Fruit bearing plants that grow in the shade

Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh La Thang at the first-instance trial in Hanoi on March 8. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Court of Hanoi on March 8 opened a first-instance trial of the case of violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences at the Phu Tho ethanol plant in the northern province of the same name. There are 12 defendants in the case, including former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Dinh La Thang; former Chairman of the Board of Directors and former General Director of the PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC) Trinh Xuan Thanh; and several former executives of PetroVietnam, PVC and the PetroVietnam PetroChemicals and Biofuel JSC (PVB). Trinh Xuan Thanh has been charged with “violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences” under Article 224, Clause 3 of the Penal Code 2015, and “abusing position and power while performing duties” under Article 356, Clause 3. Thang, meanwhile, has been accused of “violating regulations on investment in construction works, causing serious consequences.” A total of 31 lawyers will represent the defendants during the 10-day trial. According to the indictment, Thang signed a resolution to approve the investment in the Phu Tho ethanol project in October 2007. With Thanh’s support, PVC/Alfa Laval/Delta-T joint contractors, who had no previous experience in carrying out ethanol projects, were assigned to be in charge of the project. As a result, the project was continuously behind schedule and stopped in March 2013 with no construction items done. Wrongdoings of the defendants were said to cause a loss of more than 543 billion VND (23.49 million USD)./. VNA …

[Read more...] about First-instance trial opens for Phu Tho ethanol plant case

No measure of money can be exchanged for the mark of time. These trees, with a lifetime of over 1,000 years, are associated with national culture and history. Apitong tree dates back to Hung Kings Vietnam’s oldest tree has been carefully taken care of by authorities. Topping the list of longevity is the apitong tree, which holds the record for the oldest tree in Vietnam and is related to the sacred tale of Thien Co temple (Trung Vuong commune, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province). According to scientists, the tree is more than 2,100 years old. Legend has it that the temple is located on the capital land of the ancient Van Lang country. This apitong tree, over the two millennia, has been a witness to the natural and social history of the locality with invaluable cultural and spiritual values. It was recognized as a Heritage Tree by Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) on May 28, 2012. Thien Co temple worships the wedded couple, teacher Vu The Lang and Nguyen Thi Thuc, who raised Princesses Tien Dung and Ngoc Hoa, the offspring of 18th Hung Vuong King, as noted in ancient book entitled “Ngoc Pha Hung Vuong”. The pair was buried by the locals in the village, the temple was later built, and the tree was planted alongside at from that time. This is the oldest tree in Vietnam. The largest Cinnamomum camphora nationwide This tree was named a Vietnamese Heritage Tree on November 26, 2013. Giua villagers (Tien Luc commune, Lang Giang district, Bac Giang province) take great pride in the 1000-year-old Camphor tree which has a diameter of 2.59 meters, and is almost 30 meters high. Essential oils are present in all parts of the plant, making it an exceedingly rare breed. In addition, the tree roots contains safrol which is a valuable ingredient in food processing and cosmetic technology. This massive tree is recognized as one of the two largest Cinnamomum camphoras on the …

[Read more...] about Trees thousands of years old – treasures beyond price

Vietnam begins COVID-19 vaccination on March 8 Vietnam launches its COVID-19 inoculation drive on March 8 morning, administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to medical workers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and northern Hai Duong province – the country’s biggest pandemic hotspot at present. The vaccination is conducted at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and two medical centres in Hai Duong. As many as 100 staff members of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases are expected to receive the shots in the morning of March 8. The hospital is allocated 450 doses among the first batch of 117,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine the country has received. In Hai Duong, 50 medical workers at Hai Duong city’s medical centre, and 30 others at Kim Thanh district’s medical centre will be the first in the province to be injected. The Ministry of Health has allocated the vaccine to 13 localities, along with the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and 21 hospitals during the first phase. Among the localities, all having reported COVID-19 cases since the latest wave of outbreaks since January 27, the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is given 8,000 doses, Hai Duong CDC 32,000, and HCM City CDC 8,000. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security each receive 30,000 doses. At a meeting on March 6, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stressed the need to ensure equality in vaccine access as suggested by the WHO, UNICEF and COVAC. The localities excluded in the first phase should continue to prepare for the inoculation, with training programmes, he said, adding that they would receive the vaccine after the next shipment arrives in Vietnam in March. The ministry will roll out the vaccination in all COVID-19 treatment hospitals, prioritising those involved in frontline work, and those who participate in the pandemic combat in the community like …

[Read more...] about VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 8