Brief News - December 14

1. Hanoi’s People’s Court in its first-instance trial of a drug-trafficking ring yesterday sentenced eight to death and eight others to life imprisonment. The rest got 14 to 20 years behind bars. (TTXVN) 

2. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, former vice chairman of Que Son District of Quang Nam Province went on trail Tuesday for alleged charges of forest destruction in the locality. (PL) 

3. The river division of the HCMC Department of Transport and Public Works on Wednesday presented 50 life jackets to boat owners at Phuoc Binh My port in District 9 to raise awareness of traffic safety. 

4. A Vietnamese boat with 10 fishermen aboard has gone adrift to the Malaysian waters. (Tuoi Tre) 

5. The national weather center has said a drought hit the northern region last month, causing the water level of Hoa Binh reservoir to fall. 

6. Nguyen Van Hoang has been detained by the HCMC police for alleged involvement in at least 11 murders, robberies and property arrogation since 2004. (TTXVN)

7. A child was killed at hospital on Monday due to a bomb explosion at a dumpsite in HCMC’s District 9. (NLD)

8. A person was killed in HCMC yesterday when a truck lost brake, crashing into a motorbike, a girl and a house by the road. Luckily, the girl escaped from death. (TTXVN) 

9. HCMC’s environmental police and Saigon Port customs officers on Tuesday detained 46 tons of untreated garbage imported by Hai Luu Co. 

10. Danang’s Marine Search and Rescue Center on Tuesday carried out an exercise to improve the search and rescue capacity at sea. (Tuoi Tre)

(Saigon Times Daily, December 14, 2007)