• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VietNam Breaking News

Update latest news from Vietnam

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimers
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Submit your story

Border guard jobs

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 19

March 19, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Work on HCMC’s metro line 2 to start in mid-2022

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 19
A road section is cleared to make room for HCMC’s second metro line project. Work on the project is expected to start next year – PHOTO: NLDO

In a report on the project’s progress sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Binh stated that the site clearance work for the project would be completed in the first months of this year, while the relocation of technical infrastructure facilities would start in August, the local media reported.

The Management Authority for Urban Railways of HCMC is completing procedures to invite tenders for the project this year.

According to the municipal government, the project is facing some obstacles, such as reappraising loan conditions, extending a loan contract with the German development bank KfW that expired on December 31, 2020, and signing an appendix with the consulting firm of the project, Implementation Consultant, which stopped work on the project in October 2018.

Therefore, the city proposed the Ministry of Planning and Investment support the removal of these obstacles, so that the project can be completed as scheduled.

The second metro line project in HCMC, which requires an estimated investment of more than VND47.8 trillion, was designed to be over 11 kilometers long, including a 9.2-kilometer underground section, an elevated section and an approaching road section to the Tham Luong Depot. The metro line will include nine underground stations and an elevated station.

The cleared sites have been handed over for four stations—S9-Ba Queo in Tan Binh District, S10-Pham Van Bach, S11-Tan Binh and S5-Le Thi Rieng. In addition, the office building and auxiliary facilities at the Tham Luong Depot have been built.

As planned, the route will be constructed for four years and put into operation in 2026. Once in place, it will connect the first metro line at the Ben Thanh Station in District 1 and metro lines No. 5, 3b, 4 and 6.

HCM City searching for foreigner who fled quarantine centre

Relevant agencies in Ho Chi Minh City are searching for a foreigner who failed to observe quarantine regulations after entering Vietnam illegally, the city’s Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) announced on March 18.

Police in Cu Chi district announced the search for Yang Gui Bin, a Chinese national born in 1986, who had previously been quarantined at the Cu Chi Hospital for COVID-19 Treatment after being caught by police for illegal entry.

Yang tested negative twice for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on March 6 and 11, and then fled on March 15.

According to the HCDC, 824 health workers at the city’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases had received shots against COVID-19 as of March 16.

Some of those vaccinated displayed predicted symptoms such as pain at the site of injection, muscle pain, headache and fever, but all are now in a stable condition.

The municipal Department of Health has asked the HCDC to hold training courses at vaccination sites on the implementation of the COVID-19 inoculation drive./.

15th NA election: Presidium of VFF Central Committee holds second consultative conference

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee held the second consultative conference on March 18 to reach agreement on a preliminary list of candidates nominated by central agencies for the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly.

In opening the conference, Tran Thanh Man, President of the VFF Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Election Council, noted that according to election regulations, consultative conferences will be held three times to select worthy candidates for the election in a democratic manner.

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee held the first consultative conference on February 4, and the third one will be completed before 5pm April 19.

After the first consultative conference, agencies, organisations and units held meetings to nominate candidates for the NA election, and to collect voters’ opinions on their nominees.

According to Man, by March 17 the VFF had received dossiers of 205 nominated candidates, and preparations for the election are going according to schedule and in compliance with regulations.

At the conference, 100 percent of delegates approved the preliminary list of 205 candidates nominate by central agencies, organisations and units.

As of March 17, the number of nominated candidates nationwide stood at 1,161, which is 2.3 times the number of deputies to be elected to the NA.

It is noteworthy that 24 provinces and cities reported 77 self-nominated candidates, including 30 in Hanoi, and 16 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The elections of deputies to the 15th-tenure National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure are scheduled to take place on May 23.

Critically ill infected patient recovers in biggest coronavirus hotspot

A critically ill infected patient has been discharged from hospital in Hai Duong province, the epicenter of Vietnam’s latest coronavirus outbreak, after making a full recovery from the virus.

The man was admitted to field hospital No. 2 on February 17, suffering from severe respiratory failure, rapid shallow breathing, and extremely low oxygen levels in the blood. CT scan results show his lungs were seriously damaged.

His deteriorating health forced doctors to put him on a ventilator and a dialysis machine the following morning.

After 3 days of receiving intensive care and treatment, the patient displayed signs of recovery. He did not need an ECMO intervention – a therapy that is used to support critically ill patients.

The patient was able to breathe himself on February 23 and walk with support from medical workers the following day.

“I am very happy to be released for home. I would like to thank doctors for saving my life,” the man said after receiving intensive care and treatment for nearly a month in the hospital.

Field hospital No2 has been established after the virus recurred in Hai Duong in late January 2021. It has since given treatment to 376 patients, of whom 234 have recovered and have been discharged from hospital.

Scholarships for Vietnamese students in India announced

The Embassy of Vietnam in India, with support from the Centre for Indian Studies at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Centre for Vietnamese Studies in New Delhi, held a ceremony on March 17 to announce the Ambassador Scholarships for Vietnamese Students in 2021.

Some 113 scholarships will be granted to Vietnamese students in undergraduate and postgraduate studies at four Indian institutions: the Integral University in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh; the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar, Odisha; Rishihood University in Haryana; and Sharda University in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Priority will be given to disadvantaged students from ethnic minority and vulnerable groups. Recommended majors include medical and pharmaceutical technology, engineering, and management, among others.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau expressed his hope that, through the scholarships, more Vietnamese students will study in India and experience the local culture. They will also help promote India as an educational destination of potential, he added./.

Vietnam listed among countries with cheapest Internet service in Asia

The average monthly cost of broadband Internet in Vietnam was US$12.4, much cheaper than in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Vietnam is among the countries with the cheapest internet service in the world, accornding to a report by Cable.co.uk, a private company researching cable television services, Internet and telecommunications of the UK.

Cable.co.uk collects data from 3,288 fixed network service providers in 211 countries in the world, from October to December 2020. The average amount that users in the world have to spend a month on Internet connection is US$78.14.

Accordingly, Vietnam ranks 12th in the world, 6th in Asia and 1st in Southeast Asia in terms of low internet service rates. Average users in Vietnam spend US$11.27 (equivalent to VND260,000) for a month on Internet connection.

The average monthly cost of broadband Internet in Vietnam was US$12.4, much cheaper than in Thailand (US$25.9), Indonesia (US$32.5), Malaysia (US$34.9), and the Philippines (US$51.1).

Around 64 million Vietnamese, or over half the country’s population, are online.

In contrast, African countries with poor telecommunications infrastructure, lack of competition among service providers and low average income are the ones with the highest internet cost in the world.

Particularly, Internet users in Eritrea have to spend an average of US$2,666 per month. The next one is Mauritania, with US$ 712.46 for a month of internet connection.

Ukraine is the country with the cheapest internet rates in the world, with an average price of only US$6.41 per month. It is followed by Syria, with an average Internet rate of US$6.49 per month.

Mekong Delta needs to urgently protect underground water resource

Water supply companies in Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, An Giang and Hau Giang provinces expressed their concern over exploited water reserve and the quality of groundwater water source through a seminar titled “Protecting and efficiently exploiting underground water resources in the South of Hau River” on March 17.

Similarly, General Director of Kien Giang Water Supply and Sewerage Limited Company (Kiwaco) Mr. Au Van Tam shared that Kiwaco put 80 to 110- meter deep wells into operation at Ca Mau Peninsula with a capacity of 50 meters cubic per hour; however, the high salinity and iron concentrations significantly impact on quality of water resource.

Speaking at the seminar, a representative of Ca Mau Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Cawaco) said that Cawaco has a water supply factory in Ca Mau City and seven branches in districts in addition to 63 wells in a depth of 180 to 240 meters. Last year, Ca Mau Province had reports about the reserve depletion as well as abnormal water quality.

General Director of Soc Trang Water Supply Joint Stock Company Mr. Dang Van Ngo also worried about outdated wells affecting underground water quality.

Dr. Anke Steinel, who is geoscientist and hydrologist of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, said that the Mekong Delta is facing with challenges for underground water resource under the impact of climate change, sea level rise and water resource exploitation. As this reason, the Mekong Delta needs to urgently have solutions for protecting and managing underground water resources.

Sport tournament marks ties between Vietnamese, Lao public security forces

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s representative agency in Laos, together with the Embassy of Vietnam and the Lao Ministry of Public Security, held a friendly sport tournament in Vientiane on March 17.

The event was part of activities to commemorate 60 years since the first group of public security experts from Vietnam was sent to Laos on March 22, 1961 to assist the Lao public security force at the request of the Parties and Governments of the two countries, marking the start of official cooperation between the two forces.

It was also aimed to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the Lao public security force on April 5.

Addressing the opening ceremony, head of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s representative agency in Laos Maj. Gen. Hoang Quang Huong affirmed that the cooperation between the two public security forces has played a key role in the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the past six decades.

The sport tournament, taking place from March 12-17, was to express gratefulness to officers and soldiers of the public security forces and offered chances for staff of the countries’ agencies to enhance understanding and further strengthen solidarity and friendship. It saw 18 teams playing in men’s football and badminton.

At the closing ceremony later on the same day, Lao Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieut. Gen. Kongthong Phongvichith spoke highly of the role and significant contributions by Vietnamese public security experts to the development of the Lao public security force over the years, thereby contributing to the achievements and successes of the Lao revolution and maintain order and stability in the country during its national construction process./.

Four trains for first metro line to arrive in HCMC before July

The next four trains for the first metro line project in HCMC are expected to be transported from Japan to Vietnam between April and July this year if the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control, said Huynh Hong Thanh, deputy head of the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) of HCMC.

During an inspection by a team led by HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on March 16 into the construction site of the Ba Son underground station, part of the first metro line project, Thanh said two trains were scheduled arrive in Vietnam in April or May. Two months later, the next two trains would be handed over to Vietnam, news site VnExpress reported.

After arriving in HCMC, the four trains, together with the first one which was transported to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City in October last year, will be operated on a trial basis.

MAUR had earlier planned to run the trains on a trial basis in the last quarter of this year. They will run on an elevated section from Binh Thai Intersection to Long Binh Depot before the entire system is put into trial operation.

At the same time, other works serving the metro line’s operation will also be conducted, such as training laborers, transferring technology, checking and handing over the project.

The first metro line in HCMC was designed to have 17 three-carriage trains. Each train is capable of carrying 930 passengers and can move at a maximum speed of 110 kilometers an hour on elevated sections and 80 kilometers an hour on underground sections.

The average distance between every two stations is over one kilometer, so trains will run at a speed of some 40 kilometers per hour.

According to Thanh, the project is facing some obstacles. However, the progress of some packages has been ensured, such as the CP1b package to build an underground section from the Opera House station to the Ba Son station, which is expected to be 99% complete by the middle of this year.

He added that the project was still expected to be completed by the end of this year as planned. Due to the pandemic, MAUR will come up with another detailed plan on the project’s progress, assess the impact of Covid-19 on its execution and propose new solutions.

HCMC Chairman Phong said the city had directed MAUR to determine when the project would be put into commercial operation, which will be a foundation to work out difficulties.

The first metro line project requires an investment of VND43.7 trillion. It was designed to be nearly 20 kilometers long with three underground stations and 11 elevated stations.

The project is some 83% complete and is expected to be put into operation next year.

NA Chairwoman works with An Giang on election preparations

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on March 18 asked the Mekong Delta province of An Giang to pay more heed to safeguarding security and order as well as COVID-19 prevention and control at border areas, thus ensuring the safety of elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, which are slated for May 23.

At a working session with the provincial steering committee for elections, Ngan, who is also head of the National Election Council, urged An Giang to continue with information and communications tasks to raise public awareness about the elections.

Channels seeking public opinions on the elections should be set up, she said, adding that conferences collecting constituents’ votes of confidence on candidates need to be held as scheduled.

The Chairwoman called for the training of personnel in charge of election work, especially members of election groups.

Lauding An Giang’s preparations, the top legislator said it has seriously observed guidelines on reducing both constituencies and deputies.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and head of the steering committee for elections of An Giang, said the province will elect nine deputies to the 15th NA and 62 others to the provincial People’s Council.

As of 5pm on March 14, the steering committee had received dossiers from 125 candidates, including 15 for candidacy for the NA, he said.

District-level steering committees for elections have also announced lists of constituencies and the number of deputies to be elected in each constituency, as scheduled, according to Binh./.

Belgium’s Ixelles mayor appreciates contribution of Vietnamese to local COVID-19 response

Christos Doulkeridis, Mayor of Ixelles, a district of the Belgian capital Brussels, expressed his sincere appreciation on March 17 of the Vietnamese community’s contribution to the local COVID-19 response.

Vietnamese people are truly part of the local community, Doulkeridis said when accepting 1,200 face masks donated to the district by the Vietnamese Association in Belgium.

Everyone must engage in the fight against this deadly pandemic, he continued, and the symbolic gesture made by the Vietnamese community shows that everyone can play a part in the fight with a very important tool, face masks, being an expression of mutual protection.

He also spoke highly of the sense of responsibility among Vietnamese people in Belgium, saying they have fully integrated into the local community.

President of the Vietnamese Association in Belgium, Huynh Cong My, who handed over the donated face masks, said Vietnamese people appreciate how the administrations of Ixelles and Brussels at large have supported their integration efforts.

Data from 2019 indicates that about 14,000 Vietnamese were living in Belgium at that time./.

Campaign to promote public exercise, sport activities

A campaign “All people take exercises following the example of great Uncle Ho” in 2021-2030 will be launched at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on March 28, according to the Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

An annual Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2021 will take place on the same day, the VSA said.

The VSA set to lift the total of people participating in regular exercise and sport activities to over 38 percent by 2025 and over 42 percent by 2030. Meanwhile, the rate of families joining sport activities is expected to reach over 28 percent, and 32 percent in 2025 and 2030, respectively.

The department also aims to have all communes and wards nationwide having grassroots cultural and sports establishments meeting the standards prescribed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Up to 98 percent of communes and wards, and 100 percent of districts, provinces and central-run cities are expected to organise sport festivals at all levels, the VSA said./.

Ministry eyes over 9,000 km of expressway by 2050

The Ministry of Transport is striving to have 5,000 km of expressway by 2030 and over 9,000 km by 2050, according to Minister Nguyen Van The.

According to the ministry’s statistics released at a working session on road infrastructure planning on March 17, Vietnam is currently operating1,046 km of expressways and building an additional 900 km, equal to 90 percent of the planning scheme.

Experts said that the linkage between the national road system and other means of transportation has yet to meet requirements. Several seaports, railways and airports, for example, do not connect with expressways yet.

Speaking at the event, The emphasised the policy of reducing the market share of road transportation, and increasing the market shares of waterway, railway, aviation and seaway transportation.

Accordingly, he requested reducing public investments in roads and increasing in public investments in other means of transportation.

The minister also stressed the need to look back on shortcomings that make the ministry fail to reach 2,500km of expressways by 2020, including slow public investment disbursement and slow site clearance.

To achieve the goal of 5,000 km of expressways by 2030, it is necessary to have breakthrough policies to develop expressway infrastructure and gain the Prime Minister’s allowance to complete all site clearance before building investment projects./.

Group exhibitions open at Galerie Quynh

A group exhibition featuring works of Vietnamese and French artists has opened at Galerie Quynh.

The exhibition showcases paintings, installation works and video installations by French artist Nadège David, Vietnamese-American multi-disciplinary artist Trọng Gia Nguyên, and the Đà Nẵng-based visual and multimedia artist Xuân Hạ.

Through the works, the artists reflect bodily experiences in mediating and expressing perception, memory and culture.

The exhibition will be on view until April 10. The gallery is at 118 Nguyễn Văn Thủ Street in District 1.

HCM City accelerates completion of urban planning project

Ho Chi Minh City is eyeing to become a centrally- run special urban area, the nation’s biggest economic hub of tourism, industrial services, industry and high-tech agriculture.

To this end, it is working to complete a series of urban planning projects, including an overall urban planning scheme by 2040 and a planning scheme of Thu Duc city.

For the overall planning scheme with a vision to 2060, the city will cover a total of 2,123.7 sq. km, including 28.7 sq. km of Can Gio sea encroachment urban area.

Its urban development is associated with orientations to adapt to climate change and sea-level rise as well as a multipolar structure.

It will have new urban areas, with key locations including Thu Duc city – a creative high-interactive urban model, Hiep Phuoc port urban area, Tay Bac urban area, Binh Quoi-Thanh Da urban area, and Can Gio sea encroachment urban area.

Notably, HCM City will build Thu Duc into a city of a knowledge-based economy and artificial intelligence, serving as a driving force behind the growth toward the 4th Industrial Revolution of HCM City and the region.

The planning of Thu Duc is the central task in the southern economic hub’s overall planning.

As the eastern gateway of HCM City, Thu Duc city is set to span 21,156.9 ha and be developed into a centre of innovation and connectivity to assist the growth of other urban areas in the HCM City metropolitan area, which consists of HCM City and seven key economic hubs in the South./.

Craig Thomas Gallery presents new works by Vietnamese artists

Craig Thomas Gallery is displaying new works by contemporary Vietnamese artists this month.

The showcase includes a preview of paintings and sculptures from artists Phạm Thanh Toàn, Nguyễn Trọng Minh, Lim Khim Katy and Phạm Đinh Tiến. These works will be displayed at exhibitions this year and in 2022.

The artists, most of whom are graduates from the HCM City Fine Arts University, have had works displayed at the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum, the HCM City Fine Arts Museum, and galleries in the city and Hà Nội.

The gallery is open for visitors from 1-6pm between Tuesday and Saturday. The venue is located at 27i Trần Nhật Duật Street in District 1.

Opening ceremony and festivities of Hoa Lư Festival to be halted

The annual festival of Hoa Lư in the northern province of Ninh Bình will be held without festivities this year, according to the Provincial People’s Committee.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will be celebrated on a small scale but its respectful spirit will still be retained to ensure both locals and tourists’ safety, the organisers said.

Instead of holding the opening ceremony of Hoa Lư Festival as usual, Ninh Bình Province will exclude its opening ceremony and all other festivities.

Only some traditional ceremonies will be organised by Hoa Lư District People’s Committee and the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Bình Province, such as the temple-opening ceremony, water procession, the ceremony of Buddha bathing and the thanksgiving ceremony.

The Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Bình Province will preside over the incense offering ceremony.

Earlier, Ninh Bình Provincial People’s Committee drew up a plan for the organisation of Hoa Lư Festival 2021 in November 2020.

The annual festival is one of 100 national intangible cultural heritages. Together with the ancient capital of Hoa Lư, the Hoa Lư Festival is an important part of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site of Tràng An scenic complex. It aims to commemorate the national heroes Lê Đại Hành and King Đinh Tiên Hoàng who built and protected the country.

Over the years, the traditional festival has had almost all of its traditional rituals restored, honouring the cultural values of the Đinh-Tiền Lê dynasty (968-1010).

Held from the 9th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 20-22 this year, Hoa Lư Festival typically attracts thousands of attendees.

Quang Ninh Province announces plans to resume classes for students affected by pandemic

The Department of Education of Training in the northern province of Quảng Ninh has proposed two options for students from pandemic-stricken areas to resume classes.

The proposal, which was submitted to the provincial People’s Committee for approval, aims to bring them back to school as soon as possible.

According to the department, as many as 534 high school students weren’t able to return to school due to the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 13. Of which, 94 students were isolated in Quảng Ninh Province while the rest were quarantined in Hải Dương and other provinces.

In the first option, the students would return to Quảng Ninh Province and undergo safety requirements. Specifically, those from locked down areas or those under social distancing in Hải Dương Province will be quarantined at centralised quarantine centres.

Students who live in Hải Dương Province but are not in locked down areas or those with social distancing requirements will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 and self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

Regarding students who live in other provinces and cities, if they are under quarantine, they will return to school after completing the mandatory period, the department said.

Those who aren’t in quarantine can return to school but they will have to make a health declaration to local health authorities.

Students who are under quarantine in Quảng Ninh Province will resume classes after the quarantine period ends and they test negative for the novel coronavirus.

In the second option, the province will isolate students who are subject to quarantine at centralised quarantine zones before returning to school.

Hạ Long City plans to waive all costs for quarantine and COVID-19 tests for students and their relatives when they return to the city to study.

To ensure the quality of education, the provincial Department of Education and Training also directed educational establishments to maintain online learning and other forms of learning to consolidate knowledge for students who have not yet returned to school as they are in quarantine.

Hanoi’s ten most outstanding young faces of 2020 announced

Ten outstanding young Hanoians will be honoured at a ceremony to be held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Hanoi chapter on March 20.

The outstanding individuals include Nguyen Manh Quan (born in 2003, 12th grader from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted; Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Chien Thang (born in 1987, lecturer in the Faculty of Chemistry, Hanoi University of Natural Sciences under the Vietnam National University); Dr. Luu The Loi (born in 1991, CEO and co-founder of Kyber Network), Nguyen Thi Thu (born in 1988, Director of Tam An Cooperative in Thuong Tin District, Hanoi; Lieutenant Vu Ngoc Hoang (born in 1992, Dong Da District Police); football player Do Hung Dung (born in 1993);

Other excellent young people are Master, Doctor Pham Van Phuc (born in 1990, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases); Master, Doctor Tran Anh Duc (born in 1989, Department of Obstetrics, Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital); Engineer Tran Trung Hieu (born in 1992, Founder and Executive Director of TopCV Joint Stock Company); Master, Researcher Ung Thi Hong Trang (born in 1987, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology).

The youngs people are being acknowledged for their marked achievements in such areas as study, scientific research, economic development, national defence-security, culture, arts, sports and voluntary activities.

Air ticket prices on Reunification Day-May Day holiday increase

Prices of air tickets on Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day holiday have increased, particularly for beach tours.

The pandemic has been basically controlled in Vietnam, so many people have flocked to book tours.

Budget carrier VietJet Air’s cheapest one-way air ticket on Hanoi-Nha Trang route on April 30 is VND1.7 million (USD73.91), including surcharges. Meanwhile, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines’ return tickets on the route is VND5.36 million.

Hanoi-Phu Quoc flights have the highest prices with VND2.9 million for Vietnam Airlines’ one-way ticket, including surcharges. For Bamboo Airways, the ticket is VND2-3.1 million.

VietJet Air’s one-way tickets for flights from Hanoi to Quy Nhon and Danang is less than VND1 million, excluding surcharges. For Vietnam Airlines, the tickets range between VND1.5-2.5 million, including surcharges.

Air tickets on HCM City-Phu Quoc route are also on the rise, ranging from VND1.7-3.5 million; while the tickets for flights from Hanoi, HCM City to other tourist sites on the Renunciation Day and May Day occasion have considerably increased.

According to travel companies, the number of customers who book air tickets and hotel rooms for their tours on the occasion has increased.

HCMC tourism sector to digitalize tourist attractions

The tourism sector in Ho Chi Minh City is planning to implement digitalization on tourist attractions in the city this year, said Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa yesterday.

The city tourism sector is facing severe economic hardship in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Digital technologies, such as immersive, virtual and augmented reality and 3D, are an increasingly important factor for success when it comes to attracting tourists to a destination.

The city will digitalize tourist destinations with 360° photo platform, virtual 3D pictures, flycam, and virtual reality technology and implement QR Codes to provide area information of 100 tourist attractions, museums and cultural heritage sites.

Presently, the Department of Tourism is preparing for a program “100 interesting tourist attractions in HCMC” which will be for promoting domestic and international tourism. The sector will focus on applying online media as well as other approaches to identify the city’s designed tourism brand name.

Moreover, the sector will also make short movies about the city’s culture, cuisine and lifestyle as well as multimedia “ Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City” to increase brand awareness and lure visitors.

Vietnam to tighten cyber security for digital transformation, e-government

In the last 5 years, both the central Government, the local authorities, and the community have wholeheartedly supported the establishment of an e-government in Vietnam, leading to such impressive success in only 2 years adopting Resolution No. 17/NQ-CP.

The only unfulfilled targets are those related to online public service use of citizens and digital identification, authentication.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung shared that the Vietnamese digital government will be officially launched in 2025, letting it enter the global Top-50.

At that time, all governmental services will be automatically offered 24/7 with customizable features. New public services will be developed based on the existing open databases, which is the cooperation between the Government, businesses, IT experts, and the community.

Along with the digital economy and society, this digital government is the key in the national digital transformation process. Considered as the leader, the digital government is the top priority for development at the moment.

The transformation from an e-government to a digital one, or from online public services to digital ones, is the foundation. In that process, there will be a shift from IT systems to digital platforms, from service access to database access, and from the participation of governmental agencies to contribution of both the Government, citizens, and related businesses.

If the challenge in the e-government is inter-connection, the trial in the digital government is change management.

In 2020, certain critical national-leveled databases in the fields of business, social welfare, healthcare, education, and civil status were completed. They have significantly reduced paperwork in administrative procedures.

Praising the above results, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc insisted that it is vital to ensure cyber security and protect the national sovereign on the cyber space while carrying out the digital transformation process.

He added that the national databases must be more effectively exploited to create a sustainable digital government, economy, and society.

At the moment, the suitable legal environment for the development of an e-government in Vietnam is still not perfect, and certain necessary decrees regarding personal data as well as identity protection have not been released yet.

Therefore, in the upcoming time, the Government and related state agencies must prepare these legal documents as soon as possible so that the establishment of an electronic and then digital government can be further facilitated.

Over VND21.5 trillion to be poured into six traffic projects linking HCMC, Long An

The HCMC Department of Transport has written to the municipal government proposing prioritizing six traffic projects with total investment of over VND21.5 trillion connecting HCMC with the Mekong Delta province of Long An from now until 2025.

As many as 23 roads connecting HCMC with Long An Province need investment, with 12 existing roads in dire need of expansion, nine road projects having been approved and the remaining two needing to be added to the general plan, according to the municipal department.

The six projects proposed for the 2021-2025 period include building the Tay Bac road project with a length of some 19.8 kilometers that will start at National Highway 1A in Binh Tan District and end at Ring Road 4 near Hau Nghia Town in Long An Province, and investing in Nguyen Van Bua Street linking Hoc Mon District and Long An Province’s Duc Hoa District.

The municipal department also proposed expanding the Vo Van Kiet Avenue in HCMC’s outlying district of Binh Chanh to connect the city with the Hai Son-Tan Do industrial park in Duc Hoa District in the Mekong Delta province. The projected road that will start at Ring Road 3 is set to cost VND3.3 trillion.

Besides, National Highway 50 running through Binh Chanh District and Long An Province’s Can Giuoc District needs upgrading and expanding with total investment of VND2.15 trillion, the local media reported.

Another traffic project comprises building a 3-kilometer-long road and the 409-meter-long Rach Doi bridge to connect Le Van Khuong Street in the city’s outlying district of Nha Be with Provincial Road 826C in Can Giuoc District.

The sixth project is to build a road running parallel to National Highway 50 in Binh Chanh District to connect it to Can Giuoc District that had been approved by the prime minister. The project is set to require VND4.3 trillion.

PM fixes deadline for submission of new regulations on environmental protection

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to draft a new Decree on administrative sanctions against violations in the field of environmental protection.

This is part of the Government’s plan which figures out measures to implement the revised Law on Environmental Protection adopted by the National Assembly in November last year.

The administrative sanctions includes application of sanction forms, remedial measures with respect to individuals, organizations committing acts of administrative violations according to provisions of law on administrative sanctions which are implemented by the competent persons.

At present, administrative sanctions for violations in environmental protection are specified in the Government’s Decree No. 55/2016/ND-CP dated November 18, 2016.

The Government chief also tasked the ministry to develop a decision on a list of domains and establishments subject to greenhouse gas emission inventory and another decision approving a plan for environmental improvement and restoration of areas where pollution of soil environment is especially serious in accordance with Point C, Clause 1, Article 19 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.

It will also be responsible for drafting a decision prescribing criteria for environmental protection in the field of construction and rural development.

The aforesaid draft documents shall be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration in the first half of 2021./.

Hanoi, HCM City named top places for local delicacies

Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been voted as the leading destinations to enjoy traditional cuisine or street food, as well as being top places for food shopping among local travelers, according to a survey conducted by renowned travel website Booking.com.

Hanoi tops the list in terms of best destinations for traditional Vietnamese food, with Booking.com stating that the top dishes in Hanoi are typically inexpensive. Despite their cheapness, an array of tasty treats can be found within the Old Quarter’s narrow alleyways and the bustling street markets situated throughout the capital.

“This is where you can find the familiar and world renowned ‘pho’ noodles served with bagel twists or the original ‘bun cha’ that was once enjoyed by President Obama during his 2016 visit in Vietnam. ‘Bun dau mam tom’, a stinky yet tasty and crispy delicacy originated in Hanoi, is a definite must for daredevils undisturbed by the idea of pungent shrimp paste,” the website explains.

Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City was named as best city for street food. The survey states that the southern metropolis is the city that never sleeps and appeals to the taste buds of travelers due to its countless food stalls and markets that are open around the clock.

“A city trip to Saigon is incomplete without indulging in all-time favourites such as bot chien fried in a large flat pan with whipped eggs, the legendary Vietnamese pizza or quesadilla grilled on the coal stove, duck embryo in tamarind sauce and beef offal steamed in coconut milk served with local banh mi,” the website highlights.

“With all the finger-licking and creative dishes the city has to offer, it is no surprise that travellers have pinned Ho Chi Minh City as one of the top endorsed destinations for street food on Booking.com.”

Van Quyet among 10 outstanding young Vietnamese faces of 2020

Famous footballer Nguyen Van Quyet of Hanoi FC has been listed among the outstanding young Vietnamese faces of 2020, with the annual national award held to honour young local people who have excelled in their respective fields.

The 30-year-old striker first rose to prominence after captaining the Vietnamese U19 men’s football team which went on to record a victory over Thailand’s U21 side to win the International U21 Thanh Nien (Youth) Newspaper Cup in 2010.

Last year saw the forward make a number of great contributions to Hanoi FC as they lifted the National Cup and went on to finish as runners-up in the V.League 1.

As captain of Hanoi FC, Van Quyet also won both the Golden Ball Award and claimed the title of outstanding athlete in the same year.

The award to honour outstanding young Vietnamese faces is a highly-esteemed event organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Central Committee with the purpose of recognizing the various achievements of people aged under 35 from across the nation.

This year the awards ceremony is set to get underway on March 21 in Hanoi.

Tourism sector seeks solution to stimulate tourism demand

The Vietnam Tourism Association and Hanoi Department of Tourism are set to co-ordinate efforts to organise the national tourism forum in April which will be held in Hanoi in an effort to seek solutions and attract greater tourist numbers in the near future.

Vu The Binh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said during the ongoing wait for borders to open for international tourism, the local tourism industry should primarily focus on developing domestic tourism and organising a diverse range of activities that can stimulate tourism demand.

Binh noted that the upcoming event is anticipated to offer an ideal venue for travel firms and localities nationwide  to strengthen connectivity for the purpose of domestic tourism development.

Following the national tourism forum, the Vietnam Tourism Association and other agencies in the tourism sector are expected to host the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM 2021) which is scheduled to take place between May 5 and May 8.

Furthermore, Hanoi tourism firms have recently organised a number of affiliate schemes aimed at creating new domestic tourism products that can meet the needs of customers, such as the VGreen Caravan tourism programme which will encourage travelers to visit northwest localities.

Former heroin user helps others fight drug addiction

Nguyễn Minh Hiếu’s life used to be spent in and out of rehab centres in HCM City to fight his drug addiction. After seven times in rehab, he finally kicked his addiction.

As well as rebuilding his own life, Hiếu has set up a volunteer group to help local drug addicts get back to normal life.

“I set up the Nụ Cười (Smile) Group to help those who have lost their way just like I did get rid of drugs and become a good person,” he told the online newspaper baochinhphu.vn.

Located in an apartment in HCM City’s District 8, the group focuses on helping intravenous drug users as these people face a high risk of HIV transmission. These addicts are given new needles and HIV tests, as well as support to access methadone maintenance therapy and antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.

Several times per week, the group goes to hotspots for drug addicts to collect used needles to help curb the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Hiếu and the group have been doing this job for eight years. Seeing and talking to hundreds of drug addicts, Hiếu said what they needed most was positive energy to get close to drug users.

“Drug addicts have only one goal: how to get money to satisfy their addiction. What I need to do is to let them trust me, but not by giving them money,” he said.

“They might not understand our good intentions, but they will later on,” he said.

Hiếu said some people in his group were drug addicts and still under methadone treatment and were in the group to try and give up their drug habit and help others, too.

When asked about his family, Hiếu said proudly that they had supported everything he had done.

“My family used to lose faith in me after many broken promises to give up drugs. They were desperate about me being an addict father, husband and son. Whenever I rushed out of the house, they were hopeless,” he said.

“But now they care and support me, even when I’m out all day. How proud!” he said.

Soc Trang border guards use loudspeakers in COVID-19 communication campaign

Over the last year, people living in border areas of the southern province of Sóc Trăng have gotten used to seeing border guards carry a loudspeaker on their motorbikes telling them how to protect themselves from COVID-19.

Colonel Lê Văn Anh, head of the Province Border Guard Command’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee, said that during the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic, local border guards strengthened preventive measures, especially communication.

Many initiatives had been launched and proved effective, Anh said, noting that using loudspeakers in communication campaigns was most effective and economical.

During the pandemic, public communication events to attract crowds were not allowed, but the loudspeaker systems of communes and wards were unable to reach remote areas, Anh said.

With a portable loudspeaker, a USB with recorded information and a motorbike, a border guard could access people in all corners of the province, he said.

Major Lê Văn Băng of An Thạnh Ba Border Station in Cù Lao Dung District said they also drew posters and slogans on COVID-19 prevention and control and stuck them on the loudspeakers.

In the morning and the afternoon, border guards drove motorbikes with loudspeakers turned on, Băng said.

“When reaching busy areas, we slow down or park there so people can hear the information clearly,” Băng said.

During the pandemic, they have explained the Ministry of Health’s 5 K message: Khẩu trang (face mask) – Khử khuẩn (disinfection) – Khoảng cách (distance) – Không tụ tập (no gathering) – Khai báo y tế (health declaration), and called on people to install the Bluezone contact tracing application.

Ngô Châu, head of Âu Thọ A Residential Group in Vĩnh Hải Commune, Vĩnh Châu District, said border guards and their loudspeakers helped people learn a lot about COVID-19 prevention and control.

“Knowing and understanding the Government’s policies and recommendations on disease prevention and control, local people strictly implement preventive measures,” Châu said.

As the commune is home to many people of the ethnic Khmer group, border guards also used the Khmer language, Châu said.

Border guards also visited residents’ houses to advise them on personal hygiene and food safety.

“The border guards told us to sanitise hands, use cooked foods and boiled water, keep away from wild animals and wear face masks,” Châu said.

According to the province’s Border Guard Command, in the last year, border guards gave people in border areas about 18,000 medical face masks, more than 500 bottles of hand sanitiser and some 10,000 leaflets with disease prevention and control information.

Student research projects focus on pollution, waste reduction solutions

Six projects by university students that were displayed today at the eProjects Innovation Showcase contest at the Cao Thắng Technical College in HCM City mostly focused on environmental pollution and waste management solutions.

A team from the HCM City University of Technology and Education presented a solution for discarded chewing gum while students from Lạc Hồng University in Đồng Nai Province had one for packaging in the e-commerce industry.

Sorting plastic was the focus of students from Cần Thơ University, while a team from the Đà Nẵng University of Technology had a platform for plastic waste management.

Students from the HCM City University of Technology, who showed how to reuse construction materials, won the prize for the most effective solution.

Students from the Industrial University of HCM City displayed technology to modernise Dow Vietnam Company’s customer order and tracking systems.

The team from the HCM City University of Technology and Education won the prize for the best presentation and the Đà Nẵng University of Technology won for teamwork.

The event enabled students to demonstrate their industry-mentored prototypes to peers and professionals from across the country.

Over the last semester, eProjects teams developed their prototypes through regular consultation with professional mentors, who set out a vision for each project, shared their technical expertise and regularly met with the students.

Since September the teams worked online, on campus and even at Dow’s plant to build and test their prototypes.

The showcase was a part of USAID BUILD-IT and the Dow Vietnam Stem Programme which has been carried out for four years.

Speaking to showcase attendees, USAID Vietnam’s acting mission director, Bradley Bessire, said: “These applied  projects demonstrate  how  the  BUILD-IT  Alliance  links  industry  expertise with universities’ teaching capacity to give students experiences that develop both the technical and soft skills they’ll need to succeed in Việt Nam’s ever more advanced workforce.”

USAID sponsors BUILD-IT Project which is carried out by Arizona State University.

Concert features works by 20th-century’s lesser-known composers

A concert introducing works from composers that have not been performed much in Việt Nam will take place at Goethe Institut next Monday.

The concert, the first of the ’20th Century Music Concert Series’, will present a repertoire featuring works by composers from Japan to Eastern and Western Europe and America, including Benjamin Britten, György Ligeti, Toru Takemitsu, Nikolai Kapustin, Friedrich Gulda, and Frederic Rzewski.

Artists and lecturers of Inspirito School of Music, including oboist Hoàng Mạnh Lâm, trumpeter Yuki Urushihara, pianists Ngô Phương Vi, Lưu Đức Anh, Dương Hồng Thạch, and Phó Đức Hoàng, will perform in the concert.

The concert will start at 7pm. The Goethe Institut is at 56-58-60 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. Recommended donation: VNĐ100,000.

Thousands of counterfeit fashion products seized in Nam Dinh

Market management authorities have seized thousands of Chanel, LV, and Hermes counterfeit products in Nam Dinh Province.

On March 17, Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance worked with the Department of Market Surveillance and the police in Nam Dinh to raid a 500-square-metre warehouse in Dai Lai Village, Vu Ban District and found a large number of counterfeit products. The owner was unable to provide any necessary papers.

Nguyen Ky Minh from the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance said the sellers advertised and sold their products via social media. They created various accounts with different names and used them alternatively to avoid attention from the authorities.

An empty shop on Ho Tung Mau Street in Hanoi was used as a decoy to promote their products. Minh said it had caused some difficulties during the investigation.

It is estimated that 20,000-30,000 products were kept at the warehouse worth about VND6bn (USD259,000).

A representative of Hermes said Tam Son International Company is their sole distributor in Vietnam. There are also only two Hermes stores in Vietnam besides the products sold at Lotte shopping centres and some duty-free shops.

Private investment proposed for HCMC-Can Tho express railway project

The Southern Institute of Science and Technology has proposed executing the HCMC-Can Tho high-speed railway project under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model, and the total required investment of some US$10 billion will be sourced from private enterprises.

Under the proposal sent to the Ministry of Transport, the institute also mentioned the adjustment of the railway’s direction and the development of nine stations in satellite urban areas, Dan Tri news site reported.

The main route from HCMC to Can Tho will need an estimated investment of more than US$4.4 billion, while a branch from the Thanh Phu station in Long An Province to the Hiep Phuoc Port in HCMC will require US$791.35 million. The remaining US$4.6 billion will be spent on stations and other facilities.

The express railway will have a total length of 134.9 kilometers, passing through five localities, comprising HCMC, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Can Tho. The railway will stop at nine stations, beginning at Tan Kien Station in HCMC and ending at Can Tho Station in Can Tho City.

In addition, the Thanh Phu-Hiep Phuoc branch will be 44 kilometers long, running through HCMC and Long An.

The Southern Institute of Science and Technology has also proposed adjusting the direction of the railway to the right of the HCMC-Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway, completely different from the previous plan.

According to the institute, with the adjustment, the railway will share a corridor with the expressway, reducing the separation between residential areas and industrial parks. Moreover, the land bank for the satellite urban area development will be larger.

The adjustment will also help shorten the length of the railway by five kilometers, saving nearly US$200 million.

A leader of the Vietnam Railway Authority said the HCMC-Can Tho express railway is an important traffic route which will help ease the traffic on roads.

The authority assigned the project’s management board to choose a consulting firm to conduct a prefeasibility report for the project using the State budget.

As for the financial plan proposed by the Southern Institute of Science and Technology, the authority asked the institute to make it more specific. The institute should clarify the investment method and financial plan in case foreign investors want to get involved in the project.

HCMC set to rename hospitals in Thu Duc City

District 2 Hospital, District 9 Hospital and Thu Duc District Hospital will be renamed as Le Van Thinh Hospital, Le Van Viet General Hospital and Thu Duc City Hospital, respectively.

The HCMC government has approved a plan to re-organize ward- or district-level healthcare centers and hospitals under the HCMC Department of Health after the rearrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels of Thu Duc City.

Among the three renamed hospitals, Le Van Thinh Hospital, located at 130 Le Van Thinh Street in Thu Duc City’s Binh Trung Tay Ward, is a Grade-1 non-business unit and has a capacity of 500 in-patient beds, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported.

Le Van Viet General Hospital, headquartered at 387 Le Van Viet Street in Tang Nhon Phu A Ward, is a Grade-2 health non-business unit, with a capacity of 100 beds, while Thu Duc City Hospital at 29 Phu Chau Street in Tam Phu Ward is a Grade-1 health non-business unit and has a capacity of 800 beds.

Besides, the city also re-organized the District 2 Healthcare Center, the District 9 Healthcare Center and the Thu Duc District Healthcare Center into the Thu Duc City Healthcare Center under the HCMC Department of Health.

Construction process of nationwide expressway system reaches 90 percent

The Ministry of Transport informed that the 1,046-kilometer expressway system nationwide has been put into operation so far and currently there are more than 900 kilometers being under construction, reaching over 90 percent as planned.

Accordingly, the North-South Expressway to the East, the Eastern Expressway of Ho Chi Minh Road, Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, Expressway connecting to Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son Province and Ring Roads of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have not been implemented.

According to Minister of Transport Mr. Nguyen Van The, the delay was due to the slow site clearance progress.

Based on the actual situation, the transport sector set the target up to 2030 concentrating on construction of inter-regional expressway projects connecting to sea ports, air-ports, striving to complete 5,000 kilometers of expressway in 2030 and more than 9,000 kilometers in 2050.

To speed up the progress, Minister Nguyen Van The said that there should be a breakthrough mechanism for expressway infrastructure development in the coming time, a breakthrough in the way of implementing, selecting a portfolio, and submitting to the Government for approval of the whole site clearance to form the entire investment project of 5,000 kilometers of the expressway.

EVNHCMC’s youth launches energy-saving activities to respond Earth Hour 2021

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of HCMC, Thu Duc City and the Electricity Corporation of HCMC (EVNHCMC) have co-organized many activities in response to the 2021 Youth Month program and Earth Hour 2021 campaign.

Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of EVNHCMC and Thu Duc City have kicked of the “Joining hands to build Thu Duc New City” program.

In March, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of EVNHCMC has implemented a series of activities to mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the 45th anniversary of the founding of EVNHCMC, such as installing safe electrical systems in three alleys and 50 households, implementing the programs of “Civilized, safe and clean apartment” and “Using electricity safely and economically in school”.

HCMC asks for ODA loan for Water Environment Improvement Project

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have asked for an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from Japanese government for its Water Environment Improvement Project.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has proposed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to value the Water Environment Improvement Project and have official document on provision of the loan to improve water environment in Ben Nghe- Tau Hu – Doi – Te canals for the third phase, said the office of the committee yesterday.

Presently, the city has been implementing the anti-flooding project and the wastewater treatment project for the 2020 – 2045 period as well as for the 2020 – 2030 period including the Water Environment Improvement Project in Ben Nghe- Tau Hu – Doi – Te canals.

The project includes dredging and building a complete canal system with total length of 13.5 kilometers as well as building a wastewater collection system Nam Sai Gon comprising 43-km culvert system and one wastewater treatment plant with capacity of 100,000 cubic meters a day for the first phase and 170,000 cubic meters a day for the second phase.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Filed Under: society Vietnam breaking news, Vietnam news, Vietnam latest news, last week news headlines, almeria news headlines, english news headline, aaj tak english news headlines, ethiopian news headlines, the nation news headlines, state news headlines, georgia state news headlines, news headlines news headlines, news headlines breaking news, cnn news headline news, cnn world news headlines and breaking news

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 22

March 22, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Quiz promotes knowledge on regulations on NA, People’s Councils elections

A contest for Vietnamese citizens all over the world to study current regulations on elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils will go online from 0:00 on April 1 to 24:00 on April 30.

The event, to be held by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the National Assembly Office, is part of the activities in response to the upcoming election slated for May 23.

Besides, it aims to raise public awareness of the significance of the elections, while promoting IT application into law popularisation and education.

The contest focuses on the Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and Deputies to People’s Councils in 2015, several regulations under the 2013 Constitution, Law on Organisation of the National Assembly, and Law on the Organisation of Local Governments.

Contestants should access to https://thitimhieuphapluat.moj.gov.vn, the Ministry of Justice’s portal, the National Election Council’s portal, the Vietnam National Assembly Television’s website, Dai Bieu Nhan dan e-newspaper, and Vietnam law e-newspaper to answer 20 questions.

Each contestant is allowed to do the test three times to improve the results.

Excellent contestants will receive certificates and gifts from the organising board, with one first prize worth 6 million VND (261 USD), five second prizes each worth 3 million VND, 10 third prizes each worth 2 million VND, and 20 consolidation prizes each worth 1 million VND./.

Vietnam records three imported COVID-19 cases on March 22 evening

Vietnam saw three imported COVID-19 case in the past 12 hours to 6pm of March 22, raising the national count at 2,575, according to the Health Ministry.

Of the total patients, 1,601 were locally transmitted cases, including 908 since January 27.

Also on the same day, 36 more patients were given the all-clear, raising the total number of recoveries to date to 2,234.

Meanwhile, 37,754 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 18,620 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,644 at their accommodations.

The Ministry of Health advised people, included those who have been injected with COVID-19 vaccine, to continue preventive measures, including the “5K message” (in Vietnamese) – Khau trang (facemask) – (Khu khuan) disinfection – (Khoang cach) distance – (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration./.

No new COVID-19 cases reported on March 22 morning

Vietnam saw no new COVID-19 case in the past 12 hours to 6am of March 22, keeping the national count at 2,572, including 2,198 recoveries, according to the Health Ministry.

So far, 10 localities have experienced at least 36 days without any new local infections, namely Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh and HCM City.

Hanoi has also been through 33 days of no new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 infections, while Hai Duong, the largest hotspot in the latest wave of COVID-19, three days.

Among the patients still under treatment, 37 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 18 twice and 63 thrice. Death toll remains at 35.

Meanwhile, 37,174 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 17,990 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,694 at their accommodations.

According to the National Expanded Programme on Immunization, as of 4pm of March 21, an additional 1,530 people had received COVID-19 vaccine, raising the total number of vaccinated people to 33,981.

The Ministry of Health advised people, included those who have been injected with COVID-19 vaccine, to continue preventive measures, including the “5K message” (in Vietnamese) – Khau trang (facemask)- (Khu khuan) disinfection- (Khoang cach) distance- (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration.

As the pandemic situation eases, as from 0:00 of March 22, the northern province of Quang Ninh had lifted all COVID-19 checkpoints and re-opened all business activities. As of March 21, the province has gone through 40 days without any new local COVID-19 infections./.

About 4,000 liters of diesel oil pumped out of sunken ship in Mui Ne

About 4,000 liters of diesel oil has been pumped out of the sunken ship carrying 1,500 metric tons of fly ash in the waters off Mui Ne in the South-Central Province of Binh Thuan.

A representative of Truong Tam Maritime Company today said that the company and related competent agencies made concerted efforts to pump nearly 4,000 liters of diesel oil mixed with water out of the wrecked ship safely. The operation was a race against time in 15 minutes.

As media released, the Bach Dang ship, with a capacity of 2,500 metric tons, with seven sailors aboard capsized and sank on its way to carry the fly ash from Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plant in the province to the Southern Province of Dong Nai.

Luckily, all of the sailors were rescued and 4,000 liters of diesel oil remained in the ship’s fuel tank when it capsized. The ship has since been lying upside down on the sea, with neither oil spill nor fly ash spreading.

Foreigner knocks down power poles causing massive blackout in Thu Duc City

The foreign man who knocked down four power poles causing a massive blackout in newly-established Thu Duc City’s Thao Dien Ward confessed that he fell asleep while driving.

The accident left hundreds of households in the ward without power.

Police yesterday announced to be investigating the crash, which could lead to charges for the driver.

He crashed and knocked down many electricity poles resulting in power blackout.

At the local police station, he promised to offer compensation. However, police officers said that in addition to compensation, the driver will face an administrative fine.

As Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper released yesterday, a 7-seater sedan ploughed into pedestrians on a pavement and then knocked down four power poles. Luckily, no injuries were reported but the vehicle was seriously damaged and 122 households experienced power cut.

Police quickly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area as well as asked witnesses for their investigation.

Vietnamese citizens hit by pandemic in Cambodia receive support

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 22
Food transported to Vietnamese expats in Kandal province.

Vietnamese expatriates in Cambodia’s Kandal and Prey Veng, who are facing tough challenges during COVID-19 quarantine, received food assistance from the Vietnamese Embassy and Khmer-Vietnam Association in the host country on March 19 and 20.

According to the embassy, markets and essentials services have been available for locals since the first COVID-19 cases were detected in the two provinces.

Livelihoods of the Vietnamese under quarantine have been stabilised gradually, it said.

On March 20, the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Kandal province received and presented 500 gifts, including rice and noodles, to Vietnamese-Cambodian families in Luek Daek, Mukh Kamphool, Lvea Aem, Kien Svay and Ponhea Lueu districts. The gifts were donated by the Associations of Friendship Organisations in Dong Thap province and Tan Chau town in An Giang province, and several Vietnamese philanthropists.

One day earlier, the association in Prey Veng province distributed rice and noodle to 408 Vietnamese households in Prek Sai Kho commune, and presented gifts to 135 Khmer families affected by the pandemic through the local authorities./.

61 laborers illegally enter Vietnam to escape Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia

Sixty-one Vietnamese laborers illegally entered the country to escape the Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia, said colonel Nguyen Thuong Le, Head of the border guard station in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang on March 21.

Border guards in the international border gate Tinh Bien in An Giang Province discovered 61 illicit immigrants including eight children, quarantining them in centralized wards to prevent Covid-19 spread as per the present regulation.

According to police’s primary identification, all of these immigrants are Cham ethnic minority people  who are permanent residents in An Phu District in An Giang Province. They came to Cambodia for working in one year. However, due to complicated Covid-19 outbreaks in Cambodia lately, they tried to return to An Giang Province.

They will receive punishment for illegal immigration.

Nurturing Vietnam-Laos special solidarity

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee sent a letter of greetings to the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on the occasion of the Lao Party’s 66th founding anniversary (March 22, 1955-2021).

In the message, the CPV Central Committee wrote the Vietnamese Party and people are delighted at great achievements gained by the Lao Party and people in the past struggle for national liberation and the current renewal, and national building and safeguarding.

Vietnam believes that under the leadership of the LPRP, Laos will gain new and greater achievements in its renewal process, successfully implement targets set out in its 11th National Party Committee’s Resolution, and successfully build a socialist-oriented State of peace, independence, democracy, unification and prosperity, wrote the letter.

The Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity and all-round cooperation, nurtured and developed by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and generations of the two countries’ leaders and peoples, have been continuously consolidated and deepened in all fields, thus contributing practically to each country’s renewal, and national building and safeguarding, it said.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always treasure and bear in mind the great, valuable and effective support of the Lao Party, State and people, and will do their utmost to, together with the Lao side, maintain, protect and develop the bilateral special solidarity, for the interests of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, wrote the letter.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong sent flowers to Lao Party General Secretary and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations sent a message to its Lao counterpart./.

Tien Giang focuses on administrative reform

The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is focusing all resources on speeding up the reform of administrative procedures and expanding the use of information technology (IT), which has effectively contributed to fostering local socio-economic development.

According to assessments from the provincial People’s Committee, administrative reform has been carried out effectively by all local departments and sectors.

The year 2020 was also the fourth year Tien Giang implemented a project on “Application of information technology in State offices”. All local offices have used software to receive and handle documents, and applied the province’s “single window” software to receive, handle, and return documents.

To better serve locals and businesses, the provincial People’s Committee has asked leaders of units and localities to continue stepping up administrative reform and IT application at State offices, which are considered important solutions to realize three breakthrough missions set out in the resolution of the 11th provincial Party Congress.

The resolution requires that the top leaders of offices and units must play the leading role in the work.

Besides, the province will continue revising legal documents and administrative procedures to ensure their legality and feasibility./.

Vietnam records no new COVID-19 in March 21 afternoon

Vietnam had no new COVID-19 cases to report in the past 12 hours to 6pm March 21, according to the Health Ministry.

This keeps the national count at 2,572, and the death toll remains at 35.

As of March 21, 2,198 patients have been given the all-clear. The death toll remains at 35.

Among the patients still under treatment, 37 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 18 twice and 63 thrice.

Meanwhile, 37,174 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 17,990 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,694 at their accommodations.

Metro Line No1 in HCM City likely to be completed after 2021

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 22

Metro Line No1 in HCM City likely to be completed after 2021. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The completion of Metro Line No1 project in Ho Chi Minh City linking Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Tourist Park in District 9 is likely to be delayed to after 2021, the municipal Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) has stated.

According to a recent report of the MAUR on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on urban railway projects in the city, NJPT Association, the general consultant for the project, has repeatedly informed the investor about the impact, which may delay the construction and installation packages from 4-6 months and the package of equipment from 6 – 8 months.

Only 82 percent of the construction work was completed in 2020 due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3 percent lower than the set plan. The reason behind the delay is that foreign experts could not arrive in Vietnam for working, the MAUR noted.

The 2.05- billion-USD Metro Line No 1 is the first of at least six to be built in the city and aims to ease traffic congestion in its north-eastern gateway.

Including four major bidding packages using official development assistance (ODA) and funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is designed to have 14 stations, three of them underground.

There will be 17 three-carriage trains plying the route, running at a maximum speed of 110 km/h above ground and 80 km/h below ground./.

Visitors book tours to southern resorts for upcoming holiday

Recent days has seen the representatives of many domestic travel agencies busy arranging a large number of tours to famous sites throughout the southern region, including Phu Quoc island ahead of the April 30 and May 1 holiday, a positive indicator for the recovery of the domestic tourism industry.

Tourists need only to spend between 36.9 – 65.2 USD, on staying one night at a luxury accommodation, meaning that they are fully booked these days.

Along with lodging establishments enjoying a boost in business, travel agencies have also seen an increasing number of tourists in recent times. Phu Quoc island, Con Dao, Quy Nhon, and Da Nang are among the most popular holiday destinations at present.

A combo deal including air tickets, hotels, and breakfast would serve to attract customers. Tourists often gather in groups of families and friends at weekends, with a tendency to travel to places which are far from city centres and have few guests, large green space./.

HCMC to stabilize tuition fee in non-public schools

The education sector in Ho Chi Minh City will recheck and stabilize tuition fee in non-public preschools and high schools in 2021.

The Department of Education and Training organized a meeting to review its planning – financing mission in 2020 and implementation of new tasks for 2021.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Head of the Division of Planning – Financing Mai Phuong Lien said that to attain the goal of 300 classrooms per 10,000 population in the age of three to 18 as per the resolution of the tenth Congress of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City, local administrations in 21 districts and Thu Duc City must devise  their public investment plan for the 2016-2020 period with 832 projects to build 15,940 classrooms with a total cost of nearly VND70 trillion (over US$3 billion).

As of December, 2020, the city education sector has so far built 292 classrooms per 10,000 population in the school age , achieving 57.84 percent of the year’s plan.

In 2020 alone, the city had 90 projects to build 1,371 classrooms totaling VND4,575 billion. Specifically, the city has built additional 429 , 381, 357 and 116 classrooms for primary schools, preschools, junior high schools and senior high schools respectively.

According to the Department of Education and Training’s statistics, the spending for school construction in 2020 increased by 4.66 percent compared to 2019. As scheduled, total spending for repairing facilities and purchase of equipment in 2021 for schools will be nearly VND190 trillion.

The Department said that the private schools developed without strategy; as a result, school system in the city has ensure its plan.

When it comes to construction of public schools, the progress of upgrade and building of schools has fallen behind the plan and the proportion of national-level schools is still low.

This year, the city will issue decision on appropriate tuition fee and complete financing mechanism in a bid to build advanced schools to keep pace with other nations in the Asian region and in the world.

Quang Hai voted as best midfielder in AFC Cup history

As the nation’s star player in midfield, local footballer Quang Hai has received the most votes in a poll among fans to find the best midfielder in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup’s history.

The talented Vietnamese playmaker finds himself in first place for the best midfielder award after gaining 60.01% of the overall votes.

Coming in behind the Vietnamese midfield maestro, Hasan Abdel-Fattah of Jordan ranked in second place with 21.76% of the vote, followed by Safiq Rahim of Malaysia with 11.04%.

The poll was organised by the AFC and ran from March 12 to March 18.

“Nguyen Quang Hai has already left a significant mark on the AFC Cup, particularly in his exceptional 2019 campaign,” the AFC’s wrote on their website.

“The then 22-year-old was simply devastating throughout the tournament, setting up a hatful of goals in the group stage and scoring two screamers in the Inter-zone play-off semi-final against Altyn Asyr, with only an away goals defeat to 4.25 SC preventing Hanoi from becoming the first Vietnamese club to reach the final. Quang Hai is scheduled to return to the AFC Cup in 2021,” it added.

This year is set to see the return of Quang Hai to the competition due to his club side Hanoi FC qualifying for the 2021 version of the continental tournament.

Hanoi FC have been drawn in Group G alongside Boeung Ket Angkor FC of Cambodia, Bali United FC of Indonesia, and the winner of an upcoming play-off match.

HCM City: Pandemic-hit workers to receive free vocational training

Workers in Ho Chi Minh City who were laid off or had their hours cut as a result of COVID-19 will have the opportunity to attend free vocational training courses under a new programme initiative, according to Vice Chairman of the municipal Federation of Labour Pham Chi Tam.

Jointly launched by the city’s Federation of Labour and the Cao Thang Technical College, the programme aims to help affected workers make a career shift, improve their professional skills, and seek new employment.

Courses will be held from April 1 to June 30 on weekday evenings and weekends.

Tam said courses will be offered on 24 simple professions in seven industries: information technology, heat engineering and refrigeration technology, mechanics, electricity, electronics, transportation mechanical engineering, economics, and foreign languages.

Not only are the courses free, they will also enable trainees to practice on advanced equipment, he noted, adding that they will even be paid for apprenticeships at companies and receive certificates of completion.

Each person is allowed to attend a maximum of two courses./.

HCM City posts solid performance in Overseas Vietnamese affairs

The Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs must continue to perform well in implementing State management over OVs in the city, giving advice on caring for poor Vietnamese abroad and connecting city leaders and OVs, and strengthening communications on Party and State policies and laws among the community, a city leader has said.

Addressing a conference to kick-start the committee’s tasks in 2021, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc said the committee and the OV community made major contributions in 2020 to the city’s success in implementing the “twin targets” of combating COVID-19 and boosting economic development.

He noted that the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) grew 1.39 percent during the year, while exports hit 43.8 billion USD, up 3.1 percent year-on-year.

It granted licences to 950 foreign-invested projects worth 4.36 billion USD, he noted, adding that remittances last year reached 6.1 billion USD, a 15 percent increase against 2019.

He asked the committee to continue reforming operational content and methods, focusing on the city’s 2021 motto of building urban administration and improving the investment environment, while continuing to give advice to city leaders on the gathering of ideas from OVs regarding digital transformation, digital economy, and other programmes of the city.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi hailed the success of the city’s Committee for OV Affairs in 2020 and underlined the potential the OV community holds as well as their aspirations to contribute to national construction, defence, and development.

He said he hopes that the committee will continue to promote its achievements, supporting the Vietnamese community abroard in maintaining traditional cultural activities and strengthening their connectivity to help them make more contributions to the development of the city and the country as a whole in the current period.

In 2021, the committee aims to continue expanding activities for the community, including organising exchanges and get-together programmes as well as other events to gather their ideas on the city’s development.

On the occasion, the city’s committee presented Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Certificates of Merit to Vo Thanh Chat, Vice Chairman of the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, and a number of collectives and individuals showing outstanding performance in people diplomacy./.

Forest God worship ritual recognised as intangible cultural heritage

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has officially recognised the Forest God worship ritual carried out by the Mong ethnic people of Si Ma Cai district in the northern province of Lao Cai as part of national intangible cultural heritage.

The tradition typically takes place in February and June each year in accordance with the lunar calendar.

Through the Forest God worship ritual, the Mong ethnic community prays for good weather, a good harvest for a new crop, wealth, and solidarity.

The ritual also helps to educate local people about the need for greater environmental protection and to love both nature and the motherland.

Thanks to the practice, many forests of the Mong ethnic people throughout Si Ma Cai district remain intact.

Hanoi vows to make SEA Games, ASEAN Para Games 2021 a success

The administration of Hanoi remains highly determined to successfully host the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games later this year.

This statement was made by Chu Xuan Dzung, vice chairman of the local administration, during a meeting held on March 18 in Hanoi with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

He noted that the hosting of such an important regional sporting event is an honour for the capital, adding that the city is establishing various sub-committees and devising organizational plans to ensure the event will be a great success.

Due to fears relating to the potential spread of COVID-19, detailed plans must be carefully prepared, including the organisation of both the opening and closing ceremonies, the arrival of participating teams, and the accommodation of foreign athletes, said Dzung.

Improvements to eight sporting venues which will host various events in the competition will also get underway across Hanoi, with work set to be completed before June ahead of the games, according to Tran Thi Van Anh, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Culture and Sports.

The 31st SEA Games is scheduled to be held between November 21 and December 2 and will feature 40 sports which will take place across Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities.

The 11th ASEAN Para Games will run from December 17 to December 23 with 11 sports being held in Hanoi.

Expert discusses Lee Nguyen’s slow start in V.League 1

Despite making a big splash with major signings including former US national team player Lee Nguyễn, HCM City FC have had a poor start to the V.League 1 season.

The team currently sit 10th in the table with three points in three matches and perhaps most concerning is star player Nguyễn’s struggles in his two matches.

“First, his stamina is not ensured and this is a critical issue,” football pundit Vũ Mạnh Hải told thethao247.vn.

“After quarantine, his training was not fully complete, so on the pitch, he could neither move much not nor show any skill.

“If the fitness is not there, it will lead to poor technical play and work rate. That’s why Lee Nguyễn has underperformed,” Hải said.

According to Hải, the development of the V.League 1 is also another reason why the 35 is facing difficulties.

“Although he used to play football in Việt Nam, that was a long time ago. When he returned, the Vietnamese players’ expertise has improved a lot so when being pressed, he will face many challenges.

“Overall, I think age has affected him a lot because Lee is already 35. He is not weak yet, but his physical ability has been decreasing. Without good preparation and training, along with lifestyle problems, it’s tough for him to perform his best.

“That’s why fans are very disappointed after watching the former MLS star’s performance at the beginning of the season,” He added.

City’s only victory was the match against Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh at home at Thống Nhất Stadium on January 24.

They face huge tests over the coming days, with the HCM City derby today against Sai Gon FC and a match with heavyweights Ha Noi FC on Tuesday.

The two blockbuster matches are a chance for Lee Nguyễn to show his quality and prove the early-season struggles are nothing to be concerned about, or they could mark an early end to HCM City’s title ambitions.

Bruno Cunha brace leads Hanoi to win over Thanh Hoa

Hà Nội FC made it two wins from their last two on Thursday night against Thanh Hóa, with a 3-2 win going some way to dispelling concerns about their early season struggles.

The country’s most successful team in recent years had started the season in January in an abysmal form with two losses, but the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed mid-season break seems to have done wonders for them with wins over Hải Phòng and now Thanh Hóa since football restarted earlier this month.

Bruno Cunha celebrates one of his goals against Thanh Hóa. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

Three minutes in Thanh Hóa goalkeeper Nguyễn Thanh Điệp spilled Nguyễn Văn Quyết’s tame shot straight into Ngân Văn Đại’s path, and the forward made no mistake from point-blank range for his second goal in two games.

A mere three minutes later the lead was doubled as Brazilian forward Bruno Caunha lashed in his first goal for Hà Nội when Đỗ Hùng Dũng laid the ball off after a goalmouth scramble.

Rather than let their heads drop Thanh Hóa dug deep and played some good football which was rewarded with a goal in the 35th minute, veteran striker and captain Hoàng Vũ Samson prodding home from a yard out after Hà Nội made of mess of defending a corner.

Curiously, Thanh Hóa coach Ljupko Petrovic substituted Gramoz Kurtaj at half-time, despite the midfielder putting in a composed performance.

Nevertheless, Petrovic’s men could have equalised in the 53rd minute when Nguyễn Văn Vinh got on the end of a free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box, but the defender’s header went just wide.

Hà Nội punished the away side’s profligacy 10 minutes later when Cunha netted his second by heading home Trần Văn Kiên’s deep cross from the right at the back post.

Thanh Hóa kept fighting right until the end and pulled another goal back in the 90th minute through Hoàng Đình Tùng, however it was too little too late and Hà Nội held on to secure all three points.

While the visitors and their vocal support will feel unlucky not to have come away with something from the game, Hà Nội showed part of why they’ve been so formidable in recent years, as despite failing to hit top gear they ground out three points.

In Thursday’s other match, Sông Lam Nghệ An defeated Quảng Ninh 1-0. On Friday evening, Bình Định take on SHB Đà Nẵng, Nam Định face champions Viettel and HCM City FC face local rivals Sài Gòn FC.

Bat Trang craft village centre nearly complete

The Centre for Quintessence of Vietnamese Craft Village in the Bat Trang Ceramic Village is being completed in Hanoi to showcase craft village products.

The centre has been built since 2018 and designed by architect Hoang Thuc Hao. The complex covers 3,700 square metres and cost VND150bn (USD6.5m). It is expected to be opened in June to showcase the products of Vietnamese craft villages and preserve the traditions of Bat Trang Ceramic Village.

Pham Thuy Duong, the centre’s CEO, said, “We want to build the centre to honour our ancestors, our crafts and hometowns. This will be like a common house of Bat Trang Village where the village’s quintessence is preserved and promoted to visitors.”

The building has a shape of seven swirly blocks resembling seven on-going works on the pottery wheels. The centre will work as both a museum and a commercial gallery.

The ground floor will exhibit general craft products and the higher floors will exhibit famous ceramic types of Bat Trang Village.

An Giang aims for sustainable poverty reduction

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang will spend more than VNĐ30.5 billion (US$1.3 million) this year to implement projects under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction.

Poor households will receive support to pursue agricultural production or business, while poverty-reduction models will be expanded in border communes, according to the province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Media campaigns raising public awareness about poverty reduction will also be launched, and officials will learn how to better evaluate poverty reduction efforts.

In An Giang, poor and near-poor households live mostly in mountainous or remote areas and in ethnic-minority dominated areas.

The province in recent years has implemented various measures to help poor households escape poverty. Its Fund for the Poor mobilised more than VNĐ948 billion ($40.8 million) from various sources over the past five years.

Last year, the province provided soft loans worth more than VNĐ900 billion ($38.8 million) to 2,400 poor households, 7,300 near-poor households, and 3,900 newly escaped poor households.

The province provided free health insurance cards for poor and near-poor households, and reduced and exempted school fees for children of poor and near-poor households last year.

It also invested in 75 infrastructure projects worth VNĐ26 billion ($1.1 million) in highly disadvantaged communes and border communes last year.

Last year it expanded five poverty-reduction models under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for 120 poor and near-poor households in highly disadvantaged communes and border communes.

The province also helped poor and near-poor households diversify their livelihoods, and expanded another 17 poverty-reduction models not under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction to 417 poor and near-poor households last year.

The poverty-reduction models include breeding animals, growing short term crops, and making handicraft products.

More than 80 per cent of households applying poverty-reduction models escaped poor or near-poor status over the past five years.

Around 4,000 poor households escaped poverty last year. The province now has 10,200 poor households, accounting for 1.9 per cent of the province’s total households.

Though the province has achieved positive results, some poor households have waited for assistance from the State and community even after receiving vocational training, jobs and soft loans for doing business, according to the province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Châu Văn Ly, director of the department, said: “The province will strengthen communication with poor people to understand their wishes and have measures to help them do production or business to improve their income and life.”

It will also help more poor households access soft loans for doing production or business, provide vocational skills and jobs for the poor, and create favourable conditions for the poor to escape poverty on a sustainable basis.

The province will set up a criteria system to monitor and evaluate poverty-reduction work at all levels, especially in districts and communes.

Hai Phong beat Binh Duong to top V .League

Jeremy Lynch scored the only goal to help Hải Phòng beat Bình Dương 1-0 on Saturday and take them top of the V.league 1.

This was Bình Dương the second consecutive defeat in the national premier league, leaving coach Phan Thanh Hùng smarting.

“Hải Phòng actively waited for the opportunities to counterattack with the aim of playing for a draw. We controlled the ball well, but the performance of attackers like Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Victor Mansaray,  Pape Omar  or Tô Văn Vũ in this match wasn’t good. We couldn’t make the most of our chances and were beaten by Hải Phòng’s counterattack.”

Talking about the strength of Hải Phòng, coach Phan Thanh Hung added: “Hải Phòng have only lost one match from the beginning of the season. They won against defending champions Viettel at Hàng Đẫy Stadium. Hà Nội FC also struggled to defeat Hải Phòng. I think that from now on the remaining teams in the league will know the true strength of Hải Phòng.”

With this loss, Bình Dương dropped to 10th place with just six points after four matches.

In the other match, Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh tied with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) 0-0.

“For the first time, I looked forward to the end of the match,” coach Phạm Minh Đức said after the match.

“Hà Tĩnh haven’t won for three matches. The 1-2 loss with Quảng Ninh Coal had a great influence on the next matches of the team. That is why the result of this match has a very special meaning,” Đức said.

As for coach Kiatisuk Senamuang of HAGL, he said that his team only aimed to earn one point and his team achieved that goal.

Yesterday, HAGL traveled to Hà Nội to prepare for the match against Viettel on March 24. This is expected to be a difficult match for HAGL because in fixture last year at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, HAGL lost to Viettel 1-4.

Two girls found dead at Topaz Home Apartment

Police of District 12 and functional forces of the city police this morning came to Topaz Home Apartment in Phan Van Hon Street, Tan Thoi Nhat Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City where two girls had died in a suspicious falling-down.

According to the initial information, some security officers of Topaz Home Apartment found two girls with motionless nearby the apartment’s parking area.

After checking the site, the two girls were confirmed to die with a suspicious falling-down.

Currently, the police forces are at the site for investigation.

Literary works on border, sea and island displayed

A programme named ‘Homeland’s seas and islands Space’ opened at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in the Dong Mo tourism area of Son Tay town, Hanoi, on March 20, showcasing over 50 literary works on Vietnam’s borders, seas and islands.

Under the framework of the event, ‘A Little Spring’ is taking place at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, the programme featuring the participation of young writers from the Vietnam Writers Association and the Youth Club for the Homeland’s seas and islands as part of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

‘The Homeland’s seas and islands Space’ introduces more than 50 literary works on the nation’s borders, seas and islands, across various genres – poems, school songs, short stories, novels, autographs, notes and dissertations, including many compositions from young writers and poets.

Of particular note, many works have received awards such as the Vietnam Book Award, the Literature and Arts Award of the Ministry of Defence as well as commendations from the Naval High Command and the Vietnam Writers’ Association from 1974 to the present day.

In addition, the programme also displays 33 national flags used in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago; 36 photos showing beautiful moments and images of soldiers’ trips to the Truong Sa archipelago, the lives of soldiers and people on the islands, the love between the soldiers and local people and the love of the mainland for the islands.

The artifacts and pictures vividly prove Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos; reflecting the life and work of the naval army. Many artifacts and images, meaningful gifts from journalists who used to work in Truong Sa, are featured.

On the opening day, the programme received significant attention from ethnic minorities, currently living and promoting their community’s identity at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.

Exhibition introduces beauty of Vietnam’s old features

The Vietnam Fine Arts Association alongside the Hanoi Fine Arts Association, have opened an exhibition named ‘Net Xua’ (Old Features) at the Fine Arts Exhibition House, No. 16 Ngo Quyen, Hanoi, on March 19.

The exhibition displays nearly 50 works from authors who are members of the ‘Bui Coffee’ art group – an association that regularly organises exhibitions, connecting art lovers and artists.

Works made from a variety of materials such as lacquer, oil paint, silk, acrylic, rekindle viewers memories through beautiful images rich in traditional cultural value, such as communal roofs, banyan trees, water stations, temples, traditional festivals, old women and traditional markets.

The exhibition runs until March 28.

Hoi An restarts many interesting tourist events

Hoi An ancient city in Quang Nam province will host a wide range of tourist events and activities from March 20 to May 1 to welcome visitors back at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has basically been brought under control in the city.

Visitors to the city during this time will be invited to join a programme held on March 20 in response to the International Day of Happiness, a lantern night in the old quarter on March 26, a visual arts programme on March 28, and a music night on April 1 in commemoration of celebrated musician Trinh Cong Son.

Tourists will also be offered a 50% ticket discount when visiting the old quarter, Thanh Ha ceramic village and the Tra Que vegetable in the city.

In addition, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Vietnam and the Korean Cultural Centre will also coordinate with Hoi An city authorities to host an ‘ROK Cultural Days in Quang Nam’ event from April 9 to 11, featuring many exciting exchange events and arts performances.

On the occasion, the city’s hospitality sector will introduce several new tourist products, including a fashion show and a stage programme entitled ‘A Moony Night on Hoai River’, aiming to provide travellers with unforgettable memories during their stay in the city.

According to Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, Director of the city’s Centre for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television, the city always places as a top priority the safety of visitors and the prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to make Hoi An a safe and friendly tourist destination.

Over 300 residents in Binh Dinh poisoned including nine hospitalizations

Over 300 residents in the Central Province of Binh Dinh were poisoned including nine hospitalizations; therefore, authority in the province has jumped into investigation of the cause of the incident.

More than 300 residents in mountainous communes in Tay Son District; nine of them were brought to the local hospital for treatment. A leader of the local medical center in Tay Son District this morning confirmed that over 300 people in Binh Tuong and Vinh An communes have been experiencing abdominal pain, vomiting, and headache. Seriously, nine of them had to be taken to infirmaries for further treatment.

Presently, the medical center in Tay Son District reported the incident to the provincial Center for Disease Control and carried out probe into the case.

According to primary information, poisoned victims all used water from a water plant in the two communes; as a result, health authority said water contamination is highly likely to be the source of poisoning cases.

Ministry adds Korean in national high school exam in 2021

Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training has just decided to add Korean in the national high school examination so that candidates can sit for Korean test for graduation as well as applying for universities in 2021.

With the recent inclusion of Korean, there will be more foreign languages such as English, Chinese, German, Japanese, French, Russian, and Korean for candidates to choose for the national high school examination.

Moreover, to assist candidates to use their exam results and apply for universities in 2021, the Ministry of Education and Training required schools to review and add major code of Korean for admission to different majors as per the current admission regulations.

The national high school exam is expected to consist of Math, Literature, and Foreign Language. Noticeably, senior high schoolers must take natural science tests including Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and social science test including History, Geography, and lessons for citizenship education for candidates pursuing general education while History and Geography for candidates pursuing continuous education .

Four trains for first metro line to arrive in HCMC before July

The next four trains for the first metro line project in HCMC are expected to be transported from Japan to Vietnam between April and July this year if the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control, said Huynh Hong Thanh, deputy head of the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) of HCMC.

During an inspection by a team led by HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on March 16 into the construction site of the Ba Son underground station, part of the first metro line project, Thanh said two trains were scheduled arrive in Vietnam in April or May. Two months later, the next two trains would be handed over to Vietnam, news site VnExpress reported.

After arriving in HCMC, the four trains, together with the first one which was transported to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City in October last year, will be operated on a trial basis.

MAUR had earlier planned to run the trains on a trial basis in the last quarter of this year. They will run on an elevated section from Binh Thai Intersection to Long Binh Depot before the entire system is put into trial operation.

At the same time, other works serving the metro line’s operation will also be conducted, such as training laborers, transferring technology, checking and handing over the project.

The first metro line in HCMC was designed to have 17 three-carriage trains. Each train is capable of carrying 930 passengers and can move at a maximum speed of 110 kilometers an hour on elevated sections and 80 kilometers an hour on underground sections.

The average distance between every two stations is over one kilometer, so trains will run at a speed of some 40 kilometers per hour.

According to Thanh, the project is facing some obstacles. However, the progress of some packages has been ensured, such as the CP1b package to build an underground section from the Opera House station to the Ba Son station, which is expected to be 99% complete by the middle of this year.

He added that the project was still expected to be completed by the end of this year as planned. Due to the pandemic, MAUR will come up with another detailed plan on the project’s progress, assess the impact of Covid-19 on its execution and propose new solutions.

HCMC Chairman Phong said the city had directed MAUR to determine when the project would be put into commercial operation, which will be a foundation to work out difficulties.

The first metro line project requires an investment of VND43.7 trillion. It was designed to be nearly 20 kilometers long with three underground stations and 11 elevated stations.

The project is some 83% complete and is expected to be put into operation next year.

Vietnam works with foreign countries to adopt vaccine passports

As many countries are planning to roll out Covid-19 vaccine passports to rekindle commerce and travel with foreign markets, Vietnam is in the process of working with foreign countries to accept vaccine passports via QR codes.

Before getting Covid-19 vaccines, residents will have to download the e-Portfolio app and re-declare their information, making it easier for QR scanning, it was announced at a meeting held by the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control on March 19.

After being injected with two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, the system will be updated and the vaccinated will be verified. When travelling abroad, residents will have their vaccination passport QR codes scanned.

Besides, representatives of competent agencies and mobile carriers said that the technical infrastructure system of vaccine passports for foreigners is almost complete and will be ready for use in April.

The national steering committee said that the infrastructure system must be deployed after detailed policies on vaccine passports are adopted.

The Ministry of Health was told to continue working with foreign health agencies to join the international joint effort to reopen doors for commerce and travel.

In addition, State agencies’ preparation for technical infrastructure and vaccine passport policies, local transport operators, airlines and tour operators said they were ready for a vaccine passport pilot.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said that it was willing to team up with competent agencies to study and pilot a vaccine passport scheme to gradually reopen international air routes.

Anti-Covid-19 measures adopted by Vietnam Airlines were assessed to meet safety standards, even higher than those set by global airline alliance SkyTeam.

On March 18, Cao Thi Tuyet Lan, head of the department for market development and foreign relations at the HCMC Tourism Association, said that adopting vaccine passports would offer convenience for foreign and local travelers.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Filed Under: Uncategorized Vietnam news, vietnamnet news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news, philippines news headlines, recent news headlines, international news headlines, australian news headlines, international news headlines today, uk news headlines, latest zimbabwe news headlines, seven news headlines, golf news headlines, kerry news headlines, stupid news headlines, todays news headlines

Woman trafficked to China finds way back home after 30 years

March 28, 2021 by e.vnexpress.net

For a year now the family Ha Van Hoat, 69, in the northern Phu Tho Province has seen the most laughter and joy in 30 years. His daughter, Ha Thi Chien, returned home more than 30 years after being tricked and sold in China.

Hoat’s family is poor. He walks with a limp due to a disability in his right leg while his wife has been lying in bed for years after suffering from a paralytic stroke.

After feeding the family’s geese, Chien returns to their hilltop stilt house, which was built with support from the government, approaches her mother’s bed and cares for her.

Despite the poverty, she says she is happier than in China.

She recalls that when she was 12 she was tricked by an acquaintance who invited her to China and promptly sold her to a family as soon as they crossed the border.

Ha Thi Chien in her house in Phu Tho Province. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

Ha Thi Chien in her house in northern Phu Tho Province. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

“They forced me be a sex worker at night. It was very humiliating. I tried to escape multiple times but failed since it was strictly guarded. They tortured me with whips after getting caught and I was deeply in pain.”

She shudders even now thinking about her time there.

She says 10-20 years passed in the blink of an eye, and her dream of returning home seemed unattainable.

But in early 2020, taking advantage of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, she was able to escape from her captors and return home.

“At the beginning of last year I and a person from Ninh Binh Province who had just got sold there found a way to escape. I was scared at first, but that girl encouraged me, saying ‘We will die no matter what, and I’d rather die trying to find my way back home.’ I gathered courage, and we fled that place together. We managed to get back to Vietnam after five days and nights crossing through a forest.”

Chien reunites with her father after more than 30 years. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

Chien reunites with her father after more than 30 years. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

When Chien reached Vietnam, border guards gave her food and some money and took her to a bus station so she could return to Phu Tho. But after being away for more than 30 years, she had forgotten her mother tongue and was lost in Quang Nam Province.

Luckily for her the Quang Nam police were able to verify her time of entry, and contacted the Phu Tho Province police, enabling her to return home.

Although informed in advance by the police and local authorities, Hoat still could not believe his eyes when he saw her, and choked in emotion amid the tears and happiness of their relatives.

Chien says dreams about the degradation in China still haunt her in her sleep.

Hoan says it still feels like a dream one year after she returned.

“When the police told me that my daughter has returned, I laughed and thought it was just a dream until the police officers brought her right in front of my eyes. I held her hands and tears started to pour down from my eyes, and I thought it could only be a dream.

“At this age, I never expected to see her again and embrace her like this. I want to thank all the border guards and officers who helped bring her back to my family.”

Since Chien had forgotten, she could not say anything to her father when she arrived, and could only kneel down in front of him. It was an intensely touching moment for everyone gathered there.

Chien relearns Vietnamese at home. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

Chien relearns Vietnamese at home. Photo by VnExpress/Le Lien.

Hoat’s neighbors came over to greet him and the villagers called it a miraculous reunion.

“It is a real miracle. I had intended to put up a small tomb for her at the end of 2020 if there was no news,” he says.

Over the past year Chien has been learning Vietnamese from her nephew who is in fourth grade, staying at home to take care of her parents and raising chickens and two buffaloes.

She plans to go out and find a job to support her parents when she can write well again.

Hundreds of thousands of women from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have been trafficked to China to marry men there, activists say. Some end up happily married, but many others suffer violence and forced labor.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Vietnam, human trafficking, Phu Tho Province, China, Woman trafficked to China finds way back home after 30 years - VnExpress International, 30 year mortgage calculator, 30 year treasury rate, canada 30 year mortgage, i am 30 years old, citibank 30 year mortgage rates, 15 v 30 year mortgage, citimortgage 30 year fixed rate, what is a 30 year fixed mortgage, 30 years old, scholarships for 30 year old woman, clothes 30 year old woman, woman trafficking

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 28

March 28, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Critically ill coronavirus patient recovers from disease

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 28

The 79-year-old patient leaves Da Nang hospital for Ho Chi Minh City where doctors will treat her underlying illnesses.

A Vietnamese coronavirus patient described as the most critically ill in Vietnam has been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, doctors said on March 27.

The patient who returned from the United States was admitted to the hospital on January 15 following positive tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

She was diagnosed with severe pneumonia due to the novel coronavirus plus other underlying illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes (type II), heart failure, and blood clotting disorders.

During treatment, the patient suffered from respiratory failure, forcing doctors to put her on a ventilator and prescribe her ECMO intervention in order save her life.

Leading Vietnamese specialists have held a total of seven national consultations to examine the best treatment therapy for the patient.

To doctors’ surprise, the patient recovered day by day and stopped using the ECMO therapy after 26-day extensive treatment.

The patient was on March 27 transferred to Cho Ray hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for treating the underlying illnesses at her family’s request.

COVID-19: Four imported cases reported on March 28 morning

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 28
A medical worker gets health check before vaccination

Two of the new patients entered through the Moc Bai international border gate and are being quarantined in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh. The other two were Filipino specialists who arrived at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi.

The national count increased to 2,590, of which 1,603 cases were domestic infections.

Meanwhile, 2,308 COVID-19 patients have been given the all clear by now, and the death toll remains at 35.

Among those still under treatment, 30 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 38 twice and 57 thrice.

A total of 44,833 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 483 at hospitals, 18,412 at concentrated facilities and 25,938 at their accommodations.

According to the National Expanded Immunisation Programme, an additional 278 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots, bringing the total number of people having got the shots to 44,278. Vaccination work is underway from March 8 to 27 in 19 provinces and centrally-run cities./.

Ethnic culture upheld through traditional craft

Van Ho district in Son La province is home to five ethnic groups: the H’Mong, Thai, Muong, Kinh, and Dao. It has been working to preserve their diverse and exotic cultures, including their traditional outfits.

83% of the population in Long Luong commune, Van Ho district in the mountainous province of Son La belongs to the H’Mong ethnic group. As they wear their traditional outfits in daily life, each household has a sewing machine.

As community tourism has become popular in Van Ho district, making traditional clothing is not only for personal use but also a cool experience for visitors. Some buy the clothes as souvenirs, while others just rent them to take photos.

Upholding the traditional crafts of ethnic minority communities in Van Ho district not only contributes to preserving and promoting their cultural traits but also opens up opportunities for tourism development./.

Better control of illegal immigration to prevent COVID-19

It is crucial to strengthen the management of immigration activities in border localities, while increasing support measures and cooperation with the localities, heard a meeting of the standing board of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on March 26.

According to representative from the Ministry of Health, after six consecutive days with no new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 infections, on March 25, Vietnam saw two new cases who entered illegally the country.

The ministry asked localities related to the new cases to promptly trace people having close contacts with the patients and give them testing.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long underlined the need for border localities to work hader to supervise entry activities and draw out scenarios for COVID-19 testing, quarantine and treatment, minimising impacts on socio-economic situation and locals.

Along with following the Ministry’s Health’s 5K message, people were advised to actively report cases of people returning from pandemic-hit areas or foreign countries who fail to make health declarations.

The board asked ministries, sectors and localities to create conditions for those who wish to enter Vietnam after receiving COVID-19 vaccine shots, with the strict implementation of preventive measures.

Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, border guards of the northern province of Lao Cai have coordinated with their Chinese counterpart to strengthening patrol along the shared border.

Vietnamese and Chinese patrolling forces have set up nine joint teams to prevent and combat cross-border crimes and end illegal immigration activities.

Also on March 26, the northern province of Hai Duong – the largest hotspot of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, removed the lockdown for its last location – the Van Xa resident area in Nguyen Ai Quoc ward of Hai Duong city./.

71st anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations celebrated in Beijing

The Vietnamese Embassy in China on March 26 held a ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations.

The event drew Chinese Assistant to Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, representatives of the host country’s ministries, sectors, agencies and localities, as well as the Vietnamese community and businesses in China.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai reviewed the 71 years of the diplomatic ties as well as major cooperation outcomes between the two countries in recent years.

He noted that since the beginning of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, senior leaders of the two Parties and States have maintained regular meetings with flexible forms, while bilateral partnership in all fields have been promoted, including collaboration in economy, trade and investment.

Vietnam has been the largest trade partner of China among ASEAN member countries with two-way trade hitting 19.2 billion USD in 2020, up 18.7 percent year on year, according to statistics from China’s Customs. Meanwhile, China was the third biggest investor of Vietnam last year.

Ambassador Mai underlined that 2021 is a year of significant importance to both side as this is the first year that Vietnam implements the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the socio-economic development plan for the 2021-2025 period, and the socio-economic development strategy for the 2021-2030 period. Meanwhile, this year, China celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and begins the implementation of the 14th socio-economic planning for the next five years with a vision to 2035, he added.

The diplomat recalled that on February 8, few days before the Lunar New Year, Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an phone talk to sketch out major orientations for the development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic partnership in the future.

Ambassador Mai proposed that both sides fully and effectively implement the common perspectives reached by senior leaders of both countries, strengthen political trust, expand and enhance the efficiency of cooperation in fields, promote people-to-people exchange, control and satifactorily address disagreements on the basis of respecting each other’s legitimate interest in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thus further boosting the growth of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic partnership in a healthy, stable and in-depth manner, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

During the ceremony, participants had a chance to enjoy Vietnamese traditional dishes./.

Youngsters’ trust helps promote Vietnam-Russia ties: Saint Petersburg Governor

Governor of Russia’s Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov has stressed the common task of helping youngsters build the realiable partnership between Vietnam and Russia, saying that stronger trust among Vietnamese and Russian youngsters will ensure the development of friendship between the two countries.

Beglov made the statement at an online conference to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) held in Saint Petersburg on March 26.

He said that youth projects are important part of the working programmes of the city. In 2018, Saint Petersburg gave the initiative of organising the first Vietnam-Russia Youth Forum, which was lauded by leaders of both sides.

Recently, an online conference was held between the Ho Chi Minh City’s HCMYU and the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg, he noted.

According to Beglov, he has asked Saint Petersburg’s Committee for Youth Policies to strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese youth, including the signing of cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City’s HCMYU.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh affirmed that the partnership among localities of Vietnam and Russia is growing strongly, with Saint Petersburg being the pioneer in setting up twin relations with Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa province.

Saint Petersburg has coordinated with Vietnamese partners to organise various activities on special occasions such as the 95th anniversary of the first trip of President Ho Chi Minh to Russia, the ceremony to place a stone in the location defined to erect President Ho Chi Minh in the city, he noted.

The diplomat underlined the special meaning of the conference which was held on the founding anniversary of the HCMYU, stressing that many generations of both sides have stood side by side and provided mutual support, contributing to fostering the traditional friendship between people of the two countries over the past more than seven decades.

Within the conference’s framework, a book by Ambassador Ngo Duc Manh on the glorious 70-year path of the Vietnam-Russia ties was introduced. The book comprises of more than 700 photos and documents featuring the Vietnam-Russia cooperation over the past 70 years.

Earlier, Ambassador Manh had a working session with Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, during which they sides highly valued the sound relationship between Vietnam and Russia in general and between Vietnam and Saint Petersburg in particular. They affirmed that local collaboration is a bright spot in the relations between the two countries over the years.

Both sides shared delight at effective joint projects, especially Saint Petersburg’s plan to erect President Ho Chi Minh’s statue in the city.

Governor Beglov thanked Ambassador Manh and staff of the embassy for making contributions to elevating the ties between Veitanm and Saint Petersburg to a new height. He said he and a business delegation of the city plan to visit Vietnam in the fourth quarter of this year.

Both sides showed their hope that in the future, the project to build Ho Chi Minh City’s culture-trade centre in Saint Petersburg will be conducted after COVID-19 pandemic is thoroughly controlled./.

Over 1,500 people take part in running day in Da Nang

Over 1,500 runners joined the Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2021 in the central city of Da Nang on March 27, which was held by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

The runners were from local governmental bodies, armed forces, associations, societies and agencies in the city.

The event was organised to mark the 46th anniversary of Da Nang city’s Liberation (March 29) and the 75 years of the Vietnam Sports Day.

Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Pham Tan Xu said the event is part of activities to respond to and promote the “All people take exercises following the example of great Uncle Ho” campaign.

It becomes an annual activity, attracting more and more people from all walks of life, contributing to promote movements of physical training and sports in the local community, he added.

Conferences to promote conservation of UNESCO-recognised intangible culture heritages

A chain of conferences to assess the management, protection and promotion of the value of Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO, is scheduled to take place in April 2021, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

These events aims to review the State management in protecting and promoting the values of the three heritages: the cultural space of gong in the Central Highlands, the “don ca tai tu” art form (southern amateur singing) in the southern region, and Vietnam’s traditional practice of “Tho Mau Tam Phu” (the Worship of Mother Goddesses).

Ways to improve personel capacity and management efficiency for Vietnam’s UNESCO-recognised heritages, and enhance coordination among agencies, localities in protecting heritages, will be under discussion.

Participants to the conferences will focus on assessing the current situation of heritage management, and the building of projects to protect heritages.

They will also share experience in heritage management and preservation and difficulties facing localities in the works, as well as proposed solutions to those issues.

As planned, representatives from localities boasting the heritages, experts, cultural researchers and those from relevant departments and sectors will gather together at the conferences.

Adopting green lifestyles through short getaways

Green tourism has become increasingly popular over recent times given that protecting the environment has become an urgent issue within society.

Apart from enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of Hoi An ancient town, visitors can also enjoy fun activities such as growing vegetables, riding buffaloes, and rowing coracles, among others.

Local tourism service providers have also taken a step forward in promoting environmental protection by collecting bio-waste from restaurants and hotels to make compost. Many have invested in technology to save energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Forty local tourism companies have undertaken to apply the circular economic model, which aims at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Local green community tourism models, with no plastic use, have also been developed.

Green tourism is not just a cash cow but also brings sustainable benefits to local residents. Indeed, many farmers in Hoi An have earned handsome profits from providing agro-tourism services.

Green tourism not only benefits tourists by providing exotic experiences, it also inspires them in environmental protection and green lifestyles./.

National conference popularising resolution of 13th National Party Congress

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat opened an online national conference to popularise the Resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress on March 27, with the participation of the 67 Party Committees of centrally-run cities, provinces and central agencies, and more than 7,300 committees at local levels.

Addressing the event, Vo Van Thuong, Poliburo member and Standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, stressed the significance of in-depth study and popularisation, and implementation of the Resolution, which should become a regular activity throughout the tenure and one of the major tasks for 2021.

He said that the proper and creative implementation of the Resolution from State officials and Party members will create consensus among the people, thus promoting patriotism, self-reliance and the great national solidarity strength and the desire for national development, contributing to successfully implementing the Resolution.

Participants at the event heard a number of reports on different topics related to major documents of the 13th National Party Congress.

The conference will run until March 28./.

Ninh Thuan moves to promote community-based tourism

With advantages of natural beauty, history, and rich culture, the south-central province of Ninh Thuan is striving to promote tourism development, especially community-based tourism, towards becoming an attractive destination with diverse tourism products.

It has recently seen strong development in community-based tourism, and strong investment has been landed in agricultural land areas, turning them into new tourist destinations.

According to the Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Van Hoa, the province boasts substantial potential for developing community-based tourism.

Besides its diverse natural landscapes, with mountains, sea, plains, semi-desert terrain, and popular destinations such as the Nui Chua and Phuoc Binh National Parks, Ninh Thuan is also a land of rich history and culture gathering the customs and traditions of the Cham and Raglai ethnic people.

It is focusing on developing local agricultural products and specialties to serve the development of community tourism.

Many community-based models have proven effective, benefiting the local community and contributing to promoting the consumption of local farm produce and handicrafts, creating more jobs and improving incomes for local residents.

The provincial People’s Committee has launched a project to support community-based tourism development in 2019-2022, with a total budget of over 20.4 billion VND (884,000 USD).

The project has been implemented in 13 areas, including Raglai eco-tourism, grape-planting, ceramic and brocade-weaving villages of the Cham people.

Rural transport infrastructure has been upgraded and developed in project areas.

The training of local people serving tourism development has been focused, while attention has also been paid to ensuring safety and strengthening tourism promotion activities.

Ninh Thuan has targeted welcoming 2.5 million visitors this year, including 200,000 foreigners, raking in 1.25 trillion VND (over 54.1 million USD).

To that end, local authorities will continue to improve the quality of tourism products and services.

They have also mobilised resources from organisations, individuals and economic sectors in implementing tourism development projects, and organised field trips with the participation of travel agencies to help localities develop new tourism products.

Argentine national news agency wishes to boost cooperation with VNA

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Duong Quoc Thanh had a working session with President of the Argentine National News Agency (Telam) Bernada Llorente on March 26 to discuss measures to promote information on all areas of each country to both Vietnamese and Argentine readers.

At the meeting at the embassy, Ambassador Thanh highly valued the role of Telam, as a national news agency, in providing readers with official and timely information on Argentina’s political, economic, social and cultural aspects.

He expressed his belief that Telam will play an important role in providing information on land and people of Vietnam, as well as the country’s achievements on socio-economic development to the Argentine people.

According to the diplomat, based on agreements signed between the VNA and Telam, the two agencies can continue to strengthen the exchange of information, and coordination in producing programmes to introduce culture, economic, investment and trade potential of each country on their press products.

Telam President Llorente said expressed her impression on the land and people of Vietnam as well as the country’s economic achievements after her two visits to the Southeast Asian nation.

She affirmed that Vietnam is always a priority partner of Argentine in Asia. As a national news agency, Telam has proactively provided information on Vietnam for readers in Argentine.

Particularly, Telam has introduced Vietnam’s experience in dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic as the country became a bright spot in the fight against COVID-19 in 2020.

She reaffirmed Telam will further promote its relationship with the VNA in order to move towards the signing of a more practical and effective cooperation agreement between the two sides.

National conference popularising resolution of 13th National Party Congress

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat opened an online national conference to popularise the Resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress on March 27, with the participation of the 67 Party Committees of centrally-run cities, provinces and central agencies, and more than 7,300 committees at local levels.

Addressing the event, Vo Van Thuong, Poliburo member and Standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, stressed the significance of in-depth study and popularisation, and implementation of the Resolution, which should become a regular activity throughout the tenure and one of the major tasks for 2021.

He said that the proper and creative implementation of the Resolution from State officials and Party members will create consensus among the people, thus promoting patriotism, self-reliance and the great national solidarity strength and the desire for national development, contributing to successfully implementing the Resolution.

This will also help combat degradation in political ideology as well as signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” among Party members, while protecting Party ideological foundation and fighting wrongful and hostile arguments.

Highlighting the need to roll out strict and high-quality popularisation of the Resolution, Thuong asked participants to clarify major contents and new policies in documents of the 13th National Party Congress, thus pointing out advantages and difficulties as well as challenges facing the national revolution in the future, while applying the policies to suit specific conditions of each locality, and successfully realising political tasks in the 2021-2025 period.

He underlined that during the popularisation of the Resolution, it is necessary to have timely reply to questions from officials, Party members and people regarding contents of the Resolution, thus orienting public opinion and creating consensus in society.

Meanwhile, it is crucial to soon apply the Resolution into life, he stated, asking Party Committees and organisations to soon build their action plans to specify the Resolution.

He also asked for the strengthening of inspection and supervision as well as evaluation of activities to popularise the document, as well as the building of action plans to implement it in each locality and agency.

Participants at the event heard a number of reports on different topics related to major documents of the 13th National Party Congress, focusing on core issues, new features and mindset shown in the documents, affirming achievements and lessons drawn from the 35 years of national reform, especially five years of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress.

The conference will run until March 28.

Everygolf launched to improve golf quality in Viet Nam

Everygolf Studio, an advanced golf training centre, has opened in Hà Nội aiming to increase the number of golfers in Việt Nam as well as improve the quality of the current players.

Launching in the capital city on Friday, Everygolf is one of few locations with advanced golf training and learning technology in the country. Golfers and people who love the sport will have the chance to use the 3D training rooms with modern and advanced systems such as Trackman, Foresight and Putview.

Experts led by PGA Australia coach Phạm Minh Đức will be on hand to offer guidance.

The centre will hold events and tournaments, game shows and reality shows focusing on golf. It also provides an application, Everygolf Swing, that connects coaches and athletes.

“People will have the chance to access high-performance training and practising golf at Everygolf. The advanced technology will be updated regularly to bring the best experience to golfers, improve their strength and reduce the risk of injuries as well as lift up their technology,” said Nguyễn Thị Thảo Nguyên, general director of Everygolf Việt Nam.

Speaking at the opening, coach Phạm Minh Đức said he really wanted to have such a project like Everygolf in Việt Nam since his return home from Australia several years ago.

Việt Nam needs more such centres to speed up the golf industry development to reach the international level, he said.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Huy Tiến, head coach of Hà Nội Golf Team, said the technology at Everygolf will help not only new golfers but also fix technical mistakes for veteran players.

In the coming months, Everygolf plans to be the training venue to the national team ahead of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hà Nội this winter.

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 28

Decade-long master plan to tackle climate change gets go-ahead

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently granted approval to a master plan aimed at developing Vietnamese cities towards the year 2030 in response to climate change challenges.

The scheme will be divided into three phases, with the first set to be implemented from 2021 to 2025 in five centrally-run cities, namely Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Can Tho, Hai Phong, and Da Nang, as well as cities in seven northern, central, and Mekong Delta provinces and seven northern mountainous and Central Highland provinces.

In the period between 2026 and 2030, the plan will be implemented in coastal urban areas and deltas which are prone to flooding and flash floods, as well as landslides in northern mountainous, central coastal, southeastern, and Central Highland regions.

Other localities will see similar schemes put in place beyond 2030.

In order to meet the goal, there is an urgent need to investigate and assess the impact of climate change on the development of the existing urban system, whilst also competently planning new urban areas likely to be formed over the next 10 years. This is necessary in order to calculate self-adaptive capacity, propose response solutions, and to draw up an adequate risk warning mapping system.

Relevant agencies will also be required to integrate climate change adaptation into urban development planning and other programmes, while also completing legal frameworks regarding urban and housing management and development, taking into account increased risk caused climate change.

The scheme underlines the importance of forming a flooding control system within urban areas, building dykes, embankments, and large-scale underground water storage works, and finding solutions to resettle and relocate residents in risky areas. Indeed, the plan will see the development of houses that are highly resistant to flooding, strong winds, and storms.

According to the plan, it is imperative to enhance the overall building capacity of local authorities with regard to urban management and development in response to climate change.

In addition, it is necessary to accelerate scientific and technological research cooperation, pilot green and smart urban development, build energy saving and emission reduction models, and develop environmentally friendly materials.

Cyclists to race at HTV Cycling cup to mark Reunification Day

The annual HCM City Television Cycling Tournament will be held in April with VNĐ2 billion (US$86,600) up for grab.

In its 33rd edition, the race has attracted more than 100 participants from 15 teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have not invited international teams as in the past, but local teams are allowed one foreign member each.

The Việt Nam national team will join the race as they are preparing for the 31st Southeast Asian Games later this year.

The tournament is part of activities to celebrate the 46th anniversary of Southern Việt Nam’s liberation and Reunification Day on April 30.

Running from April 6 to 30, cyclists will race across 22 stages covering 2,450km from Cao Bằng Province to HCM City.

The first stage will be a 45km lap around Cao Bằng City on April 6.

Among the stages, the route from Nghệ An Province through Hà Tĩnh to Quảng Bình Province will be the longest one at 199km on April 15.

Earlier, the team time trial stage will be in Cửa Lò Beach of Nghệ An while athletes will take part in the individual time trial event at the 14th stage in Tam Kỳ City, Quảng Ngãi Province.

The race will end on April 30 when cyclists reach the Independence Palace in HCM City.

The winner of the tournament will take the yellow jersey and a purse of VNĐ200 million ($8,660) while the winning team will bank VNĐ100 million ($4,330)

The organisers will also deliver prizes for athletes who win stages and take the green, red polka dot, and white jerseys.

All stages will be live aired on HTV9, HTV Thể thao and other platforms.

About VNĐ1.5 billion ($65,000) will be used for charity activities in localities that the race passes by.

Last year, Javier Sarda Perez of HCM City took double titles winning both the yellow and red polka dot jersey while his crew took the team title.

Photo exhibition marks 60 years of Vietnam-Morocco diplomacy

The Moroccan Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam News Agency are co-hosting an online photo exhibition in celebration of the 60th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Morocco.

Vietnam and Morocco established diplomatic ties on March 27, 1961. Bilateral relations have since been strengthen in various areas, especially in economics, trade, investment, culture and tourism.

The two countries have maintained high-level visits to promote their cooperation. In 2006 they decided to open their embassies in each other’s capitals, marking a milestone in bilateral cooperation.

The photos can be seen on the website of the Moroccan Embassy at http://moroccoembassy.vn from March 27 to April 30.

HCM City residents cycle in response to Earth Hour

The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union hosted a bicycle parade on March 27 in response to Earth Hour 2021 with the event attracting the participation of over 300 volunteers, Youth Union members, and residents from the southern city.

Le Hoang Minh, head of the organising board of Earth Hour 2021, says 2021 is the 13th year in which Ho Chi Minh City has participated in the event alongside 7,000 cities in more than 200 countries globally.

Along with the ongoing activities in Ho Chi Minh City, the campaign has also received support from a large number of online volunteers who are helping to spread the message across 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

All of these activities are primarily aimed at responding to the “10th Anniversary of Earth Hour in Vietnam – Join Global Lights Off” event on the evening of March 27 which will take place in the city at the Youth Cultural House, AEON Mall Binh Tan, and Hoan Cau Hotel.

The function is anticipated to attract the participation of more than 2,000 teenagers and residents from Ho Chi Minh City.

Nat’l futsal championship to kick off today

The National Futsal HDBank Championship 2021 is scheduled to kick off on Sunday in Buôn Ma Thuột City in Đắk Lắk Province.

At a press meeting on Wednesday, the organisers of the tournament, Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) and Radio the Voice of Việt Nam (VOV), said the tournament would be divided into two stages with the participation of 12 teams.

The first stage of qualifying rounds will take place from March 28 to April 5 at Đắk Lắk gymnasium in Buôn Ma Thuột City.

Audiences will see competition among six teams Cao Bằng, Hưng Gia Khang Đắk Lắk, Tân Hiệp Hưng, Quảng Nam, Việt Football and Luxury Hạ Long. They will compete in a round robin format that will decide the four teams to join the second stage.

The second stage will include participation of the four winners in the first stage and the top six teams from last year’s National Futsal HDBank Championships, which include Thái Sơn Nam, Sahako, Sanvinest Sanatech Khánh Hòa, Zetbit Sài Gòn FC, Hiếu Hoa Đà Nẵng, and Thái Sơn Bắc.

The first leg of the second stage will be held at Đắk Lắk gymnasium from April 4 to April 30, while the second leg is expected to take place from July 5 to 26 in Cần Thơ city.

The winner of the tournament will represent Việt Nam at the AFC Futsal Championships 2021.

Last year, Thái Sơn Nam took the trophy, and the runner-up was Sanvinest Sanatech Khánh Hòa.

The organiser has also announced that the National Futsal HDBank Cup will kick off in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng from September 5 to 16.

Both tournaments are sponsored by HDBank. The winner of the National Futsal HDBank Championship will receive a VNĐ500 million (US$21,400) prize.

This is the fifth time that VFF has worked with VOV to organise the tournament.

Trần Anh Tú, head of the organising board, said at the press meeting that the tournament is expected to offer exciting, highly professional matches.

Children’s awards open for entries

Compositions, art performances and entertainment programmes created by children or for children have the chance to compete at the Dế Mèn Awards.

The awards launched by the Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao Văn Hóa (Culture & Sport) newspaper aims to honour the best works by and for children.

Entitled Dế Mèn (Cricket), the award is named after the character in one of the most popular stories for children in Việt Nam, Dế Mèn Phiêu Lưu Ký (Diary of a Cricket) by Tô Hoài.

The awards will include one grand prize named Hiệp Sĩ Dế Mèn (Cricket Knight) and several other awards called Khát Vọng Dế Mèn (Cricket Desire).

The Cricket Knight award will honour the lifetime achievements of authors who have contributed to work for children.

The awards will be presented for works that meet either of these two criteria: compositions, art performances and entertainment programmes by children or composers, or art performances and entertainment programmes for children.

International authors with works created for Vietnamese children are also eligible.

Eligible works must be announced or discovered from May 15 of last year to May 15 of 2021. Literature drafts created within this period can be sent to the contest.

The entries can be in one of several forms like literature, cinema, music, arts, theatre, photography, comic, traditional games or electronic games.

The judges will receive all entries by photo, video clip and book at 11 Trần Hưng Đạo Street in Ha Noi or via email to [email protected]

At the first Dế Mèn Awards last year, writer Nguyễn Nhật Ánh won Cricket Knight for his book Làm Bạn Với Bầu Trời (Being Friends with the Sky) and four Cricket Desire awards were given to primary school students Nguyễn Đới Chung Anh and Cao Khải An, teacher Nguyễn Chí Ngoãn, and musician Nguyễn Văn Chung.

The awards ceremony will be held on Children’s Day on June 1.

Mekong Delta has excellent winter – spring rice crop

The Mekong Delta has harvested the 2020 – 21 winter – spring rice crop with farmers successfully avoiding the impacts of saltwater intrusion and managing high yields and getting high prices, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

More than one million of the 1.59 million hectares planted have been harvested so far, with an average yield of seven tonnes per hectare, 214kg higher than the last winter – spring rice and the highest in the last five years.

The country’s rice granary reduced the area under the grain by 27,210ha this season, fearful of possible saltwater intrusion in rivers.

Fragrant and speciality varieties accounted for more than 21 per cent and high-quality varieties for 60 per cent, a slight increase from last year.

On the instructions of local authorities, farmers started sowing the crop in October last year, 20 – 30 days earlier than normal, hoping to avoid the saltwater intrusion that often occurs at the end of the crop.

This and prompt forecasts of saltwater intrusion have helped farmers get high yields, according to the ministry’s plant cultivation department.

Speaking at a seminar in Cần Thơ City on Wednesday, Lê Thanh Tùng, deputy head of the department, said saltwater intrusion is still severe but the winter – spring crop was not affected, and farmers earned 45 per cent profits.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hè, deputy chairman of Cần Thơ City, said the harvest was basically complete and the average yield had been 7.6 tonnes per hectare, the highest in a long time.

The city’s farmers planted mostly speciality, fragrant and high-quality varieties, he added.

Delta farmers adopted various effective farming models like large-scale rice fields and organic rice farming models and grew rice to Vietnamese and global good agricultural practice standards.

Large-scale rice fields accounted for 160,000ha with the land owners linking up with food companies to grow rice to their requirements but with purchase guaranteed.

The delta plans to plant rice on 1.52 million hectares in the summer – autumn and 725,000ha in the autumn – winter crops this year, according to the ministry.

The former is more than 3,700ha down from last year due to restructuring and fears of saltwater intrusion.

Farmers have already sown more than 300,000ha.

They expect a yield of 5.6 tonnes, up 740kg from last year.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Quốc Doanh said the crop would be very important and farmers should be focused on growing area, yield and output.

They and local authorities should comply with approved sowing schedules and stick to varieties suitable for their respective areas to escape the impacts of saltwater intrusion and diseases, he warned.

The latter should foster advanced rice farming techniques to reduce the use of seeds and water and prevent diseases, he added.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Filed Under: Uncategorized Vietnam news, vietnamnet news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news, march 28 who was born, march 28 which day, half day march 28 2018, half day march 28, half day for march 28 2018, half day on march 28 2018, half day on march 28, eat bulaga lenten special march 28 2018, mmda coding for march 28 2018, mmda coding on march 28 2018, hanggang saan march 28 2018, cuomo prime time march 28 2019

Charity begins at new homes: the Vietnamese carpenters that built hundreds of houses for free

April 3, 2021 by tuoitrenews.vn

Hundreds of new houses for low income families in An Giang Province have been built over the past several years by a group of carpenters doing their best to support their community.

The group is led by Tran Van Hien, 81, also known as Tu Hien, a native of the region who is widely known across the province thanks to his charitable deeds.

Philanthropy on the frontier

The latest project being undertaken by Tu Hien’s team is a new office for the border guards stationed at the Phu Huu Border Post. The building is the fourth phase in the team’s project to rebuild five control posts for local security forces.

The carpenters in Tu Hien’s group are laser focused on the job in front of them. Communication is minimal – after all, talking doesn’t build buildings. At the forefront of the project is Tu Hien, who directs the group with vigor rarely seen of men in their 80s.

“The living condition at the border post looks terrible. They are under a tremendous burden from the pandemic, yet their barracks barely look like they’ll survive a harsh storm,” Hien explained.

Hien’s charitable acts have even caught the attention of the Cambodian guards stationed just opposite the Vietnamese post.

“I used to travel to the other side of the border to help build houses for poor Cambodian households, so they know us well. There are times when [the border guards] over there even donate wood logs to us so we can make houses for more people in need,” he said.

Each year, Tu Hien and his team build dozens of houses for the poor, but their charitable work doesn’t stop at homes. In the past they’ve built bridges for villages that lack connections to the outside world and even taken on burial work for families that couldn’t afford a proper funeral.

Intact leaves cover the tattered ones

Though Tu Hien is known for his philanthropy, he himself has often been in tight squeezes for money, with barely enough cash to put food on the table for his children.

One of Tu Hien’s most memorable philanthropic moments happened several years ago when he met a widow in Phu Thanh commune with no place to stay but the basement of a neighbor’s house. Tu Hien and his team stepped in to build the woman a place to stay using wood that Tu Hien had purchased to fix up his own dilapidated house before the rainy season.

Feeling like a new house wasn’t enough for the woman, Tu Hien also scavenged more wood and built the woman an altar for the woman’s deceased husband. He also purchased furniture, kitchenware, food, and spices for the woman and her family using money from his own pocket.

The widow was just one of out of many individuals whose life has been changed by Tu Hien’s good deeds.

Over the years, the carpenter has kept a secret notebook detailing the plights of those he’s countered and planned to help every single one of them.

Members of Tu Hien’s workshop eating vegan meals. Photo: Tien Trinh / Tuoi Tre
Members of Tu Hien’s workshop eating vegan meals. Photo: Tien Trinh / Tuoi Tre

Of course, Tu Hien would not have been able to help so many people on his own and he’s thankful for the contributions from his network of volunteers and for donations given to his cause by dozens of other benefactors.

In 2008, Hien received a surprise donation from three brothers – a plot of land for him to build his own carpentry workshop.

Using the gifted land as his headquarters, Tu Hien and his partners are able to help more people in need.

Each of the volunteers on Hien’s squad have their own specialties, such as building houses, constructing bridges, and even making caskets. This mish mash of talents helps them cover all the needs of the region’s poor.

The teams operate on a volunteer basis, but each member still strives to contribute massive amounts of effort, with about twenty volunteers showing up to tackle most projects.

Hien also saw people who joined his volunteer lineup after gaining a foothold and moving upwards in life thanks to the house he’s built for them. Others in his rotation of volunteers are simply striving to give back to the community.

Nguyen Van Hon, who turned 91 this year, has been showing up to help Hien for many years despite his own impoverished conditions.

“I’m old but fairly healthy myself, so showing up here every day is no big deal,” Hon said.

Nhan, a volunteer driver who transports wood for Hien’s workshop, is another unlikely member of Tu Hien’s team.

Last year, Nhan was in a road accident that broke his leg. His mobility has been significantly restricted ever since, yet he still manages to show up for the team as if nothing had ever happened. He also found a lover with whom he recently tied the knot.

“I promised my wife that I would prioritize my family’s financial stability before dedicating all my time to the workshop to help those who are less privileged than me,” Nhan said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Vietnam Life - Charity begins at new homes: the Vietnamese carpenters that built hundreds of houses for free, TTNTAG charity, TTNTAG house, TTNTAG workshop, ..., ready built new homes for sale, ready built new homes, ready built new homes perth, ready built new homes brisbane, housing wire new homes, hills new beginnings online free, new houses to be built, new houses built

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 2

April 2, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

No new COVID-19 cases, over 51,210 people get vaccinated

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 2
A volunteer receives a shot of the COVID-19 candidate vaccine COVIVAC

Of the total, 1,603 are domestically-transmitted cases, including 910 infections since the third wave of outbreaks hit the country on January 27.

The MoH’s Medical Service Administration reported that as many as 2,359 have been given the all-clear from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 so far.

The death toll from the disease was still kept at 35, the administration said.

Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments across the country, 18 tested negative for the virus once, 15 twice and 35 thrice.

A total of 27,478 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are being quarantined nationwide, including 498 in hospitals, 18,870 at concentrated facilities and 8,110 at their residences.

According to the National Expanded Immunisation Programme, an additional 1,473 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots on April 1, bringing the total number of vaccinated people to 51,216.

To live safely with the pandemic, the MoH advised people to remain proactive in pandemic prevention and control by continuing to wear face masks when going out, disinfecting frequently, maintaining a safe distance, refraining from mass gatherings, and making medical declarations./.

Hospital director suspended for drug dealing investigations

The director of the National Psychiatric Hospital 1, Vuong Van Tinh, has just been suspended while police are investigating a drug trading ring inside the hospital.

The Ministry of Health on April 1 decided to suspend Tinh and two female staff from the hospital, doctor Do Thi Luu and nurse Ta Thi Them, who were found involved in the illegal drug trading run by a patient at the hospital.

The director of the hospital was ordered to collaborate with the police in the investigation, inspect the hospital’s staff, tighten security and management.

On March 31, the police in Hanoi announced that they had busted a drug trading ring led by a man with a history of mental illness, Nguyen Xuan Quy.

Quy has been treated at the National Psychiatric Hospital 1 since November 2018. During his treatment, Quy left the hospital several times. In January, he was caught by the police in Hai Ba Trung District for illegally storing narcotics and was transferred to the hospital.

Quy then made friends with some staff at the hospital and was allowed to move freely inside the hospital. He was even able to turn a treatment room into a sound-proof room with heavy loudspeakers and laser lights. He later invited friends and some hospital staff to the room and sold all kinds of narcotics there.

His customers disguised themselves as patients’ relatives. Two of his accomplices, Nguyen Trung Nguyen and Nguyen Cong Thuong disguised as taxi and motorbike taxi drivers in front of the hospital to guard and transport drugs.

The trading ring was busted and five people were arrested on March 20.

After expanding the investigation, the Hanoi police also detained Nguyen Anh Vu, 35, an employee at the Department of Rehabilitation and Traditional Medicine at the hospital. Vu has been prosecuted for failing to report a crime.

PM orders caution in toll collection on State-invested expressways

The collection of toll fees on expressways the State has invested in is an inevitable solution to recover capital, but it is a sensitive issue, which can easily cause an impact on local residents and enterprises. Hence, the competent agencies should exercise caution during toll collection, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Speaking on a resolution of the National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on the toll fees on State-invested expressways at the regular cabinet meeting on March 15, PM Phuc said Vietnam needs to complete over 3,000 kilometers of expressways in the upcoming periods to reach a target of 5,000 kilometers of expressways by the end of 2030, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper reported.

Therefore, in addition to the State capital, private resources should be mobilized and used flexibly to develop expressway projects.

The NA had earlier ordered the development of policies to collect toll fees on State-invested expressways. This solution will help the State ensure capital to continue investing in other expressways and compensate for other expenditures, such as paying loans and maintenance fees. The fees should be equivalent to those on adjacent expressways to attract more resources for the upgrade of the country’s expressway system.

However, amid the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic which has been affecting residents’ lives and enterprises’ production and business activities, the toll collection must be weighed carefully.

At present, the NA’s Standing Committee has yet to work on the issue but commented on the draft amended Law on Road Traffic, which includes regulations on the toll collection on State-invested expressways, at its 10th sitting. Therefore, the Government leader assigned the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to study proposals on the toll collection on State-invested expressways to complete the draft amended law.

The ministry must also cooperate with the NA’s subordinates to accelerate the approval of the draft amended law in line with the law.

Nearly 900 border soldiers, medical workers in Tay Ninh get COVID-19 vaccine shots

As many as 894 soldiers and medical workers who work along the borderline in southwestern Tay Ninh province received the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine on April 1.

The vaccination drive was organised by the Border Guard Command of Tay Ninh province and the 175 Military Hospital.

The hospital has arranged staff and facilities at vaccination sites to offer medical assistance to anyone reporting side effects from the vaccine.

Frontline workers in six provinces on the southwest border are also expected to be inoculated during the vaccination drive, which will last until the end of April.

The vaccinations will be carried out at hospitals, clinics and mobile sites that are suitable to the border guard force’s conditions as well as ensuring that they are fully vaccinated.

Colonel Nguyen Tai Son, Political Commissar of the Border Guard Command of Tay Ninh province, said the COVID-19 vaccination for border guard forces was important because there were already community outbreaks in Cambodia, near the border with Vietnam.

Tay Ninh province has a 240km border with Cambodia. There are 129 checkpoints with more than 800 soldiers on duty along the border./.

Hanoi tourism festival to be held in April

Hanoi will organise a festival to promote tourism and culinary culture from April 16 to 18.

This will be one of the major events held after the recent Covid-19 outbreak was controlled. Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said many firms working in travel, hospitality and transportation will participate in the festival.

“Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways said they would have discount programmes at the festival. Many other firms have also planned attractive offers and products. Vietjet Air offers a three-day-two-night trip to HCM City for VND990,000. Hanoitourist opened a self-drive tour to the northwest region,” Giang said.

Many other discounted tour packages will be offered at the festival such as 15% discounted tickets to Huong Pagoda. New tours to historical sites in Hanoi or to Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh and Lao Cai have also received a warm reception.

Over 200 firms are estimated to attend the festival along with the representatives from various provinces and cities who want to promote their own localities.

Nguyen Gia Phuong, director of Hanoi Promotion Agency, said they were ready to launch the festival in an open space where each firm can decorate their own booths.

Month-long events on way to honour cultures of Vietnamese ethnic groups

A kaleidoscope of cultures, rituals, and cuisine of ethnic minority groups around the country will be highlighted throughout April at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Hanoi.

A series of events will be organised in honour of Vietnam Ethnic Group Cultural Day (April 14) and to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the Liberation of South Vietnam and National Reunification Day (April 30).

Folk songs, dance, cuisine, specialties, and traditional customs and rituals of ethnic minorities will be on show.

The highlight will be “Mountainous market – Hoang Su Phi destination”, which features the cultures of ethnic minority groups in the Northwestern and Northeastern regions, such as the Dao, Mong, La Chi, and Thai. An exhibition with the theme “Hoang Su Phi – a magnificent haven” will be held to promote local tourism, while booths from Hoang Su Phi district will sell handicrafts and staples.

Several rituals will be re-enacted at the event, so as to preserve traditional cultures and bring local tourism products closer to visitors. They include the Ban Vuong festival of the Dao people, Co Um Do of the La Chi people, and Tet thanh minh (Ancestors Day) of the Dao people in Hanoi’s Ba Vi district.

On Hung Kings Memorial Day (April 21), the village will host a wide range of activities to introduce traditional cultures and cuisine./.

Vietnam sees sharp rise in obesity

The information was given by Professor Le Danh Tuyen, head of the National Institute of Nutrition at a recent meeting on a national nutrition strategy in the 2021-2030 period.

According to Tuyen, Vietnam made remarkable achievements in the implementation of a national nutrition strategy during the 2011-2020 phase.

In 2020, the rate of Vietnamese stunted children under five was 19.6% compared to 29.3% in 2010. Meanwhile, the rate of underweight children was 5.2% in 2019 compared to 7.1% in 2010.

In 2020, the average height of Vietnamese men was 168.1cm compared to 164.4cm in 2010. The figure was 155.6cm for women, up against 154.8cm in 2010. Vietnam currently ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in terms of height.

Professor Tuyen said that up to around 20% of children aged between five and 19 in Vietnam are currently overweight. The rate of obese children in this age group in cities such as Hanoi, HCM City, Dalat and Haiphong has increased to 7.4% against 5.6% in 2010.

Tuyen blamed meat for the increase in obesity in Vietnam. At present, the average consumption of meat per person in Vietnam is 134 grams per day. The figure is up to 154 grams in cities.

In 2010, Vietnamese ate 190 grams of vegetables and 60.9 grams of fruit compared to 230 grams and 127 grams respectively today. However, only 65% of Vietnamese people ate sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruit.

The country has faced a rise in the number of people with diabetes, cancer and strokes, which have been partially blamed on unsuitable nutrition.

Under the 2021-2030 National Nutrition Strategy, the country will focus on dealing with problems which were not solved between 2010 and 2020.

Vietnam donates US$200,000 to Cambodia’s COVID-19 fight

The government of Vietnam has decided to present US$200,000 to the Cambodian government to help it combat the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dzung handed over the US$200,000 gift token to Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 1.

Addressing the event, Dzung noted that Vietnam and Cambodia are the two neighbouring countries that have upheld the tradition of mutual support and assistance in difficulty.

Vietnam hopes that the US$200,000 support will contribute to helping the Government and people of Cambodia control the latest outbreak soon, stabilize the situation and continue its economic recovery and development, said Dzung.

He also expressed Vietnam’s gratitude to the Government of Cambodia for caring about the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in the country, especially during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The Deputy Minister appreciated Cambodia’s launch of its COVID-19 vaccination campaign for foreign diplomats, including officials and staff of Vietnamese representative missions in Cambodia.

Ambassador Chay Navuth thanked the Vietnamese Government for the gift, which he said will contribute to the COVID-19 fight in the country.

He also praised Vietnam’s initial success in bringing the COVID-19 disease under control as well as in carrying out the dual goal of epidemic prevention and economic recovery.

In April 2020, Vietnam presented Cambodia medical equipment including protective clothing, medical and antibacterial masks, COVID-19 test kits worth VND7 billion (approximately US$300,000).

Working group sketches out next plans for Vietnam’s engagement in UNSC

The inter-sectoral working group on Vietnam’s non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened a meeting on April 1 to review the country’s activities in the first quarter of 2021 and sketch out orientations for the coming time, especially when Vietnam takes over the presidency of the council for the second time in April.

At the meeting, participants agreed that in the first quarter of this year, amid the complicated and unexpected developments of the world and regional situation, especially impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNSC still dealt with a great deal of workload with the adoption of 27 documents in various fields.

They discussed many detailed measures to prepare for Vietnam’s hosting of three major events in April, including an open discussion at the ministerial level on surmounting bomb and mine consequences, maintaining sustainable peace, and strengthening connectivity for more effective actions chaired by the Vietnamese Foreign Minister on April 8; an online high-level discussion on promoting cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in building trust and dialogue in preventing and settling disputes scheduled to be presided over by the State President on April 19; and a ministerial discussion on protecting necessary facilities for people’s life in armed conflicts chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 27.

These are important multilateral activities that contribute to specifying the Party’s external policies.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang spoke highly of the close and effective coordination of ministries and sectors with the working group in facilitating Vietnam’s participation and contributions to the UNSC in the past time.

He asked relevant ministries and sectors to continue strengthening collaboration in sharing information and promoting the implementation of priorities, while focusing on researching, forecasting and popularising information to ensure the success of Vietnam’s UNSC Presidency in April as well as in the rest of its tenure./.

Saigon Classical Music presents “Voices of Instruments” concert

Saigon Classical Music Group will present the “Voices of Instruments” concert at the HCM City Union of Arts and Literature Associations on April 17.

The show will feature works for clarinet, viola and piano by Rachmaninoff, Bach, Mozart and Max Bruch.

The performances will highlight pianist Nguyễn Đức Anh, clarinetist Hoàng Ngọc Anh Quân, and violist Phạm Vũ Thiên Bảo.

The concert will take place from 8-9 pm. The venue is at 81 Trần Quốc Thảo Street in District 3.

Measures deployed to ensure safety during COVID-19 vaccination drive

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thành Long has asked for thorough training of medical workers to ensure safety during COVID-19 vaccinations as Việt Nam plans to expand its inoculation programme.

Under a newly-issued directive, the minister asked local health departments to review and update the list of people to get vaccinated.

Medical schools and healthcare institutions were all called on to help organise vaccinations.

Medical staff responsible for delivering vaccine shots must undergo training classes to ensure proper vaccinating process, post-vaccination health monitoring and post-vaccination reactions are dealt with in a timely fashion.

Health departments were asked to support local authorities to boost communications on the vaccination programme, including information relating to priority groups, the vaccines in use, the benefits of vaccination and instructions to deal with post-vaccination incidents.

People are asked to use personal e-health record to register for vaccination so agencies can monitor their health, report the results of vaccine rollout and grant vaccination certificates.

Healthcare centres and hospitals were told to arrange staff and equipment to support vaccinating units, particularly to solve post-vaccination problems.

The minister’s directive also asked relevant agencies to work with news agencies and the media to speed up communications and call on people to get vaccinated.

The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX initiative to Việt Nam will arrive in Hà Nội in April 1, with a batch of more 800,000 AstraZeneca vaccines would be delivered, stored at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and then distributed by the health ministry.

Previously, COVAX planned to provide Việt Nam with 1.37 million doses in late March but the amount has been cut back and delayed.

Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative to Việt Nam, the agency in charge of transporting the vaccines via COVAX Facility,  said delays in vaccine production and delivery have been seen in all countries, not just Việt Nam.

COVAX had committed to providing Việt Nam with more than 4 million vaccines doses by the end of May, she said.

Việt Nam expects to get 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses this year, half purchased and the other half from COVAX.

Besides AstraZeneca, on March 23, Việt Nam approved the Sputnik V vaccine of Russia for use. The health ministry and vaccine suppliers, pharmacy firms have been working with other vaccine producers including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Indian firms and those from other countries on vaccine supplies.

Việt Nam also expects to see the completion of the third phase trial of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccine – Nanovax in late September.

To date, Việt Nam has received more than 117,000 AstraZeneca doses which the Government purchased from the manufacturer via the Việt Nam Vaccine Company (VNVC).

The vaccines have been distributed to localities to use for medical workers working on the frontlines against COVID-19.

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, as of Wednesday morning, 48,256 people, mostly frontline workers, in 19 provinces and cities throughout the country had received COVID-19 vaccine shots.

Da Nang targets being int’l sea urban area

According to Da Nang’s adjusted planning by 2030 and a vision to 2045, a number of large-scale projects are to be built in the central coastal city. These are expected to turn it into a coastal urban area that plays a role as a growth driver in the central region.

According to insiders, Da Nang city has been relying on tourism for a long time. The adjusted planning by 2030 and vision to 2045 therefore has more focus on high-technology and logistics, which are necessary for the city’s development.

Under the new planning scheme, Da Nang looks to become a multi-sector development hub in Vietnam and ASEAN.

Specifically, it expects to become a centre of innovation, trade, finance, logistics, high-tech industries, supporting industries, and information technology (IT), and a city of global supply chains and a regional sea and port-based economic power./.

While being on mission, there is no time for fear or hesitation

Firefighter Vũ Ngọc Hoàng always wishes he didn’t have any work to do, then he would know there would be no fires to extinguish and no lives at risk.

But after ten years in the service, he knows that will never be the case.

Hoàng works with the fire prevention and control team at Đống Đa District police. Since he started, he has rescued many people over the years, and each one he can remember as if it had happened only yesterday.

2019 was a particularly unforgettable year and September 10 is a day etched into his mind. Hoàng and his team were dispatched to a major fire on Núi Trúc Street in Hà Nội.

When they arrived on scene, flames had already engulfed the building. Then they learned a person was trapped on the fourth floor.

Hoàng began the life-threatening task of search and rescue and it was him who found the victim, a 17-year-old boy, lying unconscious on the ground.

He used his breathing apparatus on the young man before lifting him on his back to take him to safety. But as they fought back flames and thick smoke, the team became trapped behind a door that wouldn’t fully open.

The only way to squeeze through was to remove their bulky breathing equipment and take off their helmets. Eventually they got through and were able to bring the young man to safety.

Three days after the blaze he regained consciousness and now leads a normal life, but only thanks to the bravery and quick-thinking of Hoàng and his team.

“I am just a firefighter like my other colleagues,” Hoàng said humbly. “If it wasn’t me, my teammates will be willing to sacrifice themselves to save the victim.”

The 29-year-old police officer said firefighters like him usually do not have time for family during the holidays because they must be on working shifts. Sometimes they are on duty for three months without going home.

In spite of risks he might face and limited time for his family, Hoàng said he still loves the job.

He said: “It is such a hard work but I love it. Striving to complete assigned tasks to extinguish fires and save people is not just a responsibility of every firefighter, but it also shows human love.

“Firefighting is a typical profession. Whenever a fire or an explosion occurs, everyone runs out, the firefighters must come in. As a firefighter, I and my teammates always know there is no time for fear or hesitation.”

Hoàng was honoured to receive a number of awards and certificates from the Prime Minister, the Government and police for his contributions to the police sector.

Being among ten outstanding young faces of Hà Nội in 2020 was a reward that recognises Hoàng’s efforts and sacrifices.

Hoàng always remembers late President Hồ Chí Minh’s wish sent to firefighters at a meeting on January 1, 1955 at the Ba Đình Square: “I wish you have no job to do.”

Hoàng shares that sentiment, but he knows that will be an impossible wish unless more people become aware of fire prevention methods.

Demand for flights to Con Dao Island increases sharply

With the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily under control in Việt Nam, the demand for tours to Côn Đảo Island in the southern province of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu has sharply risen in recent days.

Many flights departing from Hà Nội and HCM City to Côn Đảo Island in April and May, including both economy and business class, are fully booked in advance.

On the Bamboo Airways website, flights from HCM City to the island in April have sold out, except for some in business class.

Bamboo Airways flights from Hà Nội in April and May still have some seats available; however, all tickets for economy class on April 27-28 are sold out.

Flights from Hải Phòng City to Côn Đảo Island with a frequency of one flight per day are also close to selling out.

According to a representative of Bamboo Airlines, the airline’s planes have transported more than 70,000 tourists to the island since the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The airline’s direct flights to Côn Đảo Island are operating at maximum capacity. Bamboo Airways is reportedly considering adding more flights to serve travel demand during the peak season.

Currently, the airline operates from 22 to 24 direct flights per day to and from Côn Đảo Island, departing from and arriving in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Thanh Hóa, Vinh, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ and HCM City.

After more than six months of running the route, the airline has transported nearly 140,000 passengers to the island.

Similarly, Vietnam Airlines flights from HCM City to Côn Đảo on April 1-4 and public holidays from April 29 to May 4 have already sold out.

Currently, the airline operates flights between HCM City, Cần Thơ and Côn Đảo with up to 17 flights per day. However, passengers from the north have to fly via HCM City or Cần Thơ to reach the destination.

According to Hồ Xuân Phúc, General Director of Hanotour Company, most passengers book tours to Côn Đảo Island for spiritual tours and on public holidays.

A one-way flight ticket to Côn Đảo costs around VNĐ2.5 million (US$108), comparatively cheap compared to the same peak period of previous years, as more airlines have been permitted to operate the route.

However, efforts to increase the number of flights have been hamstrung by the renovation of Nội Bài Airport in Hà Nội and the shortage of night lights at Côn Đảo airport.

Côn Đảo Island, home to a brutal prison where French and American invaders jailed and tortured many Vietnamese freedom fighters during the 19th and 20th centuries, was included in the list of the New York Times’s ’52 places to love in 2021′ in January.

It was also praised as one of 12 paradise islands in Asia by CNN in 2017.

FVH half-day excursion and workshop in Vạn Phúc silk village

The Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH) will hold a half-day excursion to the Vạn Phúc silk village, about 10km from central Hà Nội, on April 10.

The walking tour will start at 8.50am with the guidance of Lê Việt Cường, director of Vụn Art – a social enterprise, which was founded to create jobs for disabled people and specialises in crafting products from silk debris.

The group will visit the President Hồ Chi Minh memorial house, before meeting a local family to learn about how they dye silk as well as to see their old house gate which is more than 100 years old.

The tour will continue at a silk shop, where visitors will learn about the traditional process of spinning and weaving silk and listen to its owner sharing stories of his life and business.

The second half of the tour will take place at the Vụn Art workshop, where its owner Cường will share how he set up the enterprise and all the challenges his team has coped with. There will be a Q&A section before the tour members will design and decorate their own tote bag using scraps of silk with the guidance of Vụn Art staff.

Thriving equity market helps boost business transparency

The development of the equity market will help promote the transparency and corporate governance of listed companies, especially public companies with State capital, an official has said.

The statement was made by Dang Quyet Tien, director of the finance ministry’s Corporate Finance Department, during a recent seminar in Hanoi.

“This will help boost the volume of transactions in the stock market, increasing the liquidity for State shareholders,” Tien said.

“There is a problem that has persisted for many years in most State-owned enterprises, which is the ineffectiveness in the management and use of State capital,” he said.

“The development of the equity market would help State-owned enterprises be less dependent on bank credit loans, diversifying forms of capital mobilisation.”

The Vietnamese stock market has seen remarkable development since its inception, but the rate of capital mobilisation via this market was still very low, said Nguyen Tu Anh, director of the General Economic Department under the Central Economic Committee.

“The diversification of products on the market is still poor, resulting in high volatility. At present, idle capital in the economy is quite large, the deposit interest rates of banks have decreased and the interest rates of Government bonds have dropped deeply, which are very favourable conditions to develop the stock market,” he said.

“Over the past 20 years, Vietnam’s stock market has made great progress, promoting its role as a capital mobilisation channel for the medium and long term. However, more efforts are still needed to achieve the upcoming development goals,” said Ta Thanh Binh, Director of Securities Market Development Department under the State Securities Commission.

“The status upgrade of the stock market needs efforts not only from the securities industry and the stock market regulators but also from the public enterprises themselves. This will be achieved only when the businesses prove their transparency, complying with the discipline of information disclosure, following international accounting standards (IFRS),” she said.

The new era required efforts to improve corporate governance, the professionalism of the investor community and the ability of regulators to operate the market, said Can Van Luc, senior advisor of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).

“People and technology are two decisive elements for the future development of Vietnam’s capital market,” he said.

Before the inception of the stock market, businesses were totally dependent on banks regarding capital, said Nguyen Duc Hau, Deputy General Director of HAPACO Group, the first enterprise in the north listed on the stock market of Vietnam.

“Since the opening of the stock market, HAPACO and many other businesses have raised hundreds of trillion Vietnamese dong from public investors, thereby expanding investment, having new shareholders, partners and wide-scale markets,” he said.

“We began as a small company, with equity capital of only 10.8 billion VND at the time of equitisation, but now HAPACO has an equity of more than 1 trillion VND,” he said.

“The 4.0 era will change the way that investment banks, securities companies and investment funds interact with customers,” said Pham Tien Dung, Research Director of Bao Viet Securities Joint Stock Company.

“Robots will do a lot of computing work instead of humans in the future. The rise of automation in the financial industry has changed the speed and form of the stock market,” Dung said.

“The segments of retirement insurance, health insurance and property management will witness a great development in Vietnam’s capital market in the new decade,” he said.

After more than 20 years of establishment, the structure of the capital market has been clearly shaped, consisting of two main components, namely the stock market and the medium and long-term credit market.

In 2000, the market capitalisation of the stock market was only 986 billion VND, equivalent to 0.28 percent of GDP, and after two decades, its capitalisation has soared to an equivalent to 83 percent of GDP./.

Five people enter Vietnam illegally from Cambodia

Authorities in the southern province of Kien Giang found five people entering Vietnam from Cambodia illegally.

At around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, border guards of Kien Giang Province were informed of a boat travelling in the direction from Cambodia to Phu Quoc District. There were a group of people on the boat.

The border guards then chased and stopped the boat, catching five Vietnamese people who worked in Cambodia. The five, however, failed to show their legal entry papers.

The group consists of a man and four women, aged between 18 and 45.

The man in the group transported the four others from Cambodia to Phu Quoc.

The people admitted their illegal entry, saying that they did so to avoid Covid-19 in Cambodia.

Local authorities sent them to a local quarantine site for Covid-19 prevention as regulated.

The case is under the investigation.

11th International Artistic Photo Contest in Vietnam launched

Domestic and foreign photographers will compete at 11th International Artistic Photo Contest in Vietnam (VN-21) that was launched in Hanoi on March 31.

The event is conducted by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), under the sponsorship of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), the Image Sans Frontiere (ISF) and Photographic Society of America (PSA).

It features the four sections of open colour, open monochrome, travel and portrait, the organisers said.

Each entrant may participate in any one or all sections, and can submit a maximum of four photos per section and a total 16 photos for all sections.

Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally.

There will be 97 awards, including one FIAP/PSA/ISF/VAPA gold medals, one FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA silver medals, one FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA bronze medals and three FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA honourable mentions.

Entries should be sent to the organisers by the end of July 31, at www.contestvn.com.

A ceremony to award winners and open an exhibition showcasing the winning photos is slated for October.

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 2

Friendship parliamentarian group helps promote Vietnam-Russia ties

Along with the external activities of the Party and State, the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Parliamentarian Group during the 2016-2021 tenure has contributed to the sound relations between the two nations, heard a conference to review the group’s tenure held in Hanoi on April 1.

Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and Chairman of the Group, said that the friendship parliamentarian groups of the two countries maintained exchanges of delegations, as well as sent messages of congratulations to each other on the occasion of important events in each nation.

The Vietnam-Russia Friendship Parliamentarian Group joined hands with the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group and the Russian Embassy in Vietnam to organise a wide range of activities to mark major celebrations, the Vietnam-Russia Year, the Russia-Vietnam Year, and establishment of diplomatic ties, among others.

At the NA’s sittings, the Group held meetings with NA deputies who spent time studying in Russia, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam and staff at the Russian Embassy to exchange experience, and enhance coordination in internal and external activities, helping foster the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, Dung stressed.

In an effort to assist the Russian parliament in the fight against COVID-19, the Group supported the Russian Embassy in Vietnam with face masks and medical equipment in April 2020.

Dung expressed his hope that in the following NA tenures, the Group will promote its roles to enhance the special ties between Vietnam and Russia, making contributions to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

On the occasion, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstatin Vnukov presented the Friendship insignia to Phan Xuan Dung and Vice Chairman of the Group Nguyen Quoc Hung for their contributions to boosting Vietnam-Russia cooperation./.

COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed equally: Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam thanked countries, international organisations and individuals for their support to Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 1 to receive first 811,200 doses of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine from COVAX Facility.

Vietnam will effectively use the gift, he said, adding that the vaccine will be distributed on the basis of equal access for all.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam recognised Vietnam’s efforts in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading.

Vietnam’s quick response to the pandemic has minimised its impacts on the local’s lives, he noted.

He said that this year, 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be provided for 92 countries in the first step and 190 countries in the next stage.

So far, COVAX has supplied 33 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 73 eligible countries.

The vaccine doses have been immediately transferred to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) for storage, awaiting the health ministry’s instructions on the allocation of the vaccine to 63 cities and provinces during this month. Another batch of over 3.36 million doses will be provided for Vietnam in May.

Vietnam had been promised 30 million doses of the vaccine under COVAX, a global mechanism for developing, manufacturing and procuring COVID-19 vaccine that help member countries access vaccines as they become available.

The remaining batches are scheduled to arrive in the country by the year-end or early 2022.

All of the doses will be supplied free of charge by COVAX through UNICEF./.

Vietnam, Uzbekistan seek to bolster traditional friendship

Outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Uzbekistan Ngo Duc Manh has held several meetings with Uzbekistan officials to seek measures to consolidate and promote the traditional Vietnam-Uzbekistan friendship in the new situation.

At a meeting with Uzbekistan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs F.A Sidikov, both sides were delighted at the positive economic development in each nation, with Vietnam recording 2.9 percent growth and Uzbekistan posting 1.6 percent despite adverse impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

They agreed to support each other at multilateral forums, while laying stress on the need to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels.

Impressed by Vietnam’s achievements in the “Doi moi” (renewal) process, particularly in rice and aquaculture, the Uzbekistan diplomat expressed his hope that both sides will enhance collaboration in the fields of economy, trade, agriculture, and garment and textile, making it on par with their fine political ties.

The Uzbekistan side agreed to enhance delegation exchanges, promote the signing of an education cooperation agreement, as well as develop tourism and people-to-people exchange with Vietnam.

Manh, for his part, highlighted the sound friendship between the two nations, and spoke highly of Uzbekistan’s support for Vietnam during its struggle for national independence and construction.

Meeting with Director of the Agency for Management of State Assets of Uzbekistan A. Orchikov, the two sides exchanged information and experience in related fields.

The Uzbekistan side wanted to learn Vietnam’s experience in privatisation and equitisation of state-owned enterprises.

Earlier, the Vietnamese diplomat had meetings with former Minister of Culture and Sports R.Kurbanov, who is head of the committee for friendship and cooperation with foreign nations, and President of the Uzbekistan-Vietnam Friendship Association A.R Mukhamedov.

The Uzbekistan side hoped Vietnam will attend exchange festivals in the coming time.

Mukhamedov highlighted measures to optimise tourism potential of each side, and suggested the opening of direct flights between the two nations and restoration of educational cooperation and investment attraction.

Besides, he recommended Vietnam to appoint a Consul or an Honorary Consul in Uzbekistan to facilitate the citizen protection work.

Manh said that he will report the issue to competent authorities for consideration.

During his working trip, Manh also had meetings with the Vietnamese community in the host nation to study their situation, and look for measures to remove difficulties for them./.

Vietnam prioritises special solidarity with Laos: official

In Vietnam’s persistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateraliastion and diversification of external relations, the Vietnamese Party and State always give top priority to the special solidarity with Laos, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung has said.

Trung made the statement while co-chairing a virtual conference on April 1 with Soonthorn Xayachak, Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP)’s Central Committee and Chairwoman of its Commission for External Relations, to inform the outcomes of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

He stressed that Vietnam has spared no efforts to maintained a peaceful and stable environment, and improve its position and prestige in the international arena.

Regarding the outcomes of 13th National Congress of the CPV, Trung said the congress was significant to stepping up the nation’s Doi moi (renewal) process in a comprehensive and synchronous manner, saying it was a milestone that opened up a new chapter of development of Vietnam.

The congress reviewed the results of the implementation of the Resolution adopted at the 12th National Party Congress, and achievements after 35 years of the renewal process and 30 years of performing the Platform on national construction, and gave evaluations on the regional and global situation.

He said documents passed at the congress affirmed the importance of the Marxism-Lenism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought to the nation’s development, adding they persist with the goal of national independence in close connection with socialism, as well as international integration to develop the nation in a faster and more stable fashion in the new era.

Trung took the occasion to thank the LPRP Central Committee, Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, as well as other Lao Party and State leaders, and ministries, agencies and organisations for sending messages and letters of congratulations to the 13th National Party Congress and Vietnamese partners, reflecting the special Vietnam-Laos relationship.

Soonthorn Xayachak, who is also Vice Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly, spoke highly of the CPV’s informing the 13th National Party Congress’s outcomes, showing that the CPV has attached importance to the great friendship, special solidarity, trust and comprenhensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and people of Laos and Vietnam.

She expressed her delight at the outcomes and the success of the 13th National Party Congress, believing that under the CPV’s leadership, the Vietnamese people will reap new, greater achievements in the renewal process, as well as in the cause of national construction and protection.

Both sides were joyful at the fruitful development of the Vietnam – Laos relations which have brought practical benefits to the people of the two nations. They affirmed their determination to overcome challenges, and join hands to well implement the Resolutions of each Party as well as effectively carry out agreements reached by senior leaders of the two Parties and States.

The two officials affirmed that under any circumstances, both sides will try their best to protect and nurture the traditional Vietnam-Laos ties./.

Hanoi strengthens cooperation with Finnish, French localities

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh has highlighted the sound relations between Hanoi and Finland over the past 48 years, saying that there are opportunities for both sides to promote their ties, especially thanks to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The Chairman made the statement during a reception hosted for Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto in Hanoi on April 1.

Anh said that the capital is a creative and dynamically-growing city and wishes to foster cooperation with Finnish localities.

He added that trade and import-export activities between the two sides have yet to match their potential and strengths. He expressed his hope that Finnish companies will continue to carry out development projects in the city, and pledged that Hanoi will continue to improve its investment environment and reform administrative procedures.

Ambassador Kahiluoto said that Finnish enterprises possess strengths in clean water and environmental sanitation, wastewater treatment, education, technology, construction, architecture, and planning. They wish to contribute to Hanoi development in the future.

On the same day, Anh also hosted a reception for French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery, who affirmed that France wishes to accelerate cooperation between the two sides through speeding up joint development projects.

He said he will work hard towards the completion of targets in the urban railway line No 3 project, putting it into operation in late 2021. He also pointed out a number of problems facing the project and asked for Hanoi’s support.

The ambassador also mentioned a sustainable urban management project comprising of strategic research on air pollution, urban traffic, and waste.

The French side will conduct feasibility studies for the project after reviewing initial research outcomes, he said.

Regarding the upgrade of Long Bien Bridge, he said the French side is interested in the project and that it will help highlight the value of the heritage.

The two sides also discussed issues relating to an international market for agricultural products as well as cooperation between Hanoi and French localities, such as the Toulouse and Ile-de-France regions.

For his part, Anh said that Hanoi will work hard to deal with problems relating to the urban railway line No 3, stressing the need for greater attention to the project’s operation and exploitation.

Regarding the conservation of Long Bien Bridge, he said that Hanoi aims to promote the cultural value of the city and preserve symbolic works.

He thanked the ambassador for supporting the city in implementing sustainable urban development management in the city, and lauded the performance of the joint venture in charge of the project and French experts’ strategic research in its first phase./

PM approves additional 53.63 million USD for COVID-19 vaccine purchase

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a decision on the allocation of more expense to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and conduct inoculations.

Under the decision, the PM decided to allocate 1,237 billion VND (around 53.63 million USD) from the central budget’s standby fund in 2021 to supplement the Ministry of Health’s state budget spending estimate to buy COVID-19 vaccines and carry out vaccinations.

PM Phuc assigned the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health to hold responsible for the accuracy of reported contents and data.

The Ministry of Health was asked to purchase COVID-19 vaccines in line with regulations and in a timely, effective, economical, open and transparent manner.

The government leader also requested the Ministry of Health to build and submit to competent agencies for approval an overall plan on COVID-19 prevention and control in 2021, including the detailed plan on the purchase and use of 150 million doses of vaccines./.

Vietnam hands over 200,000 USD to help Cambodia fight COVID-19

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung on April 1 presented the token of the aid worth 200,000 USD to Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth to support the Cambodian Government and people in the fight against COVID-19.

Addressing the event, Dung underlined that Vietnam and Cambodia are neighbours with a long-standing tradition of supporting each other in times of hardship, and expressed his hope that the assistance will help the Cambodian Government and people quickly bring COVID-19 under control and accelerate economic recovery and development.

He took the occasion to thank the Cambodian Government for giving consideration to the Vietnamese community living and studying in the country, and spoke highly of the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive for the diplomatic corps, including staff at Vietnamese representative offices in Cambodia.

In reply, Cambodian Ambassador Chay Navuth expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and people for their support, saying that the aid holds significant meaning given Cambodia’s efforts to curb COVID-19 infections in the community.

He also spoke of the success of the Vietnamese Government and people in realising the dual targets of pandemic prevention and economic recovery and development.

In April last year, the Vietnamese Government presented an aid package to Cambodia worth over 7 billion VND (303,500 USD) that included personal protective clothing, face masks, and COVID-19 test kits./.

Universities from Vietnam, Australia step up joint training programmes, research

Joint training programmes and scientific research between universities from Vietnam and Australia have connected students, lecturers, and research institutes in both countries, according to Dr Tran Nam Nghiep, Director of Strategic Partnerships for South East Asia in the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences (ECMS) at the University of Adelaide.

The Australian university has inked memoranda of understanding on joint training programmes with various Vietnamese universities and institutes, including the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), and the HCM City University of Technology and Education.

Of note, the 2 2 undergraduate programme, in which students spend two years studying in Vietnam and a two-year period in Australia, has found favour among partner universities and students, Nghiep noted.

Scientists at the University of Adelaide are now working with experts from the HCM City University of Technology, HUST, and Can Tho University, among others, to roll out ideas via bilateral research cooperation projects endorsed by Australia’s CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).

The projects focus on the application of biochar to improve soil in the Mekong Delta; the development of a supply chain interface to connect buyers and sellers; and the building of a smart education programme.

International cooperation activities have been bolstered over the years as Vietnamese universities become more self-reliant.

Alongside its adverse impact, the COVID-19 pandemic also offered opportunities for remote training programmes and cooperation in digital technology application between universities from Vietnam and Australia./.

US congratulates Vietnam on the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX

The United States has congratulated Vietnam on their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX campaign, with the arrival of 811,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“I continue to be impressed by Vietnam’s proactive leadership in controlling this pandemic,” remarked US Ambassador Daniel J. Kritenbrink. “We are proud of our partnership and long history of collaboration in health to prevent, detect, and respond to serious infectious disease threats, and we are pleased to see COVAX support to Vietnam.”

The US contributions to COVAX, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will support the purchase and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the world’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low- and middle- income countries.  This support is critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to restart the global economy. The US is committed to collaborating with partners and governments to support global COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Over the past 20 years, the US has invested more than $1 billion in health assistance for Vietnam, and we built upon our long-standing cooperation in the health sector to strengthen Vietnam’s capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States has contributed more than US$13 million to help Vietnam in its fight against COVID-19, including in the in areas of surveillance, laboratory system strengthening, biosafety/biosecurity, emergency management and operations, workforce development and training, zoonotic diseases, infection prevention and control, and risk communication and community engagement.

15 Chinese nationals illegally enter Vietnam

Searching  the vehicles, the police discovered a total of 18 people, including 15 Chinese citizens.

During the questioning, two members of the group attempted to run away and hid in a nearby rubber forest in 1A hamlet of Minh Duc commune.

The two female suspects were eventually caught early on April 1 thanked to concerted efforts made by local residents and police forces.

Following their arrest, the police placed the group into quarantine in line with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

At present, the case is under further investigation.

Exhibition displays artworks by children with autism

An exhibition displaying artworks by children with autism is being held in Hanoi to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day (April 2).

Entitled “Parallel World”, the event is hosted by Tohe Social Enterprise with the aim to provide the public with new perspectives on the innocent world of children with autism that exists parallel to our world. In some aspect, the demeanour of the autistic child unintentionally creates a barrier dividing the two worlds.

The exhibits include six sets of works by six children with autism from Tohe Fun’s art class, including Lee Nguyen Sae Hae, Pham Duc Viet, Pham Khoi Nguyen, Nguyen Nhat Tien, Van Minh Duc, and Dinh Dang Long.

Works on display revealed the inner world and characteristics of the participating children, who share a common passion for the arts, thus providing visitors with a closer look into the lives of children with autism.

A video entitled ‘Touch’ is also screened at the exhibition, instructing people on how to create connection and interact with autistic children.

“Parallel World” will run until April 4 at Goethe Institute Hanoi, 56-58-60 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.

2.7-million-liter substandard fuel ring identified as big case: MPS

A 2.7-million-liter substandard fuel ring in Dong Nai Province and other provinces and cities could be considered a major case and is being further investigated, it was announced at a Government press briefing on March 31.

The case has drawn much attention from the public since early February, when the Dong Nai police discovered the ring and cordoned off a series of petrol stations, said Major General To An Xo, office manager of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Last month, the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption decided to direct and monitor such a major case following signs of poor management and aiding and abetting of violators by the competent agencies during the investigation period, Major General Xo said.

The spokesman of the MPS also said that in early March, the ministry had launched criminal proceedings in the case involving the smuggling, producing and trading of substandard fuel, while the Dong Nai police prosecuted 52 individuals involved in the ring.

Given the figures and statistics, the ring was being run on a large scale, with millions of liters of substandard fuel, trillions of Vietnamese dong and numerous falsified accounts discovered and seized or blocked.

The ring might have been taking place in many parts of the country for a long time, so several State agencies could participate in the ring as an act of protection racket.

In the major case, graft and accepting bribes were done sophisticatedly as offenders and leaders of the protection racket worked with each other secretly through intermediate organizations, the local media reported.

On February 17, the Dong Nai police filed charges against Ngo Van Thuy, head of a team of the southern anti-smuggling under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, for taking bribes. He was one of the officials from State agencies who joined the protection racket for the substandard fuel ring, Xo said.

The MPS will continue to expand the investigation into the ring, he added.

Deputy PM Feels “Absolutely Normal” After Receiving Homegrown Vaccine Jabs

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told reporters Thursday that he feels “absolutely normal” after taking the second shot of homegrown Nanocovax vaccine.

Dam, who is Head of the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control got the second jab of Nanocovax on March 26.

He said that he did not hesitate to join the human trials of the vaccine being developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC.

Viet Nam began the first phase of human trials of Nanocovax on eligible volunteers under the aged of 50 since December 2020 and the second phase started on February 26 with 73 volunteers.

Though Viet Nam expects to accelerate human trial process so that it can start manufacturing its own vaccine by the end of the third quarter this year but Deputy PM Dam said he is not sure when the homegrown vaccine would be available.

He called on people to continue serious implementation of the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: Khau trang (facemask) – Khu khuan (disinfection) – Khoang cach (distance) – Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration).

This year, the Government seeks to have 150 million vaccine doses through various sources, including homegrown vaccines, to cover 70% of the population.

A part from speeding up research and development of local vaccines, Viet Nam has moved to diversify sources of COVID-19 vaccines by working with foreign countries such as the U.S., India, and China to secure supply for its national vaccination program, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang at a press briefing last week.

On February 24, Viet Nam received the first batch of 117,600 COVID-19 vaccine doses, allowing the country to kick-start the first wave of vaccination for front liners , including health workers and staff working at concentrated quarantine sites.

This morning, the first tranche of 811,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through COVAX Facility – a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO, arrived in Ha Noi./.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Filed Under: Uncategorized Vietnam breaking news, Vietnam news, Vietnam latest news, news headlines around the world, business news headlines, citizen tv news headlines, tv5 today news headlines, news headlines, 1960s news headlines, 2gb news headlines, latest news headlines, 2015 news headlines, funny news headlines, aviation news headlines, breaking news headlines

Primary Sidebar

RSS Recent Stories

  • Firms urged to fully exploit national brand’s benefits
  • Prime Minister leaves for ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting
  • Large reservoir in Lâm Đồng dries up
  • More investment needed for geology industry: official
  • Prisons make their mark on tourism map
  • Contest to find new circus talents kicks off

Sponsored Links

  • Gasly: I’m ready to be AlphaTauri F1 team leader in 2021
  • AlphaTauri needs error-free 2021 F1 season – Tost
  • Red Bull announces launch date for RB16B
  • Netflix reveals release date for season 3 of Drive to Survive
  • Albert Park F1 layout changes explained
Copyright © 2021 VietNam Breaking News. Power by Wordpress.