HCM City: A centre for digital transformation (DXCentre) was recently set up in Ho Chi Minh City with a view to supporting agencies, organisations, and enterprises in going digitalised and studying, piloting, and transferring digital technology products. DXCentre will capitalise on digital and data technologies, expand cooperation, mobilise resources so as to provide digital services to serve the people and enterprises, and develop digital government to create motives for the development of digital economy and data economy. Besides operating a data centre and a data transmission network, the centre will provide guidance and technical support for relevant sides to roll out digital platforms, develop digital services and smart urban areas. It is responsible for ensuring information safety for the city's data centre, digital platforms, information system, and shared database. Additionally, it will carry out training programmes and give consultations on digital transformation to small and medium businesses. HCM City is one of the five leading localities in the country for digital transformation, with most administrative procedures available for use online. There are now more than 7,000 ICT businesses working in the city with a total e-commerce value of 7.8 billion USD, accounting for nearly half of the country's total. The city has set various targets for its digital transformation by 2030. It strives to become a healthcare centre of Vietnam and the ASEAN region with a medical ecosystem of 6,000 modern clinics and hospitals that provide medical care, and implement AI in disease diagnosis and treatment. It is developing a booming digital economy with an expected contribution of 25% and 40% to the city's GRDP in 2025 and 2030, respectively, to maintain the national leading position economically./. Source: Vietnam News Agency A court on Friday acquitted former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae of all 47 charges related to his alleged abuse of judiciary power, including allegations he unfairly influenced politically sensitive trials under ousted former President Park Geun-hye. The Seoul Central District Court also acquitted two other former Supreme Court justices, Park Byong-dae and Ko Young-han, who were indicted in the same case. "I express my respect for the court, which ruled clearly on an obvious case," Yang said as he left the court after the ruling. Yang, who headed the top court from 2011-17, was accused of having used trials as bargaining chips in dealings with the Park administration to promote his bid to establish a court of appeals. He was also suspected of having pressed subordinates at the National Court Administration, the top court's governing body, to devise plans to influence politically sensitive trials for Park, including a compensation suit pursued by victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. Pros ecutors had demanded prison terms of seven years for Yang, five years for Park and four years for Ko. The court said most of the charges against some of Yang's subordinates, including those of abuse of power, could not be proven, and even if they were found partially guilty, the evidence submitted by the prosecution was insufficient to prove Yang colluded with them. The former chief justice was indicted under arrest in February 2019 over his suspected role in the power abuse scandal. He was released on bail in July that year following 179 days of detention. The sentencing hearing lasted an unusually long 4 1/2 hours, due to the vast number of charges involved, and was even adjourned for a 10-minute break. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said it plans to thoroughly study the details of the ruling before deciding whether to appeal. Yang was the first chief justice ever to have been arrested as a criminal suspect. Source: Yonhap News Agency