The HCMC People's Court's conviction statement said that Hang, the general director of the Dai Nam Joint Stock Company, had been the main planner of dozens of livestream sessions in which her speeches slandered others, thereby "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, and the lawful rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens." Business mogul Nguyen Phuong Hang at her trial on September 21, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung Her accomplice Dang Anh Quan was given a sentence of 2 years and 6 months in prison, while accomplices Nguyen Thi Mai Nhi, Huynh Cong Tan, and Le Thi Thu Ha were all sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. Along with jail terms, the defendants were ordered to pay VND18 million ($742) to each relevant party, Dang Thi Han Ni and Dinh Thi Lan, as compensation. Prior to Hang's conviction, singer Dam Vinh Hung, singer Vy Oanh, singer Thuy Tien and her former footballer husband Le Cong Vinh had dismissed … [Read more...] about Tycoon gets three years for ‘abusing democratic freedoms’
Recoveries in real estate
Mini apartment blocks in eye of controversy after Hanoi fire kills 56
"Mini apartment blocks cannot be legalized," National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said this week as he demanded a review of fire safety regulations in the capital after the fire in a 10-floor mini apartment building killed 56 people , including children, and injuring 37 on Sept. 12. Mini apartment blocks, which typically have between five and 10 floors divided into small apartments, have been mushrooming in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in recent years despite having no legal sanction. There is no official data, but according to national utility Vietnam Electricity, around 2,000 buildings in Hanoi that are connected to the grid can be classified as mini apartment towers. Vu Ngoc Anh, head of the Ministry of Construction’s science, technology and environment department, pointed out to reporters Thursday that the 2014 Housing Law does not recognize mini apartment buildings as a separate category, and so in essence they are residential buildings like others. Many owners have … [Read more...] about Mini apartment blocks in eye of controversy after Hanoi fire kills 56
Cement firms maintain pessimistic outlook
In Nghe An province, several cement plants have had to temporarily cease the operation of their kilns or significantly reduce capacity. Having come on stream in early 2020 with an annual capacity of two million tonnes, the Tan Thang Cement plant, based in Quynh Luu district, has been running well below capacity for most of this year. Meanwhile, Vicem Hoang Mai, a member of the state-owned conglomerate Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (Vicem), has only been able to sell around one million tonnes of cement over the year to date, down 15 per cent on-year. This came as the Philippines – the company’s major export market – offered a lower price. Several cement plants in other localities have offered products with more competitive pricing, making a dent in the company’s sales. Nghe An is home to four cement plants with a combined designed capacity of 7.8 million tonnes per year. In the neighbouring Thanh Hoa province, cement production and consumption also face … [Read more...] about Cement firms maintain pessimistic outlook
Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand
But thanks to social media rumors and a blockbuster movie, the kingdom's image among many Chinese people is now one of dangerous illegality and seedy scam border compounds - leaving visitor numbers plummeting. Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China. The country welcomed more than 10 million Chinese visitors each year before the Covid-19 pandemic - numbers Bangkok is desperate to see return. But its struggling holiday industry has been hit by viral social media rumors claiming that tourists might be kidnapped and sent across the border to work in brutal scamming compounds in Myanmar or Cambodia. Chinese tourist Jia Xueqiong spent a week in Thailand with her husband and daughter, despite her parents' disapproval. "They felt it was not safe here, and tried to persuade us not to come," the 44-year-old nurse told AFP outside Bangkok's unusually quiet Grand Palace. "All my friends said 'You go first to explore, if it's ok we will follow'," she said. Her … [Read more...] about Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand