By Joe Fotalatee
Two Deputy Prime Ministers Canned
Amid protracted investigations fueled by a campaign to root out corruption, Vietnam fired two deputy prime ministers, the most senior officials to be relieved of their duties since 2017.
The National Assembly removed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam from office after a four-day special session. The vote also resulted in the removal of Pham Binh Minh, who had served in the role since late 2013.
According to the news website VnExpress, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the National Assembly earlier today to dismiss Minh and Dam at their requests. The National Assembly tally shows 484 delegates cast ballots, 476 did so in favor of the dismissals, and three abstained.
Vietnam Oil Production Slowed
The government announced on Thursday that the largest oil refinery in Vietnam will experience a 20–25% drop in output during the first ten days of January due to the shutdown of its residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit.
The government announced in a statement that the RFCC unit at the 200,000 barrel-per-day Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical leaks.
Late last month, Reuters was the first to report on the shutdown.
To make up for the shortage and “ensure sufficient fuels for the local market until the end of the first quarter,” the Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked fuel dealers to increase their imports.
Updated Blue Passports With Birth Dates
The new version of the Vietnamese passport will include the holder’s place of birth information starting on September 15, according to a directive from the Ministry of Public Security to the Viet Nam Immigration Department.
According to To Lam, the minister of public security, the new passport for Vietnam is a result of the 2019 National Assembly-approved Law on the Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens.
According to the MPS report delivered to lawmakers, the new passport satisfies higher security standards and requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) than the previous model. The full name, passport number, date of birth, sex, and expiration date are all required information per ICAO regulations.
Trapped Boy Declared Deceased
A 10-year-old Vietnamese boy who had spent four days trapped inside a hollow concrete pillar at a construction site was officially pronounced dead on Wednesday.
Rescuers were attempting to raise the pillar from its 35-meter-deep (115-foot-deep) hole and cut out the young Thai Ly Hao Nam in the Dong Thap province of the Mekong Delta.
The boy fell into the 25-centimeter (12-inch) wide shaft on Saturday while searching for scrap metal. The site was part of the construction of a new bridge.
