Filming green screen

“Thien Than Ho Menh”, which will premiere in Vietnam on April 30, will hit giant screens in several countries in the near future, according to its producer TFilm Entertainment. The company said it is working with many film distributors to introduce the movie to global audiences.

The movie’s world premiere date has not been revealed.

Vu’s latest brainchild depicts the story of a young woman using a mysterious doll and voodoo to become a famous music star. Later, one of her colleagues commits suicide, and she becomes a suspect.

A scene from “Thien Than Ho Menh.” Photo courtesy of the movie.

Rated 18+, “Thien Than Ho Menh” delves into the voodoo phenomenon of raising the so-called Kumanthong (Thai ghost doll) to achieve fame and money.

Victor Vu, one of the most popular movie directors in Vietnam, has had many movies do well in international markets. His “Mat Biec” (Dreamy Eye) drama was Vietnam’s entry for the qualifying round of the foreign language film category at the Oscar 2021 awards.

His “Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh” (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) was also the country’s entry in the same category at the Oscar 2017 awards. This film was among the three winners of the Features Films of 2015 award at the 2nd Silk Road International Film Festival in China.

This month, another Vietnamese film, “Bo Gia” (The Father), will also hit international screens . “Bo Gia” directed by Tran Thanh and Vu Ngoc Dang, has raked in VND400 billion ($17.4 million) after premiering on March 5 to become the highest-grossing Vietnamese movie ever .

More people have been hospitalised in HCM City due to the current hot weather.

Since early this month, the average temperature in HCM City and the southern region has risen to 36-38 degrees centigrade.

Doctor Nguyen Dinh Qui from HCM City Children’s Hospital 2 said that since early March, more children were taken to the hospital. In February, around 4,000 children were hospitalised, but the figure increased to 3,600 in the first two weeks of this month.

Dr. Tang Le Chau Ngoc, head of the hospital’s Gastroenterology Department, said that the ward has around 40-60 patients per day, including 15-20 hospitalised. Among those, 3-5 cases suffer from serious hypohydration. He mentioned a 17-month-old child who faced kidney failure after high fever and diarrhoea.

According to Ngoc, the number of sick children to the hospital could continue rising in the coming days.

The same situation has also been reported at HCM City Children’s Hospital 1, particularly children with respiratory diseases.

Thong Nhat Hospital in HCM City has seen more elderly patients. Nguyen Thi Thoa in District 10 said that she has been faced with dizziness and breathing difficulties. She was suspected of having symptoms of a stroke.

HCM City Hospital of Dermato Venereology said it has also seen more patients with diseases such as allergy and pruritus.

Doctor Nguyen Dinh Qui said that diseases related to digestive, respiratory and skin problems account for the highest rate of patients when the weather is hot. He advised that people should not change environments suddenly. People are advised to pay attention to protecting their health during hot weather.

The hot weather has tended to expand to more localities in the southern region.

Dr. Truong Quang Anh Vu from Thong Nhat Hospital said that the number of elderly people treated at the hospital increases around 5-10% per year.

No new COVID-19 cases to report on March 21 morning

Vietnam had no new COVID-19 cases to report in the past 12 hours to 6am March 21, and the death toll remains at 35, according to the Health Ministry.

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.

Journalism training not allowed at private universities

The Ministry of Education and Training has just turned down proposals from several private colleges to launch journalism training courses this year.

The higher education department under the ministry cited a directive on journalism and publishing management as saying that journalism training should be carried out at local public universities under tight management from the state but not at private institutions.

The ministry asked local universities to strictly follow the directive.

At present, journalism training is being provided at nine public universities including the Academy of Journalism and Communication, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Military University of Culture and Arts, the Hanoi University of Culture, the Vinh University, the Thai Nguyen University, the Hue University, and the Danang University.

However, many graduates from private universities are found working in journalism and publishing after studying communications or public relations.

New highway linking HCM City, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc to be built

A highway connecting HCM City, Thủ Dầu Một (Bình Dương) and Chơn Thành (Bình Phước) will be built in the 2021-25 period under an agreement between HCM City and the Bình Phước People’s Committees on March 18.

The PM agreed that the Bình Phước People’s Committee would monitor the investment process of the project.

Bình Phước has proposed lengthening the highway to 70 kilometres instead of 69 kilometres as planned.

It is estimated to cost about VNĐ36 trillion (US$1.5 billion), including VNĐ17 trillion (US$736 million) from the state budget and VNĐ19 trillion (US$825.7 million) from private investors.

The part through Bình Phước will consist of six lanes sharing the same design as the Đắk Nông – Chơn Thành Highway.

The 1.5 kilometres through HCM City from the Gò Dừa intersection to the border with Bình Dương will be built as an elevated road and cost VNĐ3 trillion.

Another part through Bình Dương costing VNĐ30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) will be 57 kilometers long, of which 28 kilometres will be an elevated highway. There will be 10 overpasses. The last part through Bình Phước with a length of 11.5 kilometres will cost VNĐ3 trillion (US$130 million).

The provinces are seeking State support for capital investment, including clearance costs.

The HCM – Thủ Dầu Một – Chơn Thành Highway will contribute to the national highway network and connect key cities, facilitating socio-economic development in Bình Phước and the Central Highlands provinces, according to the Bình Phước People’s Committee.

HCM City education dept proposes tuition fee subsidy for private primary schools

The HCM City Department of Education and Training has proposed a tuition fee subsidy for students at private primary schools, similar to what is offered at their public school counterparts.

Lê Hoài Nam, deputy head of the department, said the Law on Education allows local people’s councils to provide a tuition fee subsidy for private primary schools if provinces or cities do not have enough public schools.

Under the proposal, the subsidy would be more than VNĐ5million (US$216.5) per student for one academic year, the same as the one for public primary schools.

The department will continue to ask for opinions from other relevant departments before the People’s Committee considers it for approval, Nam said.

The subsidy is expected to help reduce financial pressure on families if their children cannot study at public schools.

It would also help to reduce overcrowding at public schools, which is a barrier to carrying out the new education programme effectively, Nam added.

Forty to fifty students are often in one classroom, but the Ministry of Education and Training’s requirements call for no more than 35 students in each classroom.

With the subsidy, investors will be more willing to pour money into schools, he said.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the city has more than 25,000 primary students at private schools. Many of these schools are in districts 12, Tân Phú and Gò Vấp where public schools face pressure from student crowding.

A monthly subsidy of VNĐ70,000 would be offered to public primary students who study two shifts in one day. The subsidy is expected to be provided in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Public primary schools in the city currently collect fees of less than VND150,000 for teaching two shifts in one day.

Vietnam to ensure “safety first” with “vaccine passport” scheme

Standing members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have discussed the preparation of technical and policy solutions to implement the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” scheme while ensuring the principle of “safety first”.

Passport holders will not be quarantined and tested for COVID-19, but some other countries still require testing.

Vietnam is working with countries around the world on the acceptance of the passport through QR codes.

To get the “COVID-19 vaccine passport”, people will provide their personal information when receiving a vaccination, which is checked on a validation system. After two injections, the relevant information is confirmed by a QR code. When going abroad, people’s information will be verified when scanning the QR code.

The Ministry of Health and Viettel are piloting the passport scheme at COVID-19 vaccination centres, to evaluate the capacity and compatibility of these facilities.

Meanwhile, relevant technical infrastructure to receive foreign visitors with COVID-19 vaccine passport is expected to be completed and ready for use from April./.

Domestic medicines to meet 75 percent of demand by 2025

Domestic medicines are expected to meet 75 percent of demand and 60 percent of market value by 2025, according to a programme on the development of the pharmaceutical industry and medicines for domestic production till 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Recently approved by the Prime Minister, the programme set the overall goal of building the domestic pharmaceutical industry to level 4 according to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s classification, the top 3 in terms of market value in ASEAN, contributing to ensuring the timely and sufficient supply of safe, quality and effective medicines at reasonable prices.

It also targets developing medicines into a quality and high-value industry that is competitive at home and abroad.

By 2025, the rate of using pharmaceuticals of domestic origin will increase by at least 10 percent from 2020.

At the same time, Vietnam will build eight zones for sustainable exploitation of natural medicinal sources, two to five cultivation areas on a large scale. Each of them will have one to two linkage chains of research, farming and processing following the WHO’s Guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices.

By early 2030, Vietnam sets to become a pharmaceutical production hub in the region with a total value of nearly 1 billion USD.

To such end, the programme also set out measures regarding institutions, laws, investment, competitiveness improvement, science-technology, workforce training, control of medicine and pharmaceutical market, international cooperation and integration, information and communications.

Accordingly, at least two national-level science-technology tasks using the State budget will be performed in three years while at least five ministry-level pharmaceutical development tasks will be undertaken in one year, focusing on research and production of vaccines as well as national products using domestic medicinal sources./.

Vietnamese film about climate change available to rent online

The latest film by Vietnamese famed director Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh is available to rent on vimeo.com, giving film fans a chance to indulge in the work of the renowned director.

Entitled Nuoc 2030 (2030), Minh’s film is set in a fictional setting in which the south of Vietnam is submerged in water.

The film was featured as part of the InterAsia Water(s) Graduate Conference, 2021 by Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University on March 18. At this conference, the director also joined a Q&A session via Zoom with the audience.

It is not the first time Minh’s film has been featured in a seminar on climate change. In 2016, Nuoc 2030 was the opening film of European Climate Diplomacy Week. The director was also a speaker at a seminar at the event after the film was screened.

Minh is a Vietnamese-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He holds a PhD in physics and used to work as a lecturer before focusing on directing.

Nuoc 2030 was completed and premiered in 2013. In 2015, the film was re-introduced in HCM City during the 19th Vietnam Film Festival.

The film was also featured in the 64th Berlin International Festival in 2014.

A combination of various cinematic elements like mystery, romance and drama, Nuoc 2030 is set in the vast and beautiful coastal regions of Vietnam in the near future when water levels have risen due to global climate change.

South Vietnam is one of the regions most affected by climate change, which causes as much as half the farmland to be swallowed by water. To subsist, people have to live on houseboats and rely solely on fishing with a depleting supply.

The story follows a young woman in her journey to find the truth about the murder of her husband whom she suspects was killed by the people of a floating farm.

In the process, she discovers the secret of that floating farm that employs genetic engineering technology to cultivate vegetables that can be grown using saltwater thus can be produced much cheaper. However, this untested technology can have dangerous health consequences for consumers that the farm wants to keep secret.

The women end up finding out different versions of the truth about her husband’s death and has to make a dramatic decision without knowing the absolute truth.

This is the 65-year-old director’s third film after Mua Len Trau (Buffalo Boy) in 2004 and Khi Yeu Dung Quay Dau Lai (Don’t Turn Back When You Are In Love) in 2010.

He received many international accolades and awards for his directorial debut including the New Directors Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, the FIPRESCI Jury Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Youth Jury Award at the Locarno International Film Festival./.

Vietnamese-funded new National Assembly Building handed over to Laos

A ceremony was held in Vientiane on March 20 to hand over the new National Assembly Building to the Lao legislature, which is a gift from the Vietnamese Party, State and people.

The ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung; Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Somphanh Phengkhammy; and Major General Nguyen Quoc Dung, Commander of the Army Corps 11, the general contractor of the project.

Talking to a Vietnam News Agency reporter at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Lao NA and head of the steering committee for the new NA Building project Somphanh Phengkhammy appreciated the efforts of the project’s management board, the investor and related units, particularly the general contractor – Army Corps 11 of Vietnam.

Even though the project has not been completed by 100 percent, the building is ready for use at the first session of the 9th legislature of Laos, which is a very important event when the legislature will not only elect key leaders of the Lao NA and Government but also adopt the ninth five-year socio-economic development plan for Laos.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung said after the first session of the Lao NA, the remaining work will be carried out for the full completion of the project by the end of June.

The Lao NA Building, constructed at a cost of over 111 million USD, will be the venue for meetings of the Lao NA and important ceremonies. It will also serve cultural tours and research trips of the people, students and tourists.

The building is a meaningful present and a symbol of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries./.

Beauty pageant for peace launched in Da Nang

The beauty pageant Vietnam Peace Bella 2021 was kicked off at a press conference in the central city of Da Nang on March 20.

Speaking at the press conference, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, director of the Minh Khang Vietnam Co. Ltd – the organiser, said the contest aims at promoting Vietnamese women’s beauty and selecting Vietnamese representatives for international pageants.

Deputy head of the Da Nang Department of Culture and Sport Nguyen Thi Hoi An said the local authorities target to turn the city into a venue of events and tourism, noting that Da Nang has so far accepted to host five beauty contests, with the Vietnam Peace Bella 2021 being a highlight of the local summer tourism.

According to the organiser, the pre-qualification rounds will take place in late May for the northern and central regions and in early June for the southern region. The finale will take place on July 3 in Da Nang.

A total of 35 contestants will be selected for the final round, and the winner will be awarded with 100 million VND (4,352 USD), with the first and second runner-ups receiving prizes worth 80 and 60 million VND, respectively.

The organiser will donate part of proceedings to lonely elderly people, disadvantaged children and families of revolutionary contributors in Da Nang./.

Efforts to protect Delacour’s langurs in Ha Nam

Since Fauna & Flora International (FFI) discovered Delacour’s langurs in Kim Bang forest in Ha Nam province in 2016, the organisation has joined hands with local authorities to protect the endangered species.

The task force will be responsible for removing traps and tracking wildlife, particularly Delacour’s langurs. It must remain vigilant about wildlife damage and report any cases to forest rangers.

Their efforts have paid off. Indeed, from 40 Delacour’s langurs in 2016, Kim Bang forest is now home to over 100, ranking it second in the world, behind only Van Long Natural Reserve in Ninh Binh province. Ha Nam is also working on establishing a Delacour’s langur reserve in Kim Bang district.

Delacour’s langurs are rare in nature. The animal is among 25 of the most-endangered species worldwide and on the brink of extinction./.

Seller of rare turtles jailed for 10 years

A man in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally raising and possessing 127 individuals of many rare and endangered turtle species, according to the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) .

In May 2020, police raided the house of Hoang Minh Trien, 60, at the alert of local people and found the creatures.

They included the Indochinese box turtle, the black marsh turtle and the elongated tortoise, all endangered species.

Earlier, the ENV’s hotline 1800-1522 received many calls informing that Trien’s son was using social media to illegally buy and sell turtles of many rare species.

All the turtles found at Trien’s house have been sent to the Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre./.

Hanoi tourism firms adapt after fourth wave of COVID-19

Right after the fourth wave of COVID-19 in the country was put under control at the beginning of March, travel agencies in Hanoi started offering various products at favourable prices to attract tourists.

VGreen Club (of the Hanoi Travel Agents Association) recently launched a driving tour product themed ‘Northwest – Season of Orchid Blooms’, which has attracted 1,000 people after the first trip kicked off on March 12.

VietSense Tourism Company has hosted a group of 100 people for a tour that departed on March 6, while Vietravel branches in the north have sold tours to 300 visitors since the beginning of March.

Inside Hanoi, relic sites have seen a surge of guests in the first days after opening again.

“During the Week of Ao Dai (between March 1 and 8), Thang Long Citadel Complex welcomed hundreds of visitors from all over the country,” said Nguyen Thi Yen, head of the Guide Department of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Preservation Centre.

The Hanoi Tourism Department is planning promotion policies together with airlines and travel agents.

“Promotion policies will not only focus on cutting prices but more importantly focus on the quality of product, services and bring fresh experiences to tourists,” Dang Huong Giang, director of Hanoi Department of Tourism.

Phung Quang Thang, director of Hanoitourist Company, chairman of Hanoi Travel Agents Association, said the association has hosted various training classes for building tourism products with sustainable features.

The VGreen Club established by the association will work with the National Museum of Vietnamese History to host a new product – exploring the culture and history of Hanoi and other provinces.

Nguyen Van Tai, director of VietSense Company, said the company is planning more new tours in March and preparing for the peak season of April 30 – May 1 vacation and summer holidays.

“Our new tours will not only focus on key markets in the central and Central Highland regions but will also bring new experiences to tourists,” Tai said.

In April, the Hanoi Investment, Trade and Tourism Centre will run the Hanoi Tourism Promotion Festival.

The Hanoi Tourism Department will work with Hoan Kiem district, Son Tay town and My Duc district to build tourism products bearing Hanoi’s features.

The first will be ‘Hanoi – 12 Seasons of Flowers’ to draw domestic tourists first and then international visitors when international air routes resume./.

Organisations, agencies in Hanoi donate 12 billion VND to fund for sea, islands

Seventy-three organisations and agencies in Hanoi donated more than 12 billion VND (over half a million USD) to the Fund for Vietnam’s Sea and Islands on March 19.

The donations were collected at the launching ceremony for this year’s first donation drive to collect money for the Fund, held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) committee of Hanoi.

Vice Chairman of the VFF committee of Hanoi Nguyen Sy Truong said the warm response to the drive demonstrates that the country’s sea and islands are always in the hearts of Hanoi people.

The fundraising drive aims at raising funds to help build a multi-functional cultural house on Thuyen Chai A Island in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and organize a number of activities to promote the country’s sea and islands.

The drive will last until April 15./.

Hanoi needs to take action to reduce plastic waste

The use of plastic bags and products in traditional markets and shops in the capital city of Hanoi has been on the rise again.

Pham Huy, a small trader at a traditional market in Long Bien district, said plastic bags and products were selling in large quantities in local markets because they were not only cheap but also convenient.

It costs 30,000 (1.3 USD) per roll of 100 plastics bags and 20,000 VND (0.8 USD) for 50 plastic cups, he said.

Huy said the number of people shopping at the market was very large and most of them asked for plastic bags. Few people carried their own bags to the market.

“If we do not use plastic bags, we have nothing to store things for our customers,” he said.

An owner of a food shop in Quan Thanh street, Ba Dinh district, said his customers often asked for takeaway food in plastic containers.

Although he knew the impacts of plastic bags and products on the environment, he still bought them to store food for his customers, he said.

Hong Ha, a resident of Ba Dinh district, said due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, food and beverage outlets had to close and only sell online.

People often ordered using popular applications such as Grab and Now to eat and drink at home, she said.

The shops often used plastics bags and products to wrap up their wares for shippers to bring to customers, she said.

Plastic bags float on Quang Man sea in Da Nang (Photo: VNA)

The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment has urged relevant agencies to strengthen dissemination to improve people’s awareness of the impacts of plastic waste on the environment. The agencies were told to find alternative materials to reduce the use of plastic products.

The department would conduct surveys on the use of disposable plastic products and the demand for recycled products to find alternative products to replace disposable plastic in local traditional markets and trade centres.

The department also compiled mechanisms to support enterprises to manufacture environmentally-friendly packaging.

It was strengthening inspections and encouraging enterprises to manufacture environmentally-friendly packaging and pilot training programmes to improve capacity to design environmentally-friendly products for commercial, service and manufacturing facilities in the city.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), around the world, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide annually. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once and then thrown away./.

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

A concert introducing works from composers that have not been performed much in Vietnam will take place at Goethe Institute in Hanoi on March 22.

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 Hoang Manh Lam, trumpeter Yuki Urushihara, pianists Ngo Phuong Vi, Luu Duc Anh, Duong Hong Thach, and Pho Duc Hoang, will perform in the concert.

The concert will start at 7pm. The Goethe Institute is at 56-58-60 Nguyen Thai Hoc street. Recommended donation is 100,000 VND.

Tourism forum aims to seek ways to lure visitors

The Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) and the Hanoi Tourism Department will jointly hold a national forum on tourism in April in the capital to discuss how to draw tourists in the future.

“While waiting for the opening of doors to international tourists, the tourism sector this year will focus on the domestic market,” said VITA Vice Chairman Vu The Binh.

“The forum will gather tourism enterprises and localities throughout the nation to connect and discuss ways to develop domestic tourism,” he added.

He said some localities have used promotions to try to win customers but in early 2021, a third of domestic travel agencies no longer wanted to exploit international routes and 90 percent of tourism enterprises stopped or reduced their operation scale.

“The tourism sector has run out of power to promote tourism,” he said.

Binh explained that the forum will offer a chance for participants to connect services and create new products to lure visitors.

After the forum, the annual Vietnam International Travel Mart will be held between May 5 and 8.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, demand for searching information on domestic destinations has sharply increased recently, especially as Vietnam basically controlled the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic travel activities have resumed in almost all provinces and cities nationwide.

Though demand for airline information from domestic tourists has not increased much recently according to statistics from the Destination Insights tool by Google, searches for short trips in nearby destinations rose markedly in March.

Binh noted the statistics show that tourists now prefer short trips to near places by their own vehicles and avoid public transportation due to fear of the virus./.

Hue bookcase project debut first publication

A book entiled “Dia chi Van hoa Hue” (Hue culture chorography) has recently been debuted as the first publication of the central province of Thua Thien Hue’s bookcase project on the local cultural and tourist hub – Hue city.

The book is a massive collection of works from experienced cultural researchers, presenting a basis for future selection of books to add to the bookcase, which is planned to have three new publications annually.

At the debut ceremony held on March 17, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Ngoc Tho said the formation of the bookcase aims to introduce Hue through books, promote reading culture, introduce valuable publications, create a special gift set of the city, and build a scientific data serving studies on the province.

It will contribute to turning Thua Thien – Hue into a centrally run city of culture and heritage following the Politburo’s Resolution 54-NQ/TW, he stated.

An app of the bookcase is being developed to help its contents reach readers in Vietnam and overseas./.

Advisory board suggests reopening borders to foreign tourists from July

Vietnam could reopen to foreign tourists from this July, a Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) representative suggested, noting that the COVID-19 outbreak has been basically brought under control and vaccination campaigns are underway in the country and many others around the world.

Head of the TAB Secretariat Hoang Nhan Chinh said China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and ASEAN countries are sources of tourists near Vietnam, and their people go travelling all year round.

The peak travelling season in Japan is March and August, so the pilot reopening could be conducted in July to attract visitors from this market.

Meanwhile, Vietnam could start welcoming back tourists from certain faraway markets like Australia, Russia, and Europe from around October, according to Chinh.

He held that if vaccination is carried out well in Vietnam, especially for the frontline forces, it will provide a good opportunity to attract holidaymakers. Besides, only when international travellers have vaccination certificates should Vietnam open the door to them.

Chinh also stressed that the reopening of borders to foreign tourists needs thorough preparations right from now, and that Vietnam shouldn’t receive international travellers back if it hasn’t been fully geared up.

The country needs to prepare response plans for many different scenarios and build a safe reopening road map, he said, adding that the TAB has sent a letter submitting related proposals to the Prime Minister.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, tourism had contributed more than 10 percent of Vietnam’s GDP and generated over 30 billion USD in annual revenue./.

Khmer woman prospers thanks to pomelo business

A Khmer woman in the Mekong Delta province of Kiên Giang has started a successful pomelo-growing business.

Thanks to a loan from the Government’s project to support women to start businesses, Danh Thị Kim Ảnh in Phước Ninh Hamlet, Mong Thọ B Commune of Châu Thành District invested in growing green-skin and pink-flesh pomelos and earns hundreds of millions đồng profit every year.

“Previously, my family was so poor. We just lived on planting rice that brought low and unstable income,” Ảnh said.

“Although we had a 4,000sq.m garden, we left it abandoned because we did not have money to buy seedlings,” she added.

After many years of saving, Ảnh bought 20 green-skin and pink-flesh pomelo trees from the neighbouring province of Đồng Tháp to plant.

The results showed that this grapefruit variety suited the climate and soil of the region.

However, she lacked the capital to grow on a larger scale.

In a meeting of the Women’s Union of Mong Thọ B Commune in 2017, she proposed her start-up idea and was provided with a loan of VNĐ50 million (US$2,100) from the Policy Bank under the project to support women to start businesses in 2017-2025.

With the money, Ảnh renovated a 1,000sq.m area of the garden and planted 100 more grapefruit trees.

She was also provided training courses on cultivation and was instructed by agricultural engineers on growing, caring and fertilising techniques to ensure product safety.

By 2020, her pomelo garden was ready to harvest. Ảnh harvested nearly four tonnes of fruits and earned VNĐ180-200 million (US$7,000 – 8,600) of turnover, of which the profit was VNĐ100 million ($4,300).

After gaining the profit, Ảnh planted 200 more trees to cover the 4,000sq.m garden.

“Recently, Châu Thành District’s Women’s Union approved a loan worth VNĐ100 million from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies for me to invest in renovating the irrigation system which helped the pomelo grow better,” she said.

It is expected that in the next two years, when 4,000sq.m of the pomelo garden brings a steady harvest, Ảnh’s family will earn VNĐ300-400 million ($13,000-17,000) per year.

Ảnh’s pomelos have received good reviews from clients because they are so juicy and sweet.

Ảnh used the loans effectively to develop her business, said Huỳnh Thị Ngọc Vàng, deputy president of Mong Thọ B Commune’s Women’s Union.

“She had a clear start-up orientation and was always industrious and diligent,” Vàng said.

“Importantly, she complied with cultivation techniques and processes so she achieved high economic efficiency,” she said.

“Ảnh’s successful model motivated local people to learn and follow. At present, many households have applied Ảnh’s model and earn stable incomes and this has helped them escape from poverty,” she said.

Speaking about her initial success, Ảnh said: “To achieve success in starting my own business, I had to work hard, with burning passion and spirit to overcome difficulties.”

“In my experience, women needed to know what they are passionate about to have a suitable entrepreneurial direction,” the Khmer woman said.

“Once pursued, it is necessary to work hard, persevere and constantly learn from other people,” she said.

Tien Giang expands crop-rotation cultivation, improves productivity

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang plans to expand rotation cultivation models for rice and other crops in its eastern area in an aim to improve productivity and cope with natural disasters, its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has said.

The eastern area, which includes Gò Công Đông and Gò Công Tây districts and Gò Công Town, accounts for 28 per cent of the province’s total area and has advantages in fruit orchards and marine economy, but faces saltwater intrusion and drought in the dry season.

Nguyễn Văn Mẫn, director of the department, said the province plans to focus on growing more vegetables and other short-term crops to 2025 in the eastern area. Only two rice crops a year will be grown, while rice and other crops on rice fields will be rotated.

Under the plan, the province will transfer advanced farming techniques and encourage farmers to use Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP).

Co-operative groups as well as co-operatives will be expected to continue to work with companies to secure outlets for their members.

Gò Công Đông District, one of the major producers of rice and agricultural products in Tiền Giang, has 10 agricultural co-operatives that have contracts with companies.

This has helped secure outlets and provide stable incomes for their members.

Nguyễn Văn Nhẫn, director of the Tăng Hoà Agriculture Service Co-operative in Gò Công Đông District’s Tăng Hoà Commune, said the co-operative for many years has had contracts with companies to produce rice seeds and high – quality rice.

The co-operative produces high-quality rice on 50ha with an output of 250 tonnes a crop, he said. Companies purchase its rice at a price of VNĐ300 a kilogramme higher than the market price, he said.

The Tân Đông Clean Vegetable Co-operative in Gò Công Đông District’s Tân Đông Commune is growing clean vegetables on a total of 30ha with a daily output of 2.5-3 tonnes, using advanced farming techniques.

Trần Văn Bương, chairman of Tân Đông Co-operative, said the co-operative will encourage members to apply more advanced techniques to produce clean vegetables under VietGAP standards.

The co-operative will also encourage its members to expand the use of hydroponic farming, net houses and poly-green houses to grow vegetables.

Nguyễn Văn Qúi, head of the Gò Công Đông Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the district has two concentrated clean vegetable growing areas in Bình Nghị, Tân Đông and Tân Tây communes.

The two areas are guaranteed outlets by three agricultural co-operatives – the Bình Nghị Clean Vegetable Co-operative, the Tân Đông Clean Vegetable Co-operative and the Tân Tây Agriculture Service Co-operative, he said.

The three co-operatives have contracted with farmers to buy vegetables and later sell them to supermarkets and wholesale markets in and outside the province.

“Farmers in the concentrated clean vegetable growing areas now feel more secure about their products,” he said.

All communes in Gò Công Đông have agreements between companies, cooperatives and farmers to secure outlets for rice, vegetables and fruits for co-operative members.

To mitigate the impact of saltwater intrusion in the dry season this year, farmers in the eastern area have switched to growing vegetables or short-term crops on 2,700ha of rice fields that have problems accessing irrigation water.

In the ongoing 2020-21 winter-spring crop, farmers in the eastern area have planted more than 11,500ha of various types of vegetables and other short-term crops, which offer higher profit than high-quality rice, according to the department.

Farmers who grow leaf vegetables can earn a profit 2.6 times higher than that from high-quality rice.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park tops hospitable destination list

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh leads the way in terms of the most hospitable destinations nationwide, according to the annual Traveler Review Awards recently announced by travel website Booking.com.

Coming in behind Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is Hoi An city in Quang Nam province, followed by Ninh Binh province, Sa Pa town in Lao Cai province, and Mai Chau district in Son La province.

The Traveler Review Awards is part of renowned travel website Booking.com and is held with the aim of recognising the hospitality of each location and is based on the ratings given by travelers following their vacation.

This comes as Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was ranked 15th position in a list of the most popular national parks as voted on by TripAdvisor last year./.

First refill station in Hội An strives to reduce plastic waste

To stop people throwing away empty glass or liquid bottles, a shop in central Viet Nam is offering refills to help protect the environment and give containers a new cycle of life.

Refillables Hoi An is located in Cẩm Thanh Commune, Hội An City and sells eco-friendly products without packaging by refilling containers.

Hội An City in the central region of Việt Nam’s Quang Nam Province, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hội An Ancient Town, is aiming to become a green destination for tourists by 2025 and to reduce the single-use plastic waste. Refill stations established by local businesses are contributing to that goal.

The concept of refill stations has become familiar in big cities like Hà Nội and HCM City in recent years but in the central region, Refillables Hoi An is the first of its kind.

Two years ago when Alison Batchelor, an expat in Hội An, opened the shop, the first products she introduced were chemical-free dish soap, hand soap and floor cleaners made from natural ingredients.

The soap containers lead to a lot of plastic waste as customers have to buy them over and over again, so Batchelor thought she could cut down on that waste.

She partnered with a company in Đà Nẵng which makes those soaps from fermented organic waste and stocked them in her shop.

Over the past two years, Refillables Hoi An has welcomed customers including local residents, both Vietnamese and expats, service providers and even schools to refill dish soap, floor cleaners and hand soap. More than 13,000 containers have been refilled so far.

Many hotels, restaurants and coffee shops such as Nourish Eatery, Urban Fresh, Market Bar and Mùa have borrowed containers from Refillables Hoi An, had them refilled with soap and returned them to Refillables Hoi An when the liquid runs out. Most of them continue to refill over and over again.

Lê Thị Ánh Dương, a waitress at the Nourish Eatery in Cẩm Thanh Commune, said: “Our coffee shop refills containers once every one and a half months because we order quite a lot each time. We often have dish soap, liquid detergent and vinegar refilled. We refill 10 litres of dishwashing liquid each time.”

“We chose Refillables Hoi An because of their good quality products. The dish soap made from natural ingredients does not harm our hands. Dishes cleaned with the soap are very clean.

“After using all detergent liquid in the refilled bottles, we return the bottles to the refill station and avoid throwing them to the environment. It’s pretty economically efficient and helps reduce costs for our shop.”

While a lot of companies, shops, coffee shops and restaurants in Hội An had to be closed during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in the region, Refillables Hoi An maintained its operation as a sustainable business, encouraging people to recycle under the motto of “refilled not landfill”.

“It’s been really amazing as more people are finding the time to come here and bring their containers and recognise that they are not more expensive, in a lot of cases, are cheaper than what we’ve been paying.

“They can come, refill, help the environment and find products better for their health,” said Batchelor.

“Obviously at some point, those containers will get to the landfill whether they are broken or just at some point along the way, someone throws it away. But by refilling it, even one time, that’s saving one more container from going into the landfill,” she told Việt Nam News.

“The container that’s brought in to be refilled can be anything from a small-sized bottle of essential oil. It can also be up to a 30-litre container,” Batchelor said.

“We do prefer glass containers because glass containers tend to have a longer lifespan. But we do also encourage people to continue using plastic containers they have because they are still quality containers. By sending it prematurely or sending it before it’s broken, we are just adding more and more plastic unnecessarily to the landfill that is already overflowing. So just keep using it until it breaks.”

Return to the earth

Holding a handful of soapberry in her hand, Alison said the berry came from the lychee family and could be used as detergent.

“You can put them into a bowl of water and start seeing bubbles. Take 12 of them and put them in a mesh bag and then into a washing machine, they can clean your machine as detergent.

“Take 15 of them in five cups of water and boil in 45 minutes, you can get concentrate liquid used as detergent, simple surface spray or floor cleaner. With five cups of liquid, you can have 4-4.5 cups of concentrate, which costs about VNĐ15,000, simple and cheap,” she said.

“Squeeze it, if you still can see the bubbles coming out, it still has life. If not, put it into the garden, compost it, and make it return to the earth. Then you don’t cost any plastic waste or chemical waste to the community.”

“We are targeting the middle to lower financial demographic of the community, which means everybody can afford to come to refill.”

“If somebody can come in, I’m not saying a sachet costs from VNĐ3,000 to 5,000. They can come here with their container and they can use that VNĐ3,000-5,000 and they can get more product than they would in that sachet. So we can start helping the community by managing their money, better in getting more for their money,” she said.

Besides home and personal care products, Refillables Hoi An also refills dried food and seasoning like pepper, Himalayan pink salt, nuts, rice, organic cinnamon, ginger, turmeric powder as well as ingredients for eating clean like chia seeds, oats, quinoa.

During the pandemic, people have more time to explore do-it-yourself (DIY) products for their skin or hair. Many customers have come to refill baking soda, coconut oil and essential oil for their DIY products.

“It can be far more cost-effective than buying something at the shop,” Batchelor said.

As Batchelor’s store is the first refill station in Hội An and there are few others in the central region, she said she wanted to promote community outreach and work with the community and Women’s Union to try to create different products with them and distribute eco-friendly products to smaller refillable stations in the town and expand the refilling model in the region.

“As we’ve seen more refill stations opening up across Việt Nam, I think it can really have an incredible impact. We definitely feel refilling is one aspect that we can provide to the community and it’s only one aspect of the solution for Hội An to become a zero-waste city,” she said.

Vietnamese translators honoured for boosting cultural ties with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstani Ambassador to Vietnam Yerlan Baizhanov has awarded Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan to Vietnamese writers and translators in honour of their contributions to cultural co-operation between the nations.

According to information released by the Kazakh Embassy, translators Toan, Nghiep, and Man have contributed to increasing and developing cultural links between both sides through their involvement in a project aimed at translating the literary work “The Book of Words” of Abai Kunanbayev. This individual is renowned for being a philosopher, poet, civilizer, composer, and the founder of the new culture of the Kazakh nation.

Furthermore, Toan is a famous translator who has translated many literary works from Russian into Vietnamese. At present he is the director of the Fund for the Promotion of Vietnamese Literature and Russian Literature under the Vietnam Writers Association.

Teacher Khoi has also made contributions to the development of links between the two countries, as well as promoting the legacy of Kazakhstan’s sage-scholar Al-Farabi.

As an outstanding teacher, Khoi was formerly Dean of the Russian Language Department of Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies.

The awards ceremony took place on the premises of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Hanoi to mark the the occasion of Kazakhstan’s traditional New Year Nauryz Meiramy. The event featured the participation of President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Nguyen Phuong Nga, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov, and Armenian Ambassador to Vietnam Vahram Kazhoyan.

Kazakhstani Ambassador Baizhanov also gave a presentation to introduce traditional Kazakh instruments, various folk music genres of the Central Asian nation, and some folk and modern songs that are native of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan and Vietnam moved to officially establish diplomatic relations in 1992, with the Vietnamese side opening an embassy in the capital Astana, now renamed Nur-Sultan, in 2008. Following this, Kazakhstan opened an embassy in Hanoi in 2013.

In terms of foreign policy, Ambassador Baizhanov stated that both nations share many similarities, such as having good relations with global powers as well as with their neighbours.

Wanted Korean suspect arrested in Hanoi

Police forces operating in Hanoi have arrested a Korean man who is wanted by Interpol for committing telecom fraud.

The 32-year-old suspect has been as named Kim Changhook and is a member of a group running a telecommunication scam in China.

The group were making random calls to Korean victims during which they pretended to be staff members of KB Bank and offered loans with low interest rates. Their aim was to entice the victims into transferring money to their bank accounts.

The nation had been asked to co-operate with Interpol’s investigation in an effort to find the suspect as police forces had noticed that he had gone on the run to foreign countries after being charged.

The Korean suspect was successfully arrested after being detected hiding at his half-brothers’ aprartment in My Dinh ward of Hanoi.

Police in the capital then handed over the Korean suspect to Korean authorities at Noi Bai International Airport on March 18.

Three people arrested for plans to sell baby in China

Police forces in Quang Ninh province have announced the arrest of three individuals after they attempted to smuggle a newborn baby into China for the purpose of selling the child for profit.

Three suspects are arrested by Quang Ninh police for plans to sell baby in China

The arrests of the trio came following co-operation between border guards in Quang Ninh province and the Police Department for the Investigation of Drug-Related Crimes.

The three individuals include Vu Ngoc Anh, born in 1963, and Nguyen Thi Thuong, born in 2002, both of whom reside at No.88 Yen Phu street in Yen Phu ward of Ba Dinh district in Hanoi. In addition, Hoang Van Thanh, born in 1992, of Quan Son in Chi Lang district of Lang Son province was also arrested.

This discovery came following border forces spotting three suspicious people carrying a newborn baby across the border into China.

Furthermore, a total of 50 grams of white power and 70 pink pills which were believed to contain heroin and drugs were also found stashed inside Thanh’s luggage.

Upon being questioned at the police station, the suspects admitted to purchasing the baby for VND15 million from a 19 year-old woman residing in Dong Minh commune of Tien Hai district in Thai Binh province.

At present, the police will continue to investigate the case.

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

Domestic airlines must equip with Mode S transponders to improve the quality of aircraft detection, identification and altitude reporting information. (Photo: VNA)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has recently ordered the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATMC) and domestic airlines to equip with Mode S transponders to improve the quality of aircraft detection, identification and altitude reporting information.

Mode S is a Secondary Surveillance Radar process that allows selective interrogation of aircraft according to the unique 24-bit address assigned to each aircraft. It is essential in airspace subject to high levels of traffic density or absence of air traffic control radar coverage.

VATMC is requested to study and carry out the Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS) in accordance with the progress set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s Office in Asia and Pacific, and set up plan to upgrade or invest in infrastructure that is able to handle Mode S data.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese airlines must outline plans and equip their aircraft with Mode S EHS in tandem with the Asia-Pacific ICAO’s progress.

Representatives from the CAAV said that the requirement to equip Mode S transponders was imposed at the 31st meeting of the Asia/Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group from December 14-16, 2020.

Accordingly, aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 5,700 kilogrammes, or with a maximum cruising true airspeed higher than 250 knots must be equipped with Mode S EHS./.

COVID-19 vaccination conducted in 19 Vietnamese localities, with 2,265 recoveries

The COVID-19 vaccination has been carried out in 19 cities and provinces nationwide, with close to 40,000 Vietnamese citizens getting the first jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Ministry of Health said on March 25 morning.

Vaccinated people are primarily frontline medical workers, and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups and steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control.

As many as 1,906 people got the vaccine shots on March 24, according to the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation.

The northern province of Quang Ninh and the southern provinces of Tay Ninh and Dong Thap are set to carry out the injection this week.

Vietnam is expected to acquire 150 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from foreign and domestic sources by 2022.  In addition to the deal with AstraZeneca, the nation is also accelerating negotiations with US vaccine producers Pfizer and Moderna, along with others from Russia and China.

By far the nation documented no fresh cases of COVID-19, leaving the national infection tally unchanged at 2,576, including 1,601 domestically-transmitted cases, and 975 imported ones.

One day earlier, a further 19 coronavirus patients have been release from hospital after making a successful recovery from the virus, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,265, while the death toll remained at 35.

A total of 120 COVID-19 patients have tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2-virus at least one, while as many as 29,762 people are put in quarantine nationwide as part of the country’s coronavirus control and prevention measures.

The nation has gone the 7th consecutive day without recording any more cases of local transmission, with ten localities having no fresh domestic infections to report for 40 days.

The Ministry of Health has dispatched working groups to Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh to supervise pandemic prevention and control, and the vaccination work there.

Take precautions before getting vaccinated, say health experts

People who receive COVID-19 vaccines should take precautions just like with other vaccines, as the COVID-19 vaccine may offer some immunity but might also side effects soon after entering the body, according to health experts.

They said people who should be cautious about vaccinations are those with a history of allergies, people with underlying health conditions or chronic diseases which require medical supervision.

Last week, the Ministry of Health released guidance on health screening before COVID-19 vaccinations for people aged 18 and above.

Under the instructions sent to medical facilities nationwide, people who will not be vaccinated against COVID-19 are those with acute diseases; pregnant women, breastfeeding women; people with impaired immune responses, end-stage cancer patients and patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Users of high-dose corticosteroids, those who have had chemotherapy and radiation treatment within 14 days and recipients of immunoglobulin and COVID-19 plasma treatment within the last 90 days and recipients of other vaccines within 14 days are also excluded. Those infected with COVID-19 within the last six months, people aged 65 or above and people suffering thrombocytopenia or blood clotting disorders are also ineligible to be vaccinated.

After receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, people should stay at the vaccination centre for 30 minutes of observation. They are recommended to pay attention to abnormal changes in their body such as hives, itching or difficulty breathing. They should report any symptoms they experience to medical staff.

As of Tuesday, nearly 38,000 frontline workers had received AstraZeneca COVID-19 jabs as part of the national inoculation programme which started on March 8.

Health officials said that there have been several cases of severe allergic reactions among people who received the COVID-19 vaccine but they are all in stable conditions.

The most common reactions are headaches, arm pain, body aches, chills or fever but they only last a few hours to a few days.

Olympic Day Run to be held in downtown HCM City

The HCM City Department of Culture and Sports and its partners will hold the Olympic Day Run 2021 downtown on March 28.

Participants will compete in the 5km route, which will go through famous sites like the headquarters of the People’s Committee, Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Central Post Office.

The run will start at 7am at April 30 Park on Lê Duẩn Street in District 1.

Participants can register for the run at olympicdayrun.com. Registration fee is VNĐ350,000.

Vietnam co-chairs 15th meeting of ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, and Japanese Ambassador Chiba Akira on March 23 co-chaired the 15th meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee.

At the meeting, the Japanese side said it is working hard to roll out a comprehensive aid package to serve the formation of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED).

Under the aid package, Japan will help ASEAN in designing the centre, sending Japanese experts and training experts for the grouping.

During the Special ASEAN 3 Summit on COVID-19 last April, then Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo announced the aid package worth US$ 50 million for the project.

Delegates at the meeting shared the view that ASEAN-Japan cooperation programmes have been rolled out effectively amidst the pandemic. In 2020 alone, up to 32 projects valued at US$ 22 million were implemented and 25 others worth US$ 17 million were adopted, within the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund.

Under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) programme, about 900 ASEAN youths joined training courses in Japan last year, and the number would be 700 this year.

The ASEAN member countries appreciated Japan’s contributions over the past time, especially its decision to sponsor the ACPHEED, expressing a hope that the two sides will step up their comprehensive cooperation in the time ahead, particularly in such spheres as cyber security and smart city building.

Chair of the Initiative of ASEAN Integration (IAI), Bang lauded Japan’s funding 11 projects within the IAI Work Plan III and suggested the country continue its support for the IAI Work Plan IV through new, result-oriented projects.

2021 is the last year when Vietnam works as the coordinator of the ASEAN-Japan relations. The role will be handed over to Thailand during the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Meeting in August 2021.

Hanoi’s cooperative ties with Italian localities enhanced: Official

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hanoi Chu Ngoc Anh has said that cooperative relations between the capital city and Italian localities have been strengthened.

During a reception in Hanoi on March 24 for Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Antonion Alessandro, Anh highlighted growing ties between Vietnam and Italy in various fields such as politics, economy, diplomacy, national defence to science-technology, and education.

According to the official, Italy is now investing in 28 projects worth over 43.9 million USD in Hanoi. The city’s exports to Italy hit nearly 142 million USD. A number of activities were held to foster cultural and economic exchanges toward common prosperity of the two nations.

As Vietnam will host many important events this year, including the 31th Southeast Asian Games and the 11th ASEAN Para Games, Hanoi will work closely with departments and agencies on such activities, especially for opening and closing ceremonies, he said.

He expressed his hope that with its cultural richness, Italy will share its experience in holding festivals and sport events with Hanoi to make thorough preparations for SEA Games 31 and ASEAN Para Games 11.

Alessandro, for his part, expressed his belief that with a solid foundation, relations between Italy and Vietnam will further develop in the future.

Agreeing with the host’s proposal, he said many Italian firms have strengths in holding large-scale events. He promised to introduce them to Hanoi to share experience in the coming time.

On the occasion, the ambassador also wished to enhance collaboration with Hanoi in the fields of cultural exchange, heritage preservation and stepping up the construction progress of urban metro No.3./.

Efforts of female parliamentarians reviewed

A ceremony reviewing the activities of the Group of Vietnamese Women Parliamentarians was held in Hanoi on March 24.

In attendance were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai, and leaders from ministries and agencies.

Addressing the ceremony, Permanent National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong, who is also Chairwoman of the group for the 14th tenure, said that since its establishment in May 2008 and through three NA tenures, the group has conducted diverse activities that attracted the active participation of members and fulfilled its set goals, contributing to improving the quality of the NA’s operations.

The role and position of female parliamentarians improved during the tenure of the 14th legislature. Accounting for 26.7 percent of all deputies, they offered suggestions regarding gender equality to Party and State leaders and affirmed their mettle and brainpower as representatives of the people.

During 10 NA sessions, they presented hundreds of opinions on reports to the legislature and draft laws, accounting for 31.58 percent of total feedback.

They also made responsible, effective, and important contributions at international forums. In particular, last year they made substantial contributions to the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and ASEAN Summit.

In preparation for the election of deputies to the 15th NA, they will work closely with the NA Committee on Social Affairs to hold training courses for female candidates.

Phong hoped that such activities will help achieve the goal of raising the number of female candidates to 35 percent and the number of female lawmakers winning the election to over 30 percent.

Vietnamese ambassador visits Ukraine’s southern provinces

Ambassador of Vietnam to Ukraine Nguyen Hong Thach visited Vietnamese people living in the provinces of Kherson and Mykolaiv from March 21 – 23 to learn about their wishes and help them overcome difficulties.

The southern provinces used to be home to a large number of Vietnamese people, but years of political crisis coupled with economic challenges have forced many to move to other places.

Though various obstacles remain, the second-generation Vietnamese in Ukraine have managed to succeed in their study or work. Several have earned national awards and scholarships to study in foreign countries while others have become doctors, lawyers and journalists who are playing their part in developing Ukraine and promoting the relations between the two countries.

Speaking during his visits, Ambassador Thach said one of the main focuses during his working term is to help Vietnamese people there overcome COVID-19 and shift to other livelihoods.

He suggested some new business areas such as e-commerce, catering, tourism and finance, they can shift to for their resilience amid the pandemic.

On behalf of the embassy, Thach presented gifts to the provinces’ funds for community support and gave his commitment to standing side by side with people of Vietnamese origin to tackle difficulties.

The diplomat later had an audience with Governor Sergiy Kozyr of Kherson to discuss how to boost relations between Vietnam and the province, particularly in agriculture.

Central Vietnam among world’s 7 lesser-known destinations to consider visiting post COVID-19

US news channel CNBC listed central Vietnam among seven lesser-known destinations in the world to consider visiting in the post-COVID-19 era, according to Nhan dan (People) Online.

CNBC noted that many international tourists to Vietnam head north to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay or south to Ho Chi Minh City. Those who do venture to the centre typically go to the old town of Hoi An, the glitzy hotels outside of Da Nang or to the historic sites of Hue and My Son.

Another attraction in the country’s interior is the colossal Son Doong Cave. First explored in 2009, only 1,000 travellers are permitted to explore it each year, a limit put in place to protect the cave, which is believed to be one of the largest and most magnificent in the world.

With Vietnam continuing the suspension of international flights and the halting of entry for all foreigners, except for special cases, as a measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, CNBC has urged its readers to visit the country once the pandemic passes.

Traveller habits are changing as people across the world are bypassing big cities in favour of smaller destinations that attract fewer tourists, and outside activities such as hiking and biking are drawing greater interest than before, CNBC said.

The channel also included other destinations worth visiting post-pandemic like Normandy in France, Kagawa in Japan, and Dandenong in Australia.

Vietnamese people in Czech set example in following anti-COVID-19 rules

Vietnamese people living in the Czech Republic have taken anti-COVID-19 measures very seriously, Chairman Milos Kusy of the Czech-Vietnam Friendship Association told Aktualne.cz in an interview on March 24.

Vietnamese perceive non-compliance with the measures as very irresponsible, so they adhere to anti-pandemic rules better than many Czechs, he said.

Kusy noted he sees what lies behind Vietnamese discipline is years of experience in dealing with epidemics in their home country and in Asia.

“They are an example for us in discipline and adherence to hygiene rules,” he said.

Kusy was also impressed by how Vietnam has fought the COVID-19 with only 35 deaths reported since the outset of the pandemic despite the fact that it has a population of more than 90 million. Strict preventive measures have been in place in the country since the beginning of this year, he noted.

“Since last February, anyone who wants to enter Vietnam has to go through a fortnight’s quarantine in a state-designated camp or hotels,” Kusy described. He also attributed the low number of infected cases in Vietnam to effective contact tracing.

Data from Vietnam’s Health Ministry shows that Vietnam has gone through seven days without new COVID-19 cases. The national count remains at 2,576, of which 1,601 are locally-infected cases./.

14th National Assembly leaves major imprint

The 11th session of the 14th National Assembly, which opened on March 24, concludes its five-year tenure. Throughout the term it made a significant mark in terms of legislature, supreme supervision and decision-making on critical matters facing Vietnam.

Nguyen Huu Mao has carefully observed all meetings of the 14th NA over the last five years. He said he has been deeply impressed by the decisions it made, all of which have been critical for Vietnam’s development, with many being unprecedented and complex in nature.

The Q&A sessions were animated and the questions practical. Sessions were held in high regard by NA deputies and the public, as most voters’ questions were asked and answered.

The 14th NA has made a mark on legislative work. It had issued 72 laws and 18 resolutions as of last December, including several important laws keeping the country abreast of the new context, such as the Law on Planning, the Law on Public-Private Partnership Investment, the Law on Cybersecurity, the Law on Anti-corruption, and others.

The 14th NA has been a tenure of innovation, with many teleconferences held, even internationally. Though taking place online, they have all been effective.

It has proved its pivotal role as the highest representing body of the people and as the most powerful State agency.

Screening of French movies at L’Espace

L’Espace will present two movies on Sunday as part of its monthly movie screening programme.

The films shown are Le voyage du Prince (The Prince’s Voyage) by directors Jean-François Laguionie and Xavier Picard, and Les Cowboys (The Cowboys) by director Thomas Bidegain.

Inspired by A Monkey’s Tale made over 20 years ago by celebrated animator Laguionie, The Prince’s Voyage is about the old monkey Prince who runs aground on an unknown shore. Injured and lost, he is found by 12 year-old Tom, and taken in by his parents, a couple of scientists who were banished from their community because they believe in the existence of other monkey civilisations. With Tom’s help, Prince discovers a society he knows nothing about, while Tom’s parents decide to use him to prove that their theory was indeed correct.

Les Cowboys is a directorial debut of acclaimed French screenwriter Thomas Bidegain. The 2015 movie, which is about a father searching for his missing daughter with his son, was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

While Le voyage du Prince will be presented at 3.30pm, Les Cowboys will be screened at 6pm. Ticket costs VNĐ50,000 and available at L’espace, 24 Tràng Tiền Street.

Asian black bears rescued from Son La household

Two Asian black bears have been rescued from a household in the northern mountainous province of Son La.

The two bears, one 160 kilos in weight and the other 130 kilos, had been kept at a household in Song Ma Town for 10 years.

On Tuesday, Four Paws Organisation and the provincial Forest Protection Centre received the two bears from the family and handed them over to Ninh Binh Provincial Bear Sanctuary.

The animals were given a medical check-up and anaesthetised before being transported to the sanctuary.

Four Paws Vet Szilvia Kalogeropoulu, said that due to being kept in darkness for many years, the bears are facing some problems related to their eyes, bones and livers.

The animals will be taken care of at a quarantine site for three weeks before being released back to the wild.

They are the first bears sent to Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary so far this year.

No new COVID-19 cases, 19 recoveries recorded on March 24

No new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Vietnam over the past 12 hours to 6pm on March 24, keeping the national count at 2,576, said the Ministry of Health.

Of the total, 1,601 are domestically-transmitted cases, including 907 infections since the third wave of outbreak hit the country on January 27.

According to the ministry’s Medical Service Administration, an additional 19 patients have been given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,265, while the death toll remained at 35.

Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments nationwide, 54 tested negative to the virus once, 21 twice and 45 thrice.

As many as 29,762 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined across the country, including 214 in hospitals, 16,651 in state-designated establishments and 12,897 at their residences.

To live safely with the pandemic, the Ministry of Health advised people 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./.

Vietnamese, Chilean leaders exchange congratulatory messages

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Chilean President Sebastián Piñera Echenique on March 24 exchanged their messages of congratulations on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (March 25, 1971-2021).

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh also exchanged a congratulatory message with Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrés Allamand Zavala.

Vietnam, Chile preserve fruitful cooperation, traditional friendship

Vietnam and Chile – the first Southern American nation to set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam – have nurtured and preserved their sound cooperative relations and traditional friendship as well as comprehensive development partnership over the past five decades.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter, Charge d’affaires a.i. Gonzalo Guaiquil at the Chilean Embassy laid stress on historical relations between the two nations, which were found and developed by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and Chilean President Salvador Allende.

The trip to Vietnam in May 1969 – the time when Vietnam was undergoing the fierce war against the US imperialists – had a huge impact on Salvador Allende, who served as President of the Chilean Senate at that time, and he decided to establish diplomatic relations with this Southeast Asian country when he became President of Chile, opening a new chapter in the bilateral relations.

Both nations have enjoyed stronger bonds in recent time thanks to rosy economic cooperation, long-lasting friendship and mutual understanding between the people of Chile and Vietnam, the diplomat added.

According to Guaiquil, Chile was the first American nation to ink a free trade deal with Vietnam, and this was an important milestone in trade and investment ties between the two sides.

Expressing his delight at opportunities that the free trade agreement (FTA) has brought to both nations, he said trade in goods between Vietnam and Chile exceeded the 1 billion USD benchmark in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, up over 1 percent year-on-year.

The figure is a vivid illustration for the unceasingly developed trade ties between the two nations, even when the global economy is facing formidable challenges, he underlined.

Since Vietnam was among a few countries achieving positive economic growth in 2020, it is an attractive destination for Chilean investors, he said. The diplomat also commended the Vietnamese Government’s efforts and measures to prevent the pandemic.

Statistics shows that Chile is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America, with two-way trade increased to 1.23 billion USD in 2019 from 170 million USD in 2005. Most of Vietnam’s exports to Chile are footwear, garments and textiles, seafood, steel products, electronic products and spare parts, cement, coffee and rice. Meanwhile, the nation imports copper, pine wood, paper powder, and wine from Chile.

Chile was among one of the very first nations to recognise Vietnam’s market economy. Both sides signed the FTA on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Hawaii, the US, in November 2011. The deal officially came into force on January 1, 2014, marking the substantial development in trade relations between two countries.

Guaiquil said Chile wants to further boost trade ties with Vietnam, particularly the trading in Chilean wine and cherry, and Vietnamese tropical fruits.

Additionally, Vietnam and Chile’s cooperation has been expanded to culture, politics and tourism. The visa exemption agreement signed in 2016 has facilitated travelling of citizens of both nations to enhance exchanges and better their mutual understanding, he stressed.

Tourism board set to launch “Hue in my heart” photo contest

A photo and video contest with the theme of “Hue Trong Toi” (Hue in my heart) in English, is scheduled to run from April to December.

The event will be open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreign nationals across all ages who either live or work in the country.

The contest’s organising board is set to offer a specific topic for each month, with this information set to be officially announced on the website “Visit Hue”.

All individuals hoping to enter the competition can send their works to the email address [email protected] before 17:00 p.m. on the 20th of each month.

The judging panel will then select some of the outstanding works and post them on the Visit Hue’s fanpage and TikTok. Following this, the winning works will be the ones which get the highest number of views and interactions.

Earth Hour 2021 in Vietnam going online

‘Speak up for Nature’ is the theme of this year’s Earth Hour, aiming at raising the public’s awareness about the alarming state of environment quality, the shocking biodiversity reduction, and the too frequent forest fires globally at present.

According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in the next few months, representatives of several nations will gather for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming, China. They will discuss international actions in the next 10 years to save biodiversity.

Joining hand in this year’s Earth Hour, people can create a voice powerful enough for world leaders in the meeting to sign agreements to protect the nature on our planet and to help it recover from severe injuries so far.

In Vietnam, as usual, SGGP Newspaper cooperates with Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Co. Ltd., Thu Duc Water B.O.O Corp. to host many online activities, fully taking advantage of cutting edge digital technologies. A large number of volunteers nationwide enthusiastically have taken part in the campaign. The main event will be on March 27.

The first program – Green Footprint – is an online walking project using Strava app on mobile smart devices to count the quantity of steps in walking, jogging, bicycle riding activities of participants over the length of 60km. Each step represent repeats the yearning voice of partakers to protect the environment. The program attracted more than 1,000 people only after 4 days launching. The final data will be announced on March 27.

Another program is Green Dance. The common theme song of Earth Hour Campaign is choreographed into a flashmob dances. They are recorded and then uploaded onto the official website and YouTube channel of Earth Hour Vietnam. The clips are sent to the organization board before March 24. Volunteers are also encouraged to upload their dance onto their own Facebook page and TikTok.

Participants in the campaign are asked to perform and record suitable actions in their neighborhoods to protect the environment. Feasible and innovative actions will be shared publicly on the Facebook page of the organization board. 80,000 people have registered for this interesting activity.

The main activity – Light Out – will be held from 8pm to 9pm on March 27 nationwide. Agencies, organisations, and individuals are encouraged to ‘turn off lights and unnecessary electrical equipment’ at that time. After that is the show of outstanding flashmob dances and the online as well as offline interviews with media ambassadors.

In this 13th year taking part in the meaningful Earth Hour Campaign, Vietnam hopes to join hands with over 200 countries to create positive results in raising the public’s awareness about environment protection and sustainable development.

CARE International helps ethnic minorities in Ha Giang

The People’s Committee of northern mountainous Ha Giang province and CARE International in Vietnam signed a framework cooperation agreement for the 2021-2026 period on March 24.

The agreement is expected to lay a foundation for the development of community projects regarding agriculture livelihoods, climate change response, gender equality enhancement, economic empowerment for women, market and value chain connectivity.

CARE pledged to launch a project to improve economic position of female ethnic minorities in Vietnam in six communes in the province’s Quang Binh district at a total cost of 23 billion VND (1 million USD).

Accordingly, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People’s Committee of Quang Binh district will be responsible for implementing the project.

Its major components include improving the possibility of seeking income for poor ethnic minority women via agriculture and non-agriculture production, assisting them in saving and borrowing capital for economic development, improving business capacity of women-led businesses and cooperatives, offering support to those in remote and mountainous areas who have limited access to modern technology and lack land for production.

The provincial Women’s Union and relevant units will offer technical and human resources support for the project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Gia Long wished that CARE International would continue expanding projects related to economic value chains underway in Ha Giang to help improve income for ethnic minorities.

He also committed all possible support to CARE International to effectively carry out the project.

Country Director of the CARE International in Vietnam Le Kim Dung said founded in 1945, CARE has partnered with international organisations and Vietnam since 1989 with over 300 projects.

From 2017 to 2020, it carried out two projects in Ha Giang, including one to improve partnership for fair and comprehensive development of ethnic minority communities and another to comprehensively promote finance for female ethnic minorities, at a total cost of 7.7 billion VND (333,315 USD).

Nearly 170,000 local households have received support in housing and production land for economic development. The rate of poor households was brought down to 22.29 percent last year from 43.6 percent in 2015.

ASEAN, New Zealand forge stronger cooperation under new plan of action

Senior officials from ASEAN and New Zealand reaffirmed their commitment for stronger cooperation at the 28th ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue held online on March 23, following an important milestone in their strategic partnership.

Last year, the two sides commemorated the 45th anniversary of dialogue relations and adopted a new ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action 2021-2025, to mark a new chapter in their relations.

At the dialogue, the officials noted the full implementation of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action (2016-2020), and underlined the need to further enhance cooperation between the two sides under the new Plan of Action.

The meeting identified a number of key areas in the new Plan of Action, where ASEAN and New Zealand could enhance their collaboration, such as maritime security, fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, sustainable development, marine sustainability, trade, investment and economic recovery plan, renewable energy, disaster risk management, settlement of climate change, healthcare, human capital development, education, and people-to-people connection.

In advancing economic cooperation, both sides look forward to the upgrade negotiations of the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), as well as the conclusion of the negotiation of the Regional Air Services Agreement between ASEAN and New Zealand.

They also welcomed the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement in November last year, and look forward to an early entry into force of the agreement next year.

The meeting exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest, highlighting the importance of ASEAN-led mechanisms and ASEAN’s centrality in maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.

ASEAN senior officials commended New Zealand’s success in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its efforts toward establishing a travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand. They also appreciated New Zealand’s support and contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund.

Vietnam co-chairs 15th meeting of ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, and Japanese Ambassador Chiba Akira on March 23 co-chaired the 15th meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee.

At the meeting, the Japanese side said it is working hard to roll out a comprehensive aid package to serve the formation of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED).

Under the aid package, Japan will help ASEAN in designing the centre, sending Japanese experts and training experts for the grouping.

During the Special ASEAN 3 Summit on COVID-19 last April, then Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo announced the aid package worth 50 million USD for the project.

Delegates at the meeting shared the view that ASEAN-Japan cooperation programmes have been rolled out effectively amidst the pandemic. In 2020 alone, up to 32 projects valued at 22 million USD were implemented and 25 others worth 17 million USD were adopted, within the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund.

Under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) programme, about 900 ASEAN youths joined training courses in Japan last year, and the number would be 700 this year.

The ASEAN member countries appreciated Japan’s contributions over the past time, especially its decision to sponsor the ACPHEED, expressing a hope that the two sides will step up their comprehensive cooperation in the time ahead, particularly in such spheres as cyber security and smart city building.

Chair of the Initiative of ASEAN Integration (IAI), Bang lauded Japan’s funding 11 projects within the IAI Work Plan III and suggested the country continue its support for the IAI Work Plan IV through new, result-oriented projects.

2021 is the last year when Vietnam works as the coordinator of the ASEAN-Japan relations. The role will be handed over to Thailand during the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Meeting in August 2021.

ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting convenes

The two-day ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) opened virtually on March 24 under the chair of the Permanent Secretary of the Brunei Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General (retired) Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar Bin Haji Ma’awiah.

In his opening speech, the Bruneian official said amid COVID-19 challenges, it is important to step up regional defence cooperation for peace and safety in ASEAN.

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community Robert Matheus Michael Tene spoke highly of Vietnam’s chairmanship last year for leading the bloc through a year full of challenges.

He called on member states to increase defence collaboration in contribution to regional peace and security regionally and globally.

At the meeting, participants heard updates on ASEAN cooperation over the past time and a report from Brunei – the current Chair of ASEAN – on outcomes of the recent ADSOM’s Working Group (ADSOM WG) meeting and 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-18).

The ADSOM reviewed documents which had been discussed and submitted by the ADSOM WG, including those on new conceptions and discussions in the ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting (ADMM), and draft joint statements of the 15th ADMM and the 8th ADMM Plus.

It also considered recommendations of ASEAN’s partner nations, including the schedule for ASEAN Plus One’s informal meetings of defence ministers and the ASEAN – Russia joint naval maneuver.

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien attended the meeting.

Vientiane ceremony marks 60 years of Vietnam’s public security expert force in Laos

The Lao Ministry of Public Security in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the representative office of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security in Laos have held a meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of Vietnam sending public security experts to the country (March 22, 1961-2021).

The meeting was attended by member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP)’s Politburo and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence General Chansamone Chanyalath, member of the LPRP’s Politburo and Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Vilay Lakhamphong, former Lao Deputy PM and former Minister of Public Security Asang Laoly, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung, and head of the representative office of the Ministry of Public Security in Laos, Major General Hoang Quang Huong, among others.

In his address, Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamphong recalled the historical context and situation when the Vietnamese public security expert force was formed in Laos, stressing that generations of experts overcame numerous difficulties and accepted the sacrifices to help the Lao People’s Public Security force develop.

He underlined that the Vietnamese public security expert force in Laos accompanied Laos’ struggle for national liberation and defence as well as the development of the Lao People’s Public Security force.

He affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Laos always remember the valuable and whole-hearted support from the Party, State, and people of Vietnam during all stages of Laos’ revolutionary cause in the past and national construction at present.

On behalf of the Party, State, and people and the People’s Public Security force of Laos, the minister expressed his sincere gratitude to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam, especially leaders and officers from Vietnam’s People’s Public Security force who work in Laos to assist its Ministry of Public Security.

The Party, State, and people of Laos and the People’s Public Security force of Laos in particular always pay great attention to the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, he stated, pledging that they will do their utmost to maintain and reinforce ties and make them last forever.

Meanwhile, former Lao Minister of Public Security Asang Laoly highly appreciated the whole-hearted support from Vietnamese public security experts to the public security force of Laos over the past six decades, describing it as valuable and strategic assistance that helped build basic foundations for the development of Laos’ public security force.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ba Hung thanked the Lao side for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese public security experts, helping them overcome the difficulties and hardships to complete their assigned tasks in protecting security, social order, and safety in both countries, for peace and the happiness of the Vietnamese and Lao people.

On the occasion, the Party and State of Laos presented the Itsala (Freedom) Order, Second Class, to the representative office of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the third-class Itsala Order to Major General Hoang Quang Huong, in recognition of their efforts in the safeguarding of public security in both countries, contributing to reinforcing and accelerating the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two.

Within the framework of the meeting, a book on the history of the Vietnamese Public Security expert force in Vietnamese was handed over to the Ministry of Public Security of Laos. A photo exhibition on 60 years of Vietnam’s public security expert force in Laos was also held.

Hoi An active in promoting nipa palm forests

Beyond playing an important role in protecting the environment and minimising the negative impacts of climate change, in recent years, thanks to conservation and development efforts, the nipa palm forests of the ancient town of Hoi An have generated many jobs and increased the incomes of local people.

Located on the banks of the Thu Bon River in the central province of Quang Nam, the area was formerly alluvial ground, with immense water areas. It is now dubbed the “little Southern region” in the heart of Hoi An ancient town.

The conservation and development of the mangrove forests create breakwaters and the conditions necessary for aquatic species to thrive, serving the long-term livelihoods of local people.

Covering hundreds of hectares, the nipa palm forest has become a must-see destination for domestic and foreign tourists to Hoi An. Basket dancing for tourists now earns many local people a high and stable income.

Because of its benefits, local people are more aware about protecting the forest and no one cuts down trees or exploits nipa leaves for souvenirs, as used to be the case.

To conserve and develop the forest, Hoi An town and Quang Nam province have also rejected licensing projects that risk impacting its sustainability.

Amid the impact of urbanisation and climate change, the conservation and development of the nipa forests in Hoi An have brought about substantial benefits, facilitating sustainable development for the future.

Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue initiative gets underway

The Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue (AVLD) kicked off on March 23 in Australia in an effort to intensify mutual understanding and step up co-operation between the two countries.

As part of her opening speech, New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley affirmed that the focus of this year’s dialogue will be on promoting a range of innovations and partnerships in the post-COVID period, including areas related to the arts, business, and community.

The young leaders selected for this year’s scheme will be made up of a range of dynamic and talented individuals who work in such fields as business, policy making, education, health, arts, culture, and innovation.

Following their selection, the young leaders will then participate in activities scheduled to take place in both Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney in September.

It is anticipated that the dialogue will create greater opportunities for the next generation of leaders from both countries to embark on a transformative journey towards achieving a stronger innovation partnership and co-operation across priority areas.

Trinh Duc Hai, the Vietnamese Consul General in New South Wales, affirmed that the initiative will help contribute to developing bilateral relations, especially as Australia represents one of Vietnam’s most important strategic partners.

During the course of the event, representatives from both countries expressed their opinions on several international issues and reiterated common values.

Peter Cosgrove, former governor-general of Australia and sponsor of the Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue, emphasised that both countries have recorded a range of amazing achievements in bilateral relations, with these milestones reached largely through boosting diplomatic, economic, and trading ties.

Both Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie have been invited to be advisors for the programme.

“Vietnam welcomes the comprehensive participation of the change-makers network and expresses its belief that participants in the dialogue will further strengthen the bilateral relationship through cooperation in the priority strategic areas of the two countries,” said Ambassador Thanh.

The AVLD was originally established in 2016 with the aim of creating a platform in which young people could discuss issues of mutual concern, thereby enhancing their understanding and connectivity between the two countries.

Hanoi prepares to host upcoming Brazilian Film Week

The Ministry of of Culture, Sports and Tourism has granted permission for the Embassy of Brazil in Vietnam to launch a Brazilian Film Week in Hanoi.

The event is set to feature five outstanding movies, including Nise: The Heart of Madness, Trinta, and A Story of Love and Fury.

Through the event, the Brazilian Embassy wants to introduce some of the unique aspects and characteristics of Brazilian culture to local audiences.

During the course of the week, all movies will be shown in their original language whilst featuring both English and Vietnamese subtitles. Indeed, all movies will only be screened as part of the film week after being granted a license by the Vietnam Cinema Department.

Digital installation commemorates Italian poet Dante Alighieri

A digital installation exhibition entitled Inferno V opens in Hà Nội this afternoon (March 25, 2pm) to mark the 700th anniversary of the death of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who wrote of one of the most renowned works of world literature, The Divine Comedy.

Produced by the Italian creative media company MTM Reality and promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Inferno V is conceived as a unique digital journey through the second circle of Hell, where lie those punished for their sins of passion. Inferno V combines augmented reality with the timeless words of Dante Alighieri.

Visitors will enjoy a variety of images, videos and narrations which provide an intense experience of Dante’s work and explain the essential place he holds within the history of literature. All content is available in Vietnamese as well as in Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Starting from March 25, a website version of Inferno V can be accessed through the Italian Embassy’s Facebook page.

Entry is free and the exhibition runs until April 8, from 10am to 8.30pm, at Generali Room in Casa Italia, 18 Lê Phụng Hiểu Street.

Health minister underlines need to amend law to make organ donation easier

The law on donation, removal and transplantation of human tissues and organs and donation and recovery of cadavers should be amended to streamline procedures and help increase donations to save more lives, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn has said.

Many provisions in it, such as the one on donors’ age, are barriers preventing tissue and organ donation, he said.

His ministry is drafting amendments and would submit them to the National Assembly next year, he said.

The amendments would be in compliance with the Declaration of Istanbul made at the 2008 Istanbul Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism to prevent transplant tourism, trafficking and commercialism and provide ethical guidelines for organ donation and transplantation.

The ministry held the conference to collect opinions on the amendments from health experts, he added.

Dr Trần Thị Cẩm Tú, deputy head of the Human Organ Transplantation Centre at Huế Central Hospital, said, “The amended law should allow people from 15 years of age instead of [the current] 18 to register for organ donation when they are brain dead.”

The Civil Code and Penal Code recognise people aged 15 as old enough for many things, she said.

But living donors should be more than 18 to donate an organ to a family member to reduce the impact on their health post-donation, she said.

In the case of donations to strangers for transplantation, the donors should be at least 30 years old, she said.

She suggested setting up an online system to register for organ donation after brain death to get young prospective donors on board.

Prof Trần Đông A, a counsellor at Children’s Hospital 2, said the law bans organ harvest from brain dead children, reducing the survival chances of child patients who need organs.

Now doctors transplant kidneys taken from adults in children, a difficult task to perform, he said.

Nguyễn Hoàng Phúc of the Vietnam National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation said: “The number of people needing organ and tissue transplants is very high while the number of donors is low. Many patients die even as they wait for a donor.”

As of last year 40,257 people had registered to donate their organs and tissues in case of brain death, he said.

There are 100 living donors, while 339 have registered to donate their cadaver after death, he said.

So far 5,587 people have benefited from organ transplants, he added.

According to the Ministry of Health, nearly 10,000 people are waiting for kidney transplants alone and thousands of others for other organs.

The conference also discussed the illegal buying and selling of human organs.

On March 9 the ministry had organised a conference in Hà Nội on funding for removal and transplantation of human tissues and organs.

Vietnam, ASEAN urged to adopt green manufacturing technologies

Vietnam and its ASEAN neighbours need to adopt green manufacturing technologies to make sustainable new products and services, an international conference in Bình Dương Province heard on Tuesday (Mar 23).

Dr Michael Braun, co-ordinator of the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument project, told the ‘Cooperating with Europe for Green Manufacturing Technologies’ conference that it is important to promote technological co-operation between the European and Southeast Asian blocs for mutual benefit.

ASEAN countries have emerged as important manufacturing hubs in global supply chains, he said.

“The growing demand for environmentally sound, resource- and energy-efficient products and manufacturing has created a hunger for new green manufacturing technologies.”

With its rich technology and research landscape, innovative enterprises and dedicated green growth strategies, Europe is a major source of such green technologies, he said.

“Green technologies are key to sustainable new products, services and manufacturing processes, and are essential for realising green growth.”

For ASEAN member states, green technologies will help make the best possible use of their natural and energy resources and protect the health and well-being of workers and consumers.

Hans Farnhammer, head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation to Indonesia, Brunei, Darussalam and ASEAN, said: “Green production has become the core of sustainable development.”

Prof TAN, Reginald Beng Hee, of the National University of Singapore, said, “Bình Dương Province is set to become the next destination for green technology transfer.”

Nguyễn Việt Long, director of the province Department of Science and Technology, said comprehensive transport infrastructure and quality human resources play a major role in attracting foreign investors, especially from Europe, with green manufacturing technologies.

The Government needs to invest in improving infrastructure and offer incentives to promote the triple helix model of university–industry–government co-operation, he said.

European Green Deal

Joanna Drake, deputy director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment, said under the European Green Deal, the EU recognises that climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world.

To overcome the challenges, the EU needs a new growth strategy that would transform it into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, and economic growth is decoupled from resource use, she said.

The Deal aims to make the EU’s economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities, focusing on investments in green technologies, sustainable solutions and innovative businesses, she said.

It also lays out a path for a sustainable transition that is socially fair and ensures ‘no person or place is left behind’, she said.

The EU therefore supports ASEAN and its member states with initiatives related to climate-change resilience and adaptation, environmental protection, including protecting bio-diversity, and disaster preparedness and response, she added.

The two-day conference that began on Monday is being held as part of the 2021 EU Industry Week organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the European Commission.

Legislators continue to hear and discuss in groups working reports

The 14th National Assembly is continuing its working programme on March 25 as part of the ongoing 11th session.

During the plenary sitting in the morning, the legislature will hear reports reviewing the performance of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the State Audit Office of Vietnam during the 2016-2021 tenure, and a report verifying them.

The legislators will also listen to a report summarizing opinions and petitions sent by voters and people to the NA’s 11th session, and another report on the results of supervising the settlement of voters’ suggestions sent to the 10th session.

The National Election Committee will also report the outcomes of its operation since its establishment.

The plenary sitting is broadcast live by Radio The Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television and the NA’s television channel.

In the afternoon, the lawmakers will discuss in groups the draft report on performance of the 14th NA, the NA Standing Committee, the NA Ethnic Council and the NA committees, as well as working reports of the State President, Government, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuracy and the State Audit Office for the 2016-2021 tenure./.

Vietnam supports comprehensive political solution in Libya: diplomat

Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, has reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned comprehensive political solution on the basis of respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya.

Addressing the UN Security Council’s videoconference briefing on the Libyan situation and operations of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on March 24, Ambassador Anh spoke highly of important progresses on politics and security in Libya, and called on parties involved to fully carry out articles of the ceasefire agreement, and try their best to facilitate the transitional period and make all necessary preparations for the holding of national elections based on the agreed roadmap.

Voicing support for UNSMIL’s role in assisting the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned ceasefire monitoring mechanism, the Vietnamese representative highlighted the need to address the humanitarian and economic challenges in that country and called on all international partners to continue to provide technical and financial support for Libya and other countries in the region.

He appreciated efforts made by parties in Libya in bomb, mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance under the support of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and called for more efforts to reduce risks and protect civilians from risks caused by post-war UXO.

Ján Kubiš, Special Envoy to Libya and head of the UNSMIL, called on the UNSC to continue backing the peace progress in Libya, including allowing UNSMIL to support the ceasefire monitoring mechanism

Delegates welcomed political progress in the country and stressed the need to consolidate gains towards national elections in December. They also called for the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya and compliance with the arms embargo, the need for the unification of institutions in Libya and the improvement of basic services for local people.

Thematic exhibition on National Assembly election opens in Dak Lak

A thematic exhibition titled “Ngay hoi non song” (National Festival) opened at Dak Lak Museum in Dak Lak Province on March 24, aimed at celebrating the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the term 2021-2026.

The exhibition consists of three main themes: Uncle Ho and the NA of Vietnam; marks of the NA of Vietnam; and the outstanding activities of the delegation of NA deputies and People’s Councils at all levels in Dak Lak.

The event features 250 documents and photos introducing the outstanding activities and achievements of the NA and People’s Councils at all levels in general, and that of the delegation of NA deputies and People’s Councils of Dak Lak in particular.

They contribute to affirming the inheritance of the NAs after each term, promoting the spirit of renewal within the NA’s legislative activities, as well as monitoring and deciding upon the important issues of the country.

The event also highlights the responsibilities of the powerful agency of the State in institutionalising the Party’s guidelines and undertakings into State policies and laws, contributing to the successful implementation of the objectives and tasks of building, developing and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The exhibition aims to contribute to raising public awareness about the Party and State’s policies and laws on the elections and citizenship rights and responsibilities toward the nation, while creating a consensus in society for the success of the election of deputies to the 15th NA and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term, ensuring democracy, equality, enforcement, safety and cost saving, as well as making the election the national festival.

The exhibition runs until late May 2021.

Gov’t urges execution of Long Thanh Int’l Airport project

The compensation and site clearance for the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province are set to be completed in April, but the Government has asked the province to speed up the project.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on March 22 told the Dong Nai government to expedite the land reclamation, site clearance compensation as well as support and resettlement processes in line with prevailing regulations.

The province was also asked to work with the Ministry of Transport, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and other relevant units to start work on some components to ensure the project runs on schedule.

In November last year, the prime minister gave the green light for the first phase of the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province with total investment of more than VND109 trillion. The project is set to be put into operation in 2025.

The first phase of the project is divided into four subprojects. In the first phase, a passenger terminal, a runway and supporting facilities will be developed capable to transport 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year.

In late October last year, during Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh’s on-site trip to the location of the airport project in Dong Nai Province, the leader of the provincial government committed to handing over 1,810 hectares of land prioritized for the construction of the first phase in late 2020.

Of the total of 5,000 hectares of land for the construction of the big-ticket project, over 2,900 hectares are owned by 5,541 households and individuals. Up to now, the plan to compensate over 2,650 households and individuals, with the total value of VND5.9 trillion, has been approved, Dong Nai newspaper reported.

Photo exhibition features HCMC’s youth on reunification day

A photography exhibition to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 – 2021) and the 45th establishment and development anniversary of Youth Volunteer Force (March 28, 1976-2021) was opened at the Youth Cultural House and Nguyen Hue pedestrian street yesterday.

The two-week long exhibition introduces documents and images featuring the process of establishment, development and achievements of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union as well as the Municipal Youth Volunteer Force.

Through the evidences, the exhibition will help the local people, especially members of Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union understand and be more and more proud of the precious heroic tradition and voluntary spirit of young generation in HCMC in the first days of the country’s reunification day.

Accordingly, the exhibition will take place until April 4. Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh city’s Youth Volunteer Force launched the show.

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

(HCM City, 30 March 2021) – Galaxy Studio (Galaxy Studio Joint Stock Company) made the official announcement that they have reached an agreement with The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) and have been appointed as the exclusive distributor of theatrical movie releases from The Walt Disney Studios in the Vietnamese market.

From 1 January 2021, Galaxy Studio is officially the exclusive distributor of all theatrical feature films from The Walt Disney Studios in the Vietnamese market.

From highly anticipated live action blockbusters produced by Marvel Studios, Disney Studios, 20th Century Studios and LucasFilm, to animation films from Pixar Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Galaxy Studio will bring Disney theatrical content to the big screens in Viet Nam.

CEO of Galaxy Studio, Ms. Dinh Thanh Huong, said: “Theatrical releases from The Walt Disney Studios are known to cater to local needs and the country’s distinct culture through voice dubbing, music composition and localisation, Disney shows their commitment to connect with local audiences through their quality films and localisation efforts, and working with local partners that truly understand the local landscape and audience preferences. Having operated for more than 20 years in the Vietnamese film industry, Galaxy Studio has shown itself as an incredible partner. Galaxy has entertained millions of cinema goers with Viet Nam-produced films as well as foreign movies from its cooperation with major Hollywood Studios, contributing significantly to the overall development of the movie market. Galaxy has an excellent track record of being a local company with professional international standards, proving itself to be Disney’s best choice for the Vietnamese movie scene.”

“We hope that in the near future, The Walt Disney Studios together with Galaxy Studio will enter other partnerships to further promote the development of the Vietnamese cinematic industry,” according to Ms. Dinh Thanh Huong.

To best serve this partnership, Galaxy Studio established Galaxy Links One-Member Company Limited (a member of Galaxy Studio) with the sole task of bringing all of The Walt Disney Studios films to the Vietnamese people through all cinema chains for concurrent release with other countries in Asia.

This partnership demonstrates The Walt Disney Studios’ profound interest and long-term sustainable development strategy in the Vietnamese film industry, which is forecast to grow by a world-leading average of 15% per year (compared to 2019). The Vietnamese audience will get to enjoy the finest cinematic experiences through the theatrical releases from The Walt Disney Studios.

About Galaxy Studio:

Galaxy Studio – Thien Ngan Joint Stock Company – is a member of Galaxy Media and Entertainment Joint Stock Company. As the leader in the entertainment industry, Galaxy Media and Entertainment JSC operates in film production (with several films which left their mark on the cinema scene such as Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, Vengeful Heart, Dreamy Eyes, Sister Thirteen), VOD streaming (Galaxy Play), and cinema exhibition and movie distribution (Galaxy Studio).

Galaxy Studio was the first private Vietnamese company to invest in the film industry when Viet Nam first opened its doors to this industry in 2003. After almost 20 years, Galaxy Studio has grown to be one of the largest entertainment and integrated media companies in the country, with active operations in film distribution and movie theatres.

With its breadth of experience, Galaxy Studio has successfully released several foreign and Vietnamese films, holding numerous records for the number of movies released in the market, as well as the impressive box office revenue over the years, such as Venom, Spider-Man sequels, Deadpool, X-Men sequels, and FriendZone. Most recently, Old Dad has achieved top 1 highest GBO of all time besides Win My Baby Back (2019) and Dreamy Eyes (2019) have been the Top 2 and 3 highest-grossing Vietnamese movies of all time.

Galaxy Studio is also proudly the long-standing official distributor for major international studios from Hollywood, Europe and Asia.

About The Walt Disney Studios:

For over 95 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today it brings quality movies, episodic storytelling, music, and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses a collection of respected film studios, including Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios. It is also home to Disney Theatrical Productions, producer of world-class stage shows.

Accordingly, “Bo gia”, a comedy produced by Tran Thanh Town, will hit the cinemas in Singapore and Malaysia starting April 22, with its screening timeline in Thailand under discussion.

The film has made itself a domestic blockbuster with 5.3 million tickets sold for VND400 billion (US$17.3 million).

It is about the life of a motorbike taxi driver living in Ho Chi Minh City who faces challenges earning money for his wife and children. Starring top actor Tran Thanh, the movie was developed from a web drama of the same name first broadcast on YouTube, which featured five episodes with an average number of viewers of about 28.4 million.

Meanwhile, “Thien than ho menh”, which will hit the big screen in Vietnam in late April, has already been planned to be screened globally, particularly in a number of top markets like the US, UK, France, Ireland and Malaysia.

The film, directed by Victor Vu, features superstitious practices about Thai life-sized baby dolls known as “luk thep”, which are believed to be possessed by spirits that bring good luck and prosperity; and harm the enemies of the owner.

“In modern society, when people face a hopeless situation, they often turn to spiritual solutions to solve their problems,” said Vu. “The film reflects the weak points in young people’s psychology.”

Vu, 44, is well-known for blockbusters like Scandal (2012), “Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh” (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, 2015), “Qua tim mau” (Vengeful Heart, 2014), “Nguoi bat tu” (The Immortal, 2018) and “Mat biec” (Blue Eyes, 2019).