Violations

  253 projects in Hải Phòng have been discovered to violate land law. — VNA/VNS Illustrative Photo HẢI PHÒNG — Authorities in northern Hải Phòng City have discovered 253 projects which showed signs of land law violations. According to Trần Văn Phương, director of the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, one of the most popular violations committed by enterprises after being assigned or hired State land lots is delaying implementing projects. The city's People’s Committee has retrieved more than 295ha of land from 19 violating projects. Among those, six projects covering 10.03ha have been assigned to new investors. They include project of Đông Á Aquaculture Development Company, located in Ngọc Hải Ward, Đồ Sơn District, assigned to Hải Phòng Food Company; project of Kinh Thành Trading Joint Stock Company in Cát … [Read more...] about Hải Phòng to review land violations

According to the Government Office, in the last 9 months, it cooperated with related ministries & sectors, and local authorities to standardize and upgrade necessary databases for administrative procedures regarding citizens and businesses in order to integrate them for the services launched on the portal. This public service portal, an essential milestone in the implementation of the people-centered and enterprise-centered approach, aims at delivering transparent information about administrative procedures as well as actually carrying out these practical works online. The portal is supposed to save more than VND4,200 billion (approx. US$181.4 million) per year. At the launching time, the portal with the address http://dichvucong.gov.vn provides 5 online public services in all 63 provinces and cities, consisting of driving license re-issue, promotion activity notices, health insurance card re-issue due to loss or damage, low-voltage power supply to individuals, households and … [Read more...] about National public service portal formally launched

Tran Van Toan was carrying the tranquilized bear in his taxi on National Route 1A near Can Loc District at around 7 p.m. when police flagged down the vehicle on suspicion. They found the bear in a cage in the back, and Toan had no documents indicating why he was transporting the animal. He told the officers he had been asked by an acquaintance to carry passengers from Can Loc to the neighboring province of Nghe An, but upon reaching the pick-up destination the acquaintance told him to transport the bear. "I initially declined, but they said the bear has all the necessary documents and they would take all responsibility. I agreed for a little extra cash." The bear was handed over to a wildlife preservation center in the northern Ninh Binh Province. The police are continuing their investigation. Vietnam is home to both the moon bear and the sun bear, species listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Violation of wildlife protection laws is … [Read more...] about Ha Tinh police save moon bear from traffickers

Vietnamese representative to the UN speaks at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.   (Photo: baoquocte.vn) New York (VNA) – Pham Hai Anh, Vietnam’s representative to the United Nations, on December 10 affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance that all disputes  should be settled via peaceful measures, in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While speaking at a plenary meeting on oceans and the law of the sea of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Anh said the settlement of disputes should also respect diplomatic and legal processes and not use or threaten to use force. He stressed the role of the UNCLOS as a constitution on oceans and the sea, especially in waters with disputes like the East Sea, over the past 25 years. As a coastal country, Vietnam is well aware that the peaceful and sustainable use of the sea is a vital condition for sustainable … [Read more...] about Vietnam stresses settlement of maritime disputes by peaceful measures

A Myanmar soldier at the border area. (Source: AFP/Getty Images) Washington DC (VNA) - The US Treasury Department on August 17 announced to sanction four commanders and two military units of Myanmar, accusing them of being related to human rights abuse cases in the country. In a press release, the department said the targeted commanders were from Burmese military and Border Guard Police (BGP). Together with the 33rd Light Infantry Division (LID) and the 99th LID, the commanders were punished over the alleged involvement in ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State and "other widespread human rights abuses" in Kachin and Shan States.  As a result of these actions, any property, or interest in property, of those designated within US jurisdiction is blocked. Additionally, US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the blocked persons, including entities 50 percent or more owned by the designated persons. Last June, the European Union and Canada also imposed … [Read more...] about US sanctions Myanmar military personnel, units over human rights abuse