Weathermen in shocking inaccurate prediction

Many people in the HCM City had to cancel their plans last weekend for fear of flooding after the Southern Region Hydrometeorological Forecast Station forecasted the city would experience heavy rains last Saturday.

People stayed at home, bracing for the weather.

The precautions were understandable after historic downpours flooded the city last Monday. People struggled to commute on flooded streets as the city witnessed heavy rainfall, with some streets submerged in half a metre of water.  

Hundreds of drivers had to tow their motorbikes, unable to ride them as half the wheel was submerged in water. Many motorbikes broke down and others were stuck in gridlock caused by flooding. Basements, and even ground floors in some places, were inundated in many parts of the city.

However, in contrast with the forecast, the weather on Saturday and Sunday was dry as a bone.

While many people hoped for another sunny day yesterday like last weekend, it rained from yesterday morning to the surprise of many. Locals hurried to buy umbrellas and raincoats or rushed home to avoid flooding and congestion.

A forecast is still just forecast. People in HCM City should always remember their raincoats or umbrellas in case of unexpected rain.

Be wary of spoiled children

How often do you buy toys for your kids? Once a month or every two months?

A young father in the southern province of Bình Dương surprised his neighbours by buying a new Chinese electric ride-on car for his son every two weeks. Each car cost between VNĐ1-3 million (US$45-134).

Unluckily for Nguyễn Quốc Cường, his extreme adoration for the son caught the attention of local police who had been spending months investigating a drug trafficking ring.

The investigation found that Cường and his accomplice used the electric cars to transport drugs from the north to the south of the country.

Cường told police that he ordered drugs from a woman in the northern border province of Lạng Sơn, who then hid the drugs in the electric cars and sent the vehicles to him by coach.

No tax, no custom

Regulars of a restaurant in the central province of Hà Tĩnh’s Bắc Hà Ward were surprised at being unable to enter the restaurant last week.

The restaurant wasn’t full or about to close but the customers were stopped from entering by local tax officers.

Three or four tax officers from Bắc Hà Ward stood in front of the restaurant and asked anyone trying to get in to go away. They explained that the restaurant had not paid its taxes.

Owner of the restaurant, Phan Thị Thúy, explained that she had not paid the tax because the rate had skyrocketed, from VNĐ1 million ($45) to 4 million ($179) per month.

Businesses must pay their tax and there are many ways to collect taxes but what the officials in Hà Tĩnh did was certainly unique. - VNS