A brief look at what is in the news today, November 16!

Politics

-- Vietnam’s Embassy in Indonesia has sent a representative to attend the court hearing in Ranai City on Thursday for five Vietnamese fishermen charged with conducting illegal fishing activities in Indonesian waters, eight months after their arrest in April.

-- Vietnam’s lawmaking National Assembly convenes on Thursday for a questioning session where cabinet members are expected to provide answers on issues in the fields of finance, banking, information and technology, and justice.

Society

-- Nearly 15,000 plots of land reserved for relocation in central Vietnam’s Da Nang City are being left in disuse despite the fact that many construction projects are slowed down due to challenges in relocating affected residents.

-- Wrongdoings and violations in Hanoi’s management of land and public properties between 2002 and 2014 resulted in a loss of around VND6 trillion (US$264.32 million) in budget collection, according to the conclusion of government inspectors.

-- A VND3,465 billion ($152.64 million) project to install a ten-kilometer water pipeline from a water factory in Thu Duc District to downtown Ho Chi Minh City is expected to provide a backup plan for the current pipeline which has been in use for nearly 50 years.

-- Families of eight patients who in May died after undergoing renal dialysis at a hospital in northern Hoa Binh Province have threatened to sue the hospital for failure to pay compensation for the death of their loved ones.

Business

-- The General Department of Vietnam Customs has issued a dispatch requesting all customs departments in the country to stop clearing the export of silica sand – used in the production of glass – as per a government order to preserve natural resources.

-- The developer of five-star hotel Seashells in Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc Island has been ordered to remove the top floor of the under-construction building for exceeding its floor limit, according to Mai Anh Nhin, deputy chairman of Kien Giang Province.

-- Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has said it is looking into the abolishment of around 100 business conditions for enterprises in the food sector as well as a number of other administrative procedures in an attempt to facilitate a better business environment.

Lifestyle

-- Around 450 foreign and domestic businesses in the food industry have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2017 Vietnam Foodexpo – running from November 15 to 18 – to showcase agricultural products and cuisines of their countries and connect with global partners.

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