase, the road having two lanes is 12.25 meter wide. Vehicles can travel at maximum speed of 100 km per hour. The road will have two toll stations. Japanese Job Day 2016 opens opportunity for Danang students Dong A University in the central province of Da Nang launched the 2016 Japan Job day yesterday. 11 Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises joined the event to recruit 128 candidates. At the event, Dong A University signed agreement with three Japanese companies which plan to recruit 50 Vietnamese students to study & work in Japan. They include HTC Company; MH Vietnam Investment Promotion Company and Digital Ship Company. For the first quarter of 2015, Dong A University cooperated with Nanakamado Institute to send 200 students to Japanese’s Universities. The Japan of Asia pledged to train high quality human resource in Information Technology Sector each year. On this occasion, Dong A University’s leaders signed cooperation with Sacombank Branch in Danang, aiming to support finance for students who are planning to study in Japan. Vietjet Air active in sport, socio-cultural activities Vietjet Air has actively participated in a number of national and international sport and socio-cultural activities held in the country, with its latest involvement in the Ironman 70.3 world championship. The airline set up welcome booths at airports and supported a flash-mob dance for the grand ceremony of the championship, which was held in central Da Nang city on May 8. This year’s Ironman 70.3 attracted 1,132 athletes representing 60 countries, including over 25 professional triathletes and 50 relay teams. The host Vietnam joined the event with the biggest team of 172. France’s Cyril Viennot and Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen took the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. The airline has also enthusiastically supported university entrance exams, the Da Lat Flower Festival, and the Forbes 30 Under 30, among others. As the first airline in Vietnam to operate as a new-age airline, Vietjet uses the latest e-commerce technologies to offer various low-cost and diversified services and products to meet consumers’ demand. The airline recently won IOSA Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) after just over three years of operations. Vietjet was also declared “Best Asian Low Cost Carrier” at the TTG Travel Awards 2015, voted by travelers, travel agencies and tour operators in Asia. The airline was also rated as one of the top three fastest growing airline brands on Facebook in the world by Socialbakers and the most favorite airline in Vietnam in 2015. Currently, the airline boasts a fleet of 36 aircraft, including A320s and A321s, and operates 250 flights a day. It has already launched 50 routes in Vietnam and across the region to international destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taiwan, China, Myanmar and Malaysia. It has carried more than 20 million passengers to date. Looking ahead, the airline plans to expand its network across the region. It has signed agreements with the world’s leading aircraft-manufacturers to purchase more brand-new and modern aircraft. Binh Chanh Police find prosecuted duck shepherd not guilty The Investigation Agency under the Binh Chanh district Police Department yesterday officially suspended criminal charge against Mr. Nguyen Van Bi who had built a hut to tend ducks on his land. Colonel Nguyen Van Quy, former head of the district police, signed a decision to prosecute him for violating house building regulations. After Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper and other press agencies informed the nonsense prosecution, the Ho Chi Minh City Police’s Investigation Agency had inspected the case and determined that Mr. Bi’s hut building does not constitute a crime and the district police’s proposal to prosecute him was unfounded. Hence, the city’s Police requested Colonel Quy to withdraw inspection conclusions to Mr. Bi and suspended legal proceedings against him. This case followed a similar one in which the owner of Xin chao coffee shop in the same district was also wrongly prosecuted for illegal business. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered to stop criminalizing the matter. Afterwards, Binh Chanh Police suspended criminal charge against the coffee shop owner and apologized to him. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri