Outstanding domestic news of the past week

1. Activities of Party and State leaders after Lunar New Year

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presents gifts to workers of Hung Yen province.

- General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong gives New Year greetings and plants trees in Hung Yen

On the morning of February 19 (the 4th day of the Lunar New Year), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited and extended New Year greetings to the Party Committee, government, and people of Hung Yen province and attended the launching ceremony of the 2018 Mau Tuat Spring Tree Planting Festival, responding to the Tet tree planting movement to forever remember Uncle Ho.

President launches Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho

- President launches Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho

On the morning of February 21, President Tran Dai Quang attended the ceremony and beat the drum to launch the "Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho" Spring Mau Tuat 2018 organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the People's Committee of Bac Kan province in Quan Binh commune, Bach Thong district, Bac Kan province.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and comrade Tran Quoc Vuong offered incense to commemorate Emperor Quang Trung.

-Prime Minister attends festival celebrating Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da victory

On the morning of February 20, the 5th day of the Lunar New Year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the festival celebrating the 229th anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da victory, a sacred traditional festival to commemorate the great contributions of Emperor Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam beats the drum to open the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival in the spring of Mau Tuat 2018. This is the fourth time Bai Dinh Pagoda has opened its spring festival after the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, including Bai Dinh Pagoda.

-Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam beats the drum to open the 2018 Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival

On February 21 (January 6, Mau Tuat year), at Bai Dinh pagoda, Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Ninh Binh province held the opening ceremony of Bai Dinh pagoda festival 2018. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam attended and beat the drum to open the festival.

The Prime Minister visited people in Dong Chau hamlet, Hai Dong commune, Hai Hau district.

-Prime Minister visits and encourages farmers to go to the fields in early spring

On the morning of February 21, on the first day back to work after the Lunar New Year holiday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and encouraged production at the beginning of the year in the new rural district of Hai Hau, Nam Dinh province.

2. Don't let January be a month of partying

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Ministers at the Government Standing Committee meeting after the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: VGP

On the afternoon of February 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting of the Government Standing Committee with a number of ministries and branches on the situation of the Lunar New Year.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the cadres, workers, armed forces, medical staff, press agencies, and functional agencies that have served the people, bringing a warm and safe Tet to the people.

Noting the implementation of the telegram on performing tasks after the 2018 Lunar New Year holiday, the Prime Minister emphasized the spirit that all levels, sectors, and units must immediately get to work and implement specific tasks. Ministries, sectors, and agencies review the tasks within their management scope to immediately get to work, not letting January be a month of partying.

3.Vietnam Buddhist Sangha proposes to abolish the custom of burning votive paper

People burn votive paper money on the night of the 30th of Tet Mau Tuat at Ma May Street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi).

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has just issued Official Dispatch No. 31 signed by Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, on enhancing the beauty of traditional national culture at Buddhist places of worship.

The official dispatch requests the Standing Committee of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in provinces and centrally-run cities to guide monks and nuns residing in monasteries (including pagodas, ancestral temples, hermitages, meditation monasteries, convents, hermitages, and Buddhist prayer halls), especially monasteries that are historical and cultural relics, to organize festivals in a civilized and economical manner, without showing off, and promoting national cultural traditions and Buddhist culture.

4.Dismissed and removed from office 3 relatives of former Chairman of Gia Lai

Former Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham The Dung (center) committed many violations while in office.

Gia Lai province authorities dismissed, removed from office, and demoted three relatives of former Gia Lai province People's Committee Chairman Pham The Dung because their appointment did not meet the conditions and standards.

Previously, the Central Inspection Committee issued a statement clearly stating the violations of Mr. Pham The Dung (former Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee for the 2011-2016 term) who, during his time as a provincial leader, had failed to set an example in proposing the appointment of a number of relatives who did not meet the standards and conditions.

5. Prosecution of young worker who murdered 5 people in his boss's family in Saigon

Subject Tinh declared at the investigation agency. Photo: Provided by the police.

On February 21, Ho Chi Minh City Police prosecuted and temporarily detained Nguyen Huu Tinh (18 years old, from An Giang) on ​​charges of murdering 5 people in the family of Mr. Mai Xuan Chinh (46 years old) and robbery.

Tinh worked at Mr. Chinh's mechanical workshop in alley 131, street number 7 (Binh Hung Hoa ward, Binh Tan district) for nearly two months. He still maintained his statement that he was resentful because Mr. Chinh's wife often scolded him.

After attending the employer’s New Year’s Eve party on February 12, Tinh remained at his employer’s house while the other workers had gone home to celebrate Tet. Late that night, he killed Mr. Chinh in the attic. The victim’s wife resisted and ran away, but he chased her downstairs and stabbed her to death.Tinh killed the three children aged 6-13 of the owner in other rooms upstairs.

On New Year's Eve, dozens of detectives split into many directions to at least 3 provinces in the West to capture Tinh. At noon on the first day of Tet, he was controlled while drinking with a group of friends in Long An.