Trafficking survivors

Phan Dai Loi, 31, was handed the sentence after he was found to have collected nearly VND600 million ($26,000) for smuggling dozens of people to Taiwan. Mitigating circumstances however were applied to his sentence as he had sincerely confessed to the crime and had a good personal background, the court said. According to the indictment, between January and March 2018, Loi colluded with a relative living in Taiwan to arrange for nearly 50 people to cross the land border into China, before smuggling them into Taiwan by boat so they could live and work there illegally. Each person seeking Loi's service had to pay $6,500, of which $500 was given to him beforehand while the remaining amount was to be paid once the person reached Taiwan. However, two people being smuggled by Loi's trafficking ring died when their boat capsized near Taiwan's coast while 28 were discovered, arrested and deported by Taiwanese authorities. Police arrested Loi in October last year following reports submitted by … [Read more...] about Man jailed for trafficking job seekers to Taiwan

Tales of heroism, devastation and horrifying injuries emerged Tuesday after New Zealand's smouldering White Island volcano exploded, killing an estimated 13 people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said five people had died and eight more were presumed dead after Monday's eruption, while dozens of injured had been airlifted to hospitals across the country. Among the 47 people caught on the island during the sudden eruption were tourists from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Germany and Malaysia, as well as local tour guides. Amid questions over why tourists were allowed to visit the volcano, police announced a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and injuries. Ardern praised the crews of four rescue helicopters for landing on the island soon after the eruption. "Those pilots made an incredibly brave decision under extraordinarily dangerous circumstances in an attempt to get people out," she told reporters. Intensive care paramedic Russell Clark … [Read more...] about Heroism, devastation after deadly N. Zealand volcano eruption

Officers and soldiers of Vietnam's second level-2 field hospital (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Preventing conflicts, enhancing preventive diplomacy, settling conflicts via peaceful measures, intensifying multilateralism, consolidating sustainable development, coping with climate change and promoting human rights will be Vietnam’s priorities during its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021. With the aim of becoming a “partner for sustainable peace,” Vietnam has made direct contributions to international peacekeeping missions. Five years after Vietnam joined the UN peacekeeping operations in 2014, the country has sent officers to two UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The country’s first level-2 field hospital has been awarded with the UN’s “For the cause of peacekeeping” order. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2008-2009, Vietnam … [Read more...] about Vietnam records remarkable achievements in human rights

The talks were held on the occasion of Hue’s attendance at the 15th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) and the 15th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO). Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng meets in Nanning on September 11 Deputy PM Hue spoke highly of the organisation of the 15th CABIS and CAEXPO in coincidence with the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership. He noted with satisfaction that relations between Vietnam and China have continued the positive development trend and made new strides with important common perceptions reached during visits and meetings between their leaders. China remains the biggest trade and tourism partner of Vietnam, and Vietnam also ranks first and eighth among ASEAN and global trade partners of China, respectively. While cooperation in agriculture, science-technology, culture, sports, tourism, education and health care has enjoyed good progress, … [Read more...] about Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue holds talks with Chinese Vice Premier

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks at the general debate on migrants and refugees of the 138th IPU Assembly in Geneva on March 25 (Photo: VNA) Geneva (VNA) – Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has emphasised that to solve migration crises, it is necessary to enhance cooperation at global level with the active participation of countries and international organisations. Ngan was addressing the first general debate, themed “Strengthening the global regime for migrants and refugees: the need for evidence-based policy solutions”, at the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 25 (local time). In her speech, she underscored the need to create a full legal framework to help protect human dignity and rights along with the fundamental freedoms of migrants, while promoting their contributions to the development of each nation in terms of not only economy but also culture and … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for stronger cooperation to solve migration crises