Give your heart a break chords

The forearm has been transplanted into a 19-year-old boy

The son of Truong Thi N from Hai Duong province was in a traffic accident in September 2020 and was declared brain dead at the Military Hospital 108. N and her family agreed to donate the son’s organs to save six other patients.

The hospital then carried out five transplant surgeries, including lung, liver, kidney and forearm transplant surgeries. The heart was carried to the Vietnam – Germany Friendship Hospital and transplanted into a terminal-stage myocarditis patient.

On September 16, 2020, the funeral of N’s son was organized by the Military Hospital 108 with the participation of the relatives of five organ recipients.

Since then, N has kept contact with the five families and updated the information about the health of the recipients.

N has no information how the heart of her son was used and who has been transplanted with the heart.

N is facing criticism that she allegedly sold the heart of the son for VND2 billion. She has become sleepless, and has to use tranquillizers every day.

N has asked for help to look for the patient who received her son’s heart.

“I collapsed when hearing from doctors that they could not save my son’s life. Then I met a female medical worker at the hospital, who talked about the procedure for organ donation,” N recalled.

At first, N refused to donate her son’s organs. But she was later convinced by the daughter, who said the donation would help save the lives of other people.

When agreeing to donate organs, N said she wanted to know the organ recipients and their addresses.

However, N could not get information about the heart recipient from the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital.

Law must be respected

“We always appreciate the noble gesture of donors. However, under current laws, the hospital and surgeons must not provide information about donors and recipients,” explained Prof Tran Binh Giang, director of the hospital.

According to Giang, in other countries, the information about donors and recipients are encrypted to ensure normal lives for organ recipients. The leaking of information may undermine the humanity of the donation.

Giang affirmed that the person receiving the heart is living well.

Regarding the meeting between N and the other five recipients, a leader of the Military Hospital 108 said the families of the people whose lives were saved thanks to the organs voluntarily contacted N to express their gratitude, without assistance from the hospital.

In principle, hospitals must keep information about donors and recipients secret. However, there are exceptions if both sides have specific agreements and both sides are willing to provide information.

Under the laws, even when both the donors and recipients want to meet, hospitals must not come forward and connect them.

Recipients have the right to refuse to meet donors because they have the right to get the best possible care.

Heart transplant patients are emotional, and a psychological shock may seriously affect their health. If bad things occur, the organ donation will no longer have significance.

Heart transplant patients are emotional, and a psychological shock may seriously affect their health. If bad things occur, the organ donation will no longer have significance.

Prof Mai Hong Bang, Director of the Military Hospital 108, at a meeting with VietNamNet’s reporters on March 23, said that the hospital strictly observed the current regulations on tissue and organ donation and transplantation.

He said on November 7, 2020, N lodged a complaint with the the National Organ Coordination Center, requesting to “implement the commitment on providing the information about the recipient of the heart”.

The hospital, after receiving the request from the center to deal with the complaint, met N and her family, explaining the provisions of the laws.

On November 24, N withdrew the complaint. Three days later, the hospital informed the center about the result.

Doctors’ reactions

The story has stirred controversy in society and among patients waiting for organ transplantation.

Pham Nguyen Son, Deputy Director of Military Hospital 108, commented that the story has deviated from the original and many people now have a misunderstanding about organ donations, thinking it is trade. But donations must be a humanitarian activity, without any financial claims.

The misunderstanding may make the situation even worse as donation sources are very limited. Many patients could not be saved because of the lack of donated organs.

Thousands of patients need organ transplant operations every year but the number of donors remains small.

He stressed that donors themselves and their families are good people who need to be honored by society.

Son said that there are some problems in the regulations related to tissue and organ donations and the Ministry of Health is joining forces with some agencies to discuss the amendment of the regulations, including ones on medical costs that donors’ families have to pay.

Thuy Hanh

Nhuong and her son

After many days of longing, Nhuong said a representative of the family contacted her via phone.

A 60-year-old woman in district 7 in HCM City received her son’s heart.

After the heart transplant operation, the family tried to make contact but could not find any information because of regulations on information privacy and security

As Nhuong’s story was shared on social media, the son of the heart recipient called her to thank her for the donation and provided information about the health situation of his mother. He said he will connect his mother and Nhuong and arrange video calls between them.

Nhuong said she may later fly to HCM City to visit the heart recipient.

“I feel as if my son has returned. Barriers and sorrow in my heart have been lifted. Thanks for helping make my wish come true,” she said.

On March 16, Nhuong spoke about her family on social network and her pain and sorrow.

Her only son was killed in a traffic accident on September 16, 2020 and was declared brain dead at Military Hospital 108. Nhuong and her family agreed to donate the son’s organs to save six other patients.

The Military Hospital 108 carried out lung, liver, kidney and forearm transplant surgeries. The heart was carried to the Vietnam – Germany Friendship Hospital and transplanted into a patient with myocarditis.

Five organ recipients, who were patients at Military Hospital 108, later contacted Nhuong. Meanwhile, Nhuong had not found any information about the sixth recipient for a long time. There was a rumor that Nhuong sold her son’s heart at VND2 billion.

Nhuong, who was depressed about her son’s death, felt even worse because of rumors about selling the organs. She became sleepless and had to take tranquillizers every day.

Nhuong could not get information about the organ recipient from the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital which carried out the transplant surgery.

A representative of the hospital cited current laws and rejected Nhuong’s proposal to provide information.

The other five recipients contacted Nhuong without any information support from hospitals.

In principle, organs are donated for humanitarian purposes. Donations will be refused if donors propose any requirements.

Tran Binh Giang, director of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, saud that the heart recipient is in good health.

Nguyen Lien

The patient’s X-ray shows a reversed visceral condition with the heart in the right side of the chest. Photo courtesy of Duc Giang General Hospital

The 17-year-old boy in Gia Lam district, Hanoi, who was suffering from sudden abdominal pain in the right pelvic fossa, was brought to the emergency room at Duc Giang General Hospital.

After an abdominal ultrasound, X-ray, and blood test, doctors diagnosed the patient with appendicitis. However, doctors were surprised to find that the boy’s heart was located in the right chest, in the opposite position compared to others.

Visceral inversion is a congenital condition in which the internal organs in the chest and abdomen are reversed, reflected in a vertical plane relative to their normal position. The viscera can be completely reversed or just a few organs.

This is a relatively rare form of recessive genetic malformation. Of those diagnosed, about 5-10% have congenital heart defects, while the rest have a normal life.

The patient’s family said they had known about the situation from previous health examinations.

“This is the second case of this type at our hospital so far,” said Dr. Nguyen Son Ha, Head of the General Surgery Ward.

Nguyen Lien

By Ha Thuy

227.5 kilos of drugs are found in a car in Quynh Thien Commune, Hoang Mai Town on April 3

Four people have just been detained for their involvement in a large-scale transnational drug trafficking ring.

Police and border military officers in the central province of Nghe An also seized nearly 350 kilos of drugs of different kinds from the ring.

According to police reports, at 1 am on April 3, a man was caught red-handed while transporting 227.5 kilos of drugs in a car in Quynh Thien Commune, Hoang Mai Town.

Earlier on January 21 and March 20, three other men were detained while carrying 115 kilos of meth.

The four have been found to be in the same drug trafficking ring.

Initial investigations showed that the drugs were brought into Vietnam from Laos and were to be taken to China for sale.

Vietnam reports 11 new imported cases COVID-19 on April 6 afternoon

Eleven new COVID-19 cases, all imported, were recorded in Vietnam in the 12 hours to 6pm on April 6, the Ministry of Health said.

Among the new patients, there are nine males and two females. They are one Indian man, and 10 Vietnamese.

They have been quarantined upon their arrival in the country.

So far, Vietnam has reported 2,648 cases of COVID-19. Of the 1,603 domestic infections, 910 cases have been detected since January 27, when the latest outbreak began.

On April 6, six patients were discharged from hospital, raising the number of recoveries to 2,422, while the fatalities are still kept at 35.

Seventeen of those still undergoing treatment have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, nine others twice, and 16 thrice, according to the ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration.

There are 36,701 people having close contact with confirmed cases or entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present.

PM gives green light to 1-billion-tree growing project

The Prime Minister has issued a decision approving a project on growing 1 billion trees in Vietnam during the 2021 – 2025 period.

According to the project, of the 1 billion trees to be planted by the end of 2025, 690 million will be grown in urban and rural areas, and 310 million planted in protected, special, and production forests.

The project aims to protect the ecosystem, improve the scenery, respond to climate change, boost socio-economic development, improve the quality of people’s life and foster the sustainable growth of the country.

As per the project, the target for 2021 is 182 million trees, with an average of 204.5 million trees to be planted each year in the 2022-2025 period.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been tasked to be in charge of the work and cooperate with the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment, and authorities of centrally-run provinces and cities to build related annual and five-year plans./.

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh relieved from position of State Vice President

The National Assembly (NA) cast secret ballots to relieve Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh from the position of State Vice President in the 2016 – 2021 tenure on April 6 morning as part of its 11th session in Hanoi.

After the voting results were announced, 451 out of the 452 deputies present at the sitting, equivalent to 93.96 percent of the total number of legislators, approved a resolution on relieving Thinh from the position.

Later, the NA heard State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presenting a nomination list for the legislature to elect the State Vice President.

Participating deputies then discussed in groups the candidacy for the post of State Vice President./.

Red maple trees to be removed from Hanoi streets

Authorities in Hanoi are going to replace dying red maple trees on some local streets.

Vice chairman of the municipal people’s committee, Duong Duc Tuan has just agreed with the proposal from the Department of Construction to replace the red maple trees which have been planted on Nguyen Chi Thanh and Tran Duy Hung streets.

According to a report from the Construction Department, the pilot plantation of over 260 red maple trees which were donated by a local firm were carried out in 2018. 119 trees were planted on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street and 143 others on Tran Duy Hung Street.

“The trees have not grown well over the past two years due to unsuitable climate,” the report said. “45 trees have died.”

The department has suggested replacing the maple trees with the Ivory Coast almond trees on these two streets, which can be carried out this month.

Construction on Phan Thiet Airport begins

A ceremony to kick-start a project to build Phan Thiet Airport in the south central coastal province of Binh Thuan was held on April 5.

In accordance with the aviation transport development plan until 2020, with a view to 2030, Phan Thiet will be an aerodrome with a reference code 4E, which will be used for military and civil purposes.

It will receive international flights with a runway and a terminal having a design capacity of 2 million passengers per year, along with serving military and national defence purposes, contributing to the socio-economic development of the province and the region at large.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieu. Gen Tran Don asked the Air Defence – Air Force to ensure progress and quality of the construction and devise measures to implement tasks synchronously, firstly in unexploded ordnance disposal and land clearance.

Agencies under the Ministry of Defence are responsible for steering the Air Defence – Air Force in the implementation of the project./.

National insurance database to be launched on June 1

The Government has recently issued Decree No.43/2021 regulating the national insurance database which will be launched on June 1.

The database covers social, health, unemployment insurance as well as medical and social security information to ensure citizens’ rights and interests.

It is available for individuals and organisations nationwide to access the latest and correct insurance information, thus meeting requirements for socio-economic development.

It also stores basic information about individuals, households and employers.

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is responsible for building, updating, maintaining, tapping and managing the database. It will also work with ministries and agencies to collect and update information in the database.

The connection and sharing of information with the database must ensure State, family and personal confidentiality./.

President Putin congratulates newly-elected President Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 5 sent a message of congratulation to Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as State President of Vietnam at the ongoing National Assembly session in Hanoi.

He highlighted the positive development of the traditional longstanding friendship and cooperative relations between Russia and Vietnam on the basis of mutual respect.

“I believe that, through joint efforts, we will ensure the continued development of our strategic bilateral relationship as well as mutually beneficial cooperation in many different fields. This will obviously satisfy the basic interests of the Russian and Vietnamese people, while enhancing stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region,” President Putin wrote in a telegram.

He wished President Phuc good health, happiness and numerous achievements in his new position as Head of state.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected President of Vietnam by the National Assembly at its ongoing session in Hanoi on April 5.

Writing contest about Poland launched in Vietnam

The Polish Embassy in Vietnam has launched a writing contest for this year, aiming to encourage Vietnamese people to learn more about the cultures of Poland as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia in the Group 4 (Visegrad).

Each piece of writing must be at least 1,000 words long and it can also include photos or videos.

Winners of the contest are scheduled to be announced in late June this year. The winner of the contest’s first prize will receive a cash prize of US$2,000, followed by second and third prizes of US$1,500 and US$1,000, respectively.

In addition, a further five consolation prizes of US$100 each will also be delivered.

The Wikipedia contest was originally launched in 2019, attracting roughly 2,000 entries, and the winner was given a free seven-day tour of Poland.

Last year witnessed the contest draw twice the number of entrants compared to the previous year.

Repatriation flights from South Korea to Vietnam resumed

Repatriation flights for Vietnamese workers in South Korea will be resumed from April 22.

According to the Centre of Overseas Labour, Vietnamese people in South Korea including workers with expired contracts can go to the websites of the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea to register for a repatriation flight on April 21, 2020. However, some people submitted their registration forms too many times and caused some difficulties in the calculation and flight arrangement process.

As a result, the embassy has provided a new link for registration which will be used for flights that operate from April 22.

The embassy also warns that each person should only submit one registration form. If they submit too many registration forms, the embassy will use the forms with the latest date which may put them behind the queue.

If someone wants to change mobile phone numbers or e-mail address, they can use the code provided on the online form.

Users must take all responsibility for their information. Guest workers that are under the Employment Permit System must clearly declare other information.

Trial of ex-minister Vu Huy Hoang to re-open on April 22

The Hanoi People’s Court will reopen a trial for ex-minister of industry and trade Vu Huy Hoang and nine accomplices on April 22 for violations at the ministry and in Ho Chi Minh City that caused losses of over 2.7 trillion VND (112.5 million USD).

The first-instance trial was first held on January 7. However, it was delayed due to the absence of three defendants and many other people whose rights and obligations are associated with the case. The trial was held again on January 18 but suspended again for the same reason.

Hoang, born in 1953, and Phan Chi Dung, born in 1957 and the former Director of the Light Industry Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), were charged of “violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”.

The eight other defendants, who are former HCM City officials, including former Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Tin, were accused of “violating regulations on land management”.

The trial is scheduled to last until April 29.

According to the indictment from the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the Saigon Beer – Alcohol – Beverage JSC (Sabeco), which is under the MoIT’s management, was given more than 6,000 sq.m in downtown HCM City for production and business purposes.

However, Hoang, former Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa, and Dung directed subordinates at the ministry and Sabeco to carry out procedures for using land use rights and Sabeco’s money as capital contributions to set up Sabeco Pearl, a joint venture between the firm and a number of private enterprises, to implement a project building a hotel, a trade and convention centre, and office space for lease on the land.

After Sabeco completed legal procedures for the joint venture’s investment and proposed the HCM City People’s Committee approve the addition of officetel and housing functions to this project, the MoIT ordered the company to transfer all of Sabeco’s stake in this project to the private enterprises in the joint venture.

This was illegal and resulted in a loss some 112.5 million USD to the State, according to the indictment.

Another of the accused, Ho Thi Kim Thoa, has fled, and the investigation police agency has put her on the wanted list./.

No COVID-19 infections logged on April 6 morning

Vietnam documented no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours as of 6:00 am on April 6, making the nation’s tally unchanged at 2,637, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of the total infections, 1,603 were domestically-transmitted cases, including 910 recorded since the latest outbreak hit the northern province of Hai Duong on January 27.

A total 27,478 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 498 at hospitals, 18,870 at other quarantine sites, and 8,110 at home.

Among patients under treatment, 17 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 9 twice, and 16 thrice.

The Treatment Sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reported that Vietnam has seen 2,416 recoveries so far.

The health ministry said that additional 455 Vietnamese got COVID-19 vaccine shots on April 5. As of 4:00 pm on the day, 52,868 frontline workers in 19 provinces and cities nationwide were vaccinated.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Party chief holds phone talks with Russian President

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 5, during which the leaders informed each other about recent major affairs and achievements of the two nations.

Trong told Putin about the outcomes of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s 13th National Congress, Vietnam’s progress after 35 years of national reform, as well as the country’s visions, targets and orientations for future development, among others.

Expressing his gratitude toward Russia’s support for Vietnam, the Party leader stated the Vietnamese Party and State always value the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia. He hoped the bilateral ties to grow fruitfully for the sake of the two countries’ people in contribution to regional and global peace and development.

For his part, Putin congratulated Trong on his re-election as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee for the 13th tenure and Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as State President of Vietnam.

Both leaders stressed that the Vietnam – Russia relations have been thriving in almost all fields and that the sides will continue taking specific measures to foster their cooperation in security, defence, energy, oil & gas, economy, trade, education and training, and tourism.

They laid special emphasis on further collaboration in COVID-19 prevention and control via mutual support regarding vaccine research and production.

The leaders shared a common stance on the need of building healthy international relationships of mutual respect, friendship, equality, mutually beneficial cooperation; and settling disagreements through dialogues and peaceful measures in the current international context.

The Vietnamese Party chief took the occasion to invite Putin to officially visit Vietnam this year and attend the closing ceremony of the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam. The Russian President accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Hanoi police bust cigar smuggling ring

The police in Hanoi has worked with related agencies to bust a cigar smuggling ring in which a flight attendant was arrested carrying over 100kg of cigars into Hanoi.

Police in late March were informed that flight attendant Nguyen Hai Son had smuggled a large number of cigars via Tan Son Nhat Airport. Son also bought the cigars from Nguyen The Nam from Thu Duc District to sell in Hanoi.

The police quickly carried out a search and found 71,315kg of cigars worth VND2bn in Hanoi. Most of the cigars were hidden at Son’s relatives in Hanoi. Son was detained for smuggling. After four months of investigation, they were able to identify Son as the ring leader of a cigar smuggling ring. Son was unable to provide any legal papers and invoices during the raid.

The investigation was expanded and Nam was detained. 1,745 cigars were also found at Nam’s house.

The authorities have started to prosecute Son and continue to expand the case.

All fishing ships in Binh Dinh must obtain food safety certificates by end of June

All fishing ships in Bình Định must obtain food safety certificates by the end of June as part of efforts to enhance the quality of fishery products caught by the south-central province’s fishing fleet, according to a local agricultural official.

The province has been accelerating a campaign to raise local fishermen’s awareness about their responsibility to abide by the Law on Fishery and persuade shipowners into signing a commitment to not encroach on foreign waters, said Trần Văn Phúc, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

These moves are intended to implement the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practice to have the EC’s “yellow card” on Việt Nam’s seafood lifted, Phúc said.

In the first quarter of 2021, the provincial Fisheries Department granted more than 160 food safety certificates to fishing vessels with a length of 15 metres or more that have been licensed to operate offshore. So far, more than 2,800 out of 3,200 offshore fishing vessels in the province have received the certificate.

The department has streamlined procedures to cut time to get the food safety certificates in accordance with current regulations. Now it only takes a day for a food safety certificate to be issued, instead of three days as before, deputy director of the department Nguyễn Công Bình said.

There are nearly 400 boats of 15 metres or more in length without a food safety certificate in Bình Định, most of which fish offshore and dock to sell their catches in ports outside the province.

The sub-department plans to send officials to neighbouring coastal provinces to check the status of these ships and request them to obtain food safety certificates.

Tragic accident inspires young woman to set up blood donation club

A blood donation club launched by a teenager has been joined by many young people eager to save lives in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

Nguyễn Thị Thảo Nguyên, 19, head of the club, from Kon Tum City, has donated blood many times and wants more people to join the club to save more lives.

Her mother died after being given 23 units of blood in a terrible accident many years ago.

“The sad memory was in my mind. Since then, I have wanted to donate my blood to help others like others did to try and save my mother,” said Nguyên.

“I first got involved in blood donation when I saw a call from my friends on a social network. I am very afraid of needles. I tried to overcome my fear and rushed to the hospital to help people in urgent need,” she said.

After the first successful blood donation, she has kept going to the hospital to donate blood.

At first, Nguyên and three other friends set up a group to be ready to give blood whenever a local hospital needs it.

She also started encouraging more young people in Kon Tum Province to donate blood to save lives.

In July 2019, she and 14 other members established a blood donation club of volunteers.

Her club has more than 1,000 members, aged 18-60, participating in blood donation with the motto ‘Donate blood for passion – Give blood when you can’.

Nguyễn Quốc Huy, a club’s member, said they often joked that Nguyên was addicted to donating blood.

“The members of the club respect and love her very much and are ready to join hands to create practical activities for society,” said Huy.

Lê Thị Kim Linh, head of Department of Hematology – Blood Transfusion, General Hospital of Kon Tum Province, said there were always unexpected cases with a need for urgent blood transfusion and the blood donors of the club had saved many lives.

The blood donation club has donated more than 1,500 units of blood in two years of operation.

Many patients have recovered from critical situations and returned to their families thanks to the donors.

Eight people who received blood from Nguyên even joined the club after recovering.

In addition to blood donation, the club also organises other activities like helping children in difficult circumstances, supporting people affected by floods and storms and planting trees in landslide-hit areas.

Recently, the club started building a new house for a poor family that lost their house in a fire, at a cost of VNĐ110 million.

The club members have also helped a lot of people in need of blood in the three provinces of Gia Lai, Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi, encouraging more people to work together for the community.

Nguyên said the club would continue to carry out many other meaningful activities to contribute to the local community.

Tonnes of fish found dead at HCM City lakes

A large number of fish have been found dead in HCM City lakes and canals over the recent days.

According to the HCM City Department of Fisheries, by midday of Sunday, around 14 tonnes of dead fish in Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal were collected.

Meanwhile, roughly two tonnes of dead fish were also gathered at a lake at Ehome 3 residential area in Binh Tan District’s An Lac Ward.

The heavy rain on April 2-4 is seen as among the causes of the fish deaths, HCM City Department of Fisheries said. The department explained that the rainwater swept litter from drains into the lakes.

The rainwater has also stirred the mud layer in the lakes, worsening the pollution.

The break of a dyke in the middle of the lake linked to a nearby drain has been partially attributed to the worst pollution which has killed the fish.

The majority of the fish at the lake in Ehome 3 residential area were released by local residents.

The dead fish have created a bad odour for surrounding areas.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to provide support for struggling fishermen

Despite many advances in the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu fisheries sector in recent years like increased vessel capacity, reduction in near-shore fishing and general compliance with fishing regulations, high fuel prices and labour shortages remain a problem for fishermen.

In Xuyên Mộc District, for example, there are more than 500 boats and nearly 2,000 workers, but this year only 80 per cent of the boats has headed for the open sea.

Phạm Văn Ba, the owner of two vessels with a capacity of 600CV at Incomap fishing port (Vũng Tàu City), said that the number of fishes and shrimps in his first trip to head for the open sea increased by several tonnes compared to the same period last year. However, he makes little profit due to the high fuel prices.

Beside an increase of 15 to 20 per cent for fuel and food prices this year, Phạm Song, a fisherman, has to pay his employees their wages to boost their motivation for the next trips.

Hence, he hopes the State will add more policies to support for fishermen, Song, the owner of two fishing boats with a capacity of more than 400CV at Phước Tỉnh fishing port (Long Điền district), said.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu is speeding up the process of compiling documents for offshore fishing boats. The department will seek the approval of Provincial People’s Committee to maintain supporting fishing activities.

In addition to building a centre to support fishing activities, the province will rebuild policies to change inshore and destructive fishing to create jobs in line with fishermen’s customs and experiences.

In 2020, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu People’s Committee has provided local fishermen of 400 fishing boats with more than VNĐ60 billion (US$2.6 million) to support their offshore fishing activities.

Members of national men’s football team receive COVID-19 vaccinations

Head coach Park Hang-seo receives COVID-19 vaccination on April 5

In addition to national teams set to compete at international tournaments to secure berths at the Tokyo Olympics, the men’s football squad was also inoculated in preparation for upcoming matches in Group G of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

The games will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Vietnam will play Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia four days later, and then wrap up the qualifiers with a game against the hosts UAE on June 15.

The vaccination drive for the footballers will be held in five phases, with the last being on April 17.

The men’s football squad is set to gather in mid-May, with 34 players.

Vietnam currently tops Group G with 11 points, followed by Malaysia with nine and Thailand with eight. The UAE has six points, while Indonesia is yet to pick up any.

The Vietnam Sports Administration recently announced that more than 300 athletes will receive COVID-19 vaccine shots this month./.

Gia Lai Province fights back against illegal forest destruction

Forests in Chư Pưh District in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai are facing a high risk of illegal forest destruction.

To minimise deforestation, local authorities have assigned new forestland to local people under contracts signed between the Forest Protection Department and households.

Phạm Văn Đạo, head of Chư Pưh District’s Forest Protection Department, said mostly ethnic minorities households in the district had registered to protect the forest.

Local people are also encouraged to detect and prevent forest protection violations.

“The allocation of forests like this is very practical because the forest areas have been strictly protected by local people,” Đạo said.

“All destruction of forests is promptly detected and prevented by the local people and authorities are promptly notified for timely handling.”

A total of 43 households in the district’s Ia Phang Commune registered to protect nearly 500ha of forests last year, according to the department.

Chư Pưh District’s Forest Protection Department has worked closely with local authorities to patrol to prevent logging and timber transportation.

Rah Lan Phu, Head of Forest Protection Team of Ia Ke Village, Ia Phang Commune, said households were excited to help protect the forest.

“Through forest protection contracts signed with authorities, local people have more income and enjoy practical benefits from the forest,” he said.

Ia Phang Commune is one locality performing well in growing and protecting forests through advocacy.

Chairman of Ia Phang Commune People’s Committee, Trần Hoàng, said communal forest rangers regularly run patrols with community teams to prevent damage to the forest.

The commune holds meetings every week in villages to encourage people not to fell trees for cultivation and to plant new trees on deforested lands.

Chư Pưh District currently has more than 21,000ha of forest in six communes, of which the natural forest is nearly 12,000ha, the plantation forest is more than 1,600ha, mainly rubber, acacia and eucalyptus trees, and the rest is protective forest.

The forest area is not concentrated due to the complex topography, so managing and protecting the forest can be tough.

To deal with this situation, the district Forest Protection Department has sent eight forest rangers to six communes to assist local authorities in building community teams responsible for forest management and preventing forest fires.

Thirteen grassroots forest fire prevention teams and nine community groups for patrolling the forest have attracted 900 members.

The number of forest violations in the district has been significantly reduced.

In 2020, Chư Pưh District authorities saw 40 cases of forest law violations, down by eight cases compared to 2019.

The province’s Forest Protection Sub-department has petitioned the Government to increase the fees paid to ethnic minority households for forest protection.

Gia Lai wants to increase its forest coverage rate to 47.5 per cent by 2025.

VN National University Ho Chi Minh City researchers make COVID-19 prevention, control products

Students and scientists at the Việt Nam National University – Hồ Chí Minh City (VNUHCM) have carried out extensive research and developed products that help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Out of 2,000 projects from 79 countries, one on producing protein from Ecoli bacteria in laboratories by a student team from the University of Science won sponsorship from the Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie – a society of universities offering training in the French language.

Firstly, they collaborated with a company in the bio-technology industry to carry out the project under Dr. Nguyễn Thuỵ Vy, head of the genetics department at the university’s biology and bio-technology faculty. The research was prompted by the fact that asymptomatic COVID patients and those with mild symptoms were believed to be a hurdle to control the pandemic in the community.

To detect infection, many countries use antibody tests. The advantages of this method are that it is fast, easy to deploy on a large scale and has great accuracy. However, Việt Nam does not have suppliers of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral protein antigens, making it difficult for companies to seek for manufacturing antibody testing kits. Dr Vy said: “We use a technology to produce protein from Ecoli bacteria at low cost. Around the world, most proteins are produced from animal tissue.” Vy and two students, Lê Trần Đăng Khôi and Võ Hồ Mỹ Phúc began the research in early June with sponsorship from AUF and they created products within three months.

“The project does not only contribute to COVID-19 prevention but also inspires other students to take up research. The product is useful for COVID-19 tests with fast, accurate results and affordable prices.”

The VNUHCM’s National Key Laboratory of Digital Control and System Engineering’s scientists also made an automatic chamber for disinfection and obtaining samples from patients without making contact.

The chamber disinfects automatically before the next person enters for giving samples. Though ultraviolet disinfection technology is used, the UV rays do not directly touch peoples’ bodies and so are not harmful to health officials or patients. Moreover, the high-efficiency particulate air filter technology combines with UV to completely kill viruses and bacteria remaining in the air after being sucked out of the chamber.

Another VNUHCM’s member university, the University of Technology, has innovated dozens of useful and convenient products to serve the community in terms of COVID-19 prevention and containment.

Scientists at the Bách Khoa Research Centre for Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Technology have also made a mobile disinfection system with air filters to ensure clean air is discharged in the environment. The technology has been transferred to companies for commercialisation and mass production.

A research team at the University of Technology’s material technology faculty has made masks that could be used by healthcare workers for continuous hours.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huỳnh Đại Phú, the faculty dean, said when COVID-19 broke out, one urgent issue was a shortage of medical equipment. Healthcare workers faced a high risk of infection because of working for many hours in an environment without negative pressure chamber. It was very important for them to use preventive clothes, goggles and masks to prevent the risk of contracting the virus, and his team made these masks with a bacteria and air filter membrane to avoid infection, Phú said.

The medical workers at Trưng Vương Hospital are using them.

One of VNUHCM’s strategies is to continue focusing on scientific and technological development and innovation to help implement national and southern region development strategies and to raise its international profile.

As of October 2020, it had filed 527 applications for patents and 566 technology transfer contracts and scientific services that fetched revenues of VNĐ104.2 billion (US$4,5 million).

Doctors in HCM City remove rare, life-threatening heart tumour

Doctors at Gia Định People’s Hospital in HCM City have successfully removed a rare, life-threatening heart tumour in a 40-year-old patient.

The patient on March 31 was hospitalised at Gò Vấp District Hospital due to shortness of breath and chest pain. An echocardiography showed a tumour in his heart, which caused heart failure and severe anaemia.

The hospital sent the patient to Gia Định People’s Hospital for urgent surgery. Doctors said the large tumour in both the left atrium and left ventricle was at risk of being stuck in the heart’s valves.

The spread of the tumour had also caused mitral regurgitation, which the doctors treated.

Dr Bùi Minh Thành, head of cardiac surgery department at the Gia Định People’s Hospital, said that most heart tumours cause no symptoms and are not located at the two valves. The patient’s tumour was special, causing a sudden blockage of blood flow in the heart, which could lead to acute heart failure and, if not treated in time, death.

The patient is in stable condition.

Ninh Binh works to ensure safety for opening of National Tourism Year 2021

The organising board for the National Tourism Year 2021 of Ninh Binh province convened a meeting on April 5 to decide on the final plan and discuss related preparations for the opening ceremony slated for late April.

As hear at the meeting, the opening ceremony will take place at the national special heritage site of Hoa Lu ancient capital in Hoa Lu district’s Truong Yen commune, on the evening of April 20. About 2,600 guests have been invited to attend the ceremony.

Addressing the meeting, Tong Quang Thin, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Binh People’s Committee and deputy head of the organising board, asked for close coordination among sectors and localities involved and stepping up the communications work.

He also urged the relevant sectors to ensure security and social order, COVID-19 prevention and control, and food safety during the event.

Ninh Binh planned to organise 11 major and 27 others activities in the National Tourism Year 2021, themed “Hoa Lu – Thousand-year-old Capital”.

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and 27 localities nationwide were set to hold two major and 103 events in response to the National Tourism Year 2021. However, many of these activities have been canceled, postponed, or scaled down due to complex developments of COVID-19.

Located in the southern reaches of the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh is known for its wondrous natural scenery, with a labyrinth of waterways, mountains, and plains as well as cross-cultural influences from the north to the south and from the mountains to the plains and coastal areas. It is home to 1,821 relic areas, including 81 national relic sites and a world cultural and natural heritage site./.

Supporting youth in start-up movement

Young people have many start-up ideas but lack the capital and business experience to turn them into reality. In recent years, the Provincial Youth Union and the Youth Union of Nam Dinh province have implemented a range of flexible and innovative measures to help union members and young people establish a career and create jobs for local people.

In 2017, thanks to support from the Youth Union of Nam Dinh province, he borrowed nearly 100 million VND from the National Fund to expand production and create a variety of products.

He now posts profits in the billions of VND each year, creating regular jobs for 40 local people and planning to further expand in the future.

The Youth Union of Nam Dinh province recently coordinated with bank branches in the area to set up groups to support young people in borrowing capital to develop their production.

As of the end of 2020, there were over 5,500 union members, and young people in Nam Dinh were allowed to borrow capital for production and business, with a total of over 175 billion VND made available./.

Addicts in Dien Bien get better access to methadone treatment

Opioid addicts will be able to pick up several days supply of methadone for use at home after an event that was held yesterday in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên.

The event was held by the Việt Nam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health (MoH), the World Health Organization (WHO) in Việt Nam and the provincial Department of Health.

The MoH said methadone has been used to treat opioid addicts in Việt Nam since 2008.

Currently, more than 52,000 people receiving methadone treatment in 330 treatment facilities in all 63 provinces and cities.

The coverage of the programme has reached 28 per cent of the total number of addicts, with the six-month period for medicine adherence rate at 83 per cent, above the world average of is 80 per cent.

Điện Biên Province has recorded more than 9,000 drug addicts and currently, more than 2,400 are undergoing methadone treatment at the province’s 35 methadone dispensing facilities.

Hoàng Đình Cảnh, deputy director of the VAAC, said after more than 12 years of implementation, the treatment of opioid addiction with methadone has revealed a number of limitations.

They included low access to treatment and very different regional adherence to treatment. The rate of treatment dropout accounts for more than 50 per cent, mostly in mountainous provinces.

One of the main reasons leading to discontinuation of treatment is patients having to receive treatment at a medical facility.

To tackle the problem, different countries around the world have allowed some patients to bring methadone to use at home.

Providing patients with methadone for many days will reduce travel time, travel-related costs and create favourable conditions for patients to access, maintain and comply with treatment.

This helps to improve treatment for patients, improve quality of life and increase patient and family satisfaction with methadone treatment facilities.

Cảnh said Điện Biên was one of three localities, along with Lai Châu and Hải Phòng City, to run the pilot programme, because Điện Biên was a mountainous province which is difficult to travel in.

Many patients have to travel tens of kilometres to get to treatment facilities for their daily medicine. Methadone dispensing points have been deployed in some commune health stations but still cannot meet the needs of patients because the villages are too far away and the roads to medical facilities and dispensers are very high in mountainous areas.

This is also a very active locality that has achieved good results in methadone treatment in recent years.

The successful pilot implementation of this programme in the three localities would serve as the basis for a nationwide expansion, he said.

Egyptian media highly evaluates Vietnam’s new leadership

A number of Egyptian newspapers on April 5 ran articles on Vietnam’s new leadership which, they said, will contribute to consolidating the relations between the two countries.

An article published on Eldyar e-newspaper said former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has been elected State President of Vietnam, while Politburo member of the 13th tenure and head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh was elected PM.

Sayed Badry and Mohamed Al-Saeed, co-authors of the article, lauded Vietnam’s success in completing the dual goals of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting socio-economic development last year.

They believed that the bilateral relations will be further enhanced in the time ahead, with two-way trade expected to double last year’s figure to 1 billion USD soon.

The same day, Events Magazine News e-newspaper said President Phuc made imprints while serving as PM during the 2016-2020 period.

Author Ahmed Hassan highlighted Vietnam’s achievements last year, saying it is the only country among the six biggest economies in Southeast Asia to post a positive growth rate of 2.19 percent.

Its gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded 340 billion USD, ranking fourth in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 37th worldwide, the article said.

The article applauded the Government’s role in streamlining administrative procedures and creating optimal business conditions to tap resources for socio-economic development.

Hassan also expressed his belief that newly-elected PM Chinh will lead the Vietnamese Government to overcome difficulties and challenges so as to outstandingly complete strategic targets set for the next five years.

Vietnam’s senior leaders have demonstrated their solidarity in efforts to create breakthrough reforms, creating a foundation for the country to make miracle steps in national development in the next decades, according to the article./.

E-health declaration compulsory for all air passengers: CAAV

All airlines must ensure that their passengers complete electronic health declarations before boarding at all airports nationwide, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

This is part of the efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to its documents recently sent to competent authorities, the CAAV said that without e-health declaration, passengers will be denied to fly, while airlines which fail to follow the regulation will have to bear legal responsibility.

In a document recently sent to competent authorities, the CAAV required airlines to instruct their passengers fulfill the health declaration at https://tokhaiyte.vn or through the Vietnam Health Declaration application.

Besides, airlines should arrange staff at check-in kiosks at terminals to support passengers in the e-health declaration procedure.

They should join hands with airports nationwide to inform passengers of the mandatory declaration through passenger information systems, posters and panels at easy-to-see places in airports.

Earlier, many passengers failed to make e-health declaration before coming to the security screening checkpoints at Noi Bai International Airport.

On March 30, 1,447 passengers did not fulfill e-health declaration, while the number recorded on March 31 was 712. About 80 percent of them completed check-in procedures via website and at kiosks./.

Singapore think tank highly evaluates Vietnam’s new leadership

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) has recently published an article delving into what freshly elected Vietnamese leaders are going to contribute to the nation’s future development.

In his article, the author Yang Razali Kassim – a senior fellow at the RSIS – said the new leadership marks a combination of experience and freshness, a suitable formula for Vietnam’s planned transition towards a socialist-oriented developed status by 2045.

He assumed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will continue to oversee the strengthening of the Party building work and the fight against corruption where his success has been proven. Meanwhile, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc will leverage on his experience as prime minister to expand and strengthen Vietnam’s relations with other countries.

According to the article, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, whose decisiveness is seen as a quality needed for a head of the Government. He will have the unenviable task of steering the country towards the dual goal of rolling back and containing the pandemic while maintaining and promoting economic growth.

The author also talked about Vietnam’s foreign policy under the new team, noting the likeliness of the strategy of “openness, multilateralisation and diversification”. International economic integration will continue with more free trade agreements (FTAs) being signed, thereby creating new impetus for the nation’s economic recovery.

He stated Vietnam’s diplomatic foray will continue to deepen following its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 while its entry into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for one year has raised its voice on the global stage.

By the end of the NA elections on April 8, the new Vietnamese core leadership will be ready to take over and will steer Vietnam towards a more prominent regional role, said the article./.

Congratulations on 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Ireland diplomatic relations

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has cabled a congratulatory message to Irish President Michael Daniel Higgins on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Ireland diplomatic ties (April 5, 1996 – 2021).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his congratulations to his Irish counterpart Micheál Martin.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh also cabled a congratulatory message to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland Simon Coveney./.

Vietnam records six new imported COVID-19 cases, 33 recoveries

Vietnam recorded six new imported COVID-19 cases, including five Vietnamese citizens and an Indian expert, in the past 12 hours to 6pm on April 5, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said.

The new patients brought the total number of infections detected in the country to 2,637, including 1,603 domestically-transmitted cases.

According to the MoH’s Medical Service Administration, an additional 33 patients have been given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of recoveries to 2,416, while the death toll related to the disease remained at 35.

Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments across the country, 17 tested negative to the virus once, nine twice and 16 others thrice.

As many as 27,478 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined nationwide, including 498 in hospitals, 18,870 in state-designated establishments and 8,110 others at their residences.

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

Schoolboy overcomes hardship to excel academically

Phạm Văn Thông was born in a uniquely challenged family, as his father suffers an intellectual disability and his mother has a history of epilepsy.

Living in a downgraded house in a small village in northern Hưng Yên Province, Thông and his little sister usually faced a shortage of food due to his parents’ illness.

Difficulties never hindered the boy from his eagerness to study. In 2020, Thông passed the entrance exam to the province’s gifted school. He is now one of the members of the school team entering the national excellent student exam in maths for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I still want to be born in this family”

Hoàng Thị Quy suffers from epilepsy and Phạm Văn Hinh has an intellectual disability. They were in the same village in Dị Chế Commune in Tiên Lữ District and decided to live together to share their burdens in life.

Quy gave birth to two children. During their childhood, the two children played together and Thông took care of his sister when he grew older. The whole family depended on the 2,500 square-metre rice and vegetable field and some additional income from making bamboo curtains.

“Our children didn’t have milk like others. They only lived on powder and rice water,” she told the online newspaper vietnamnet.vn.

When Thông turned six, Quy sent Thông to school. The boy immediately loved to study and would get up early to prepare breakfast and lunch for the whole family before going to school.

In secondary school, Thông stayed up until midnight to complete his homework. He spent most of the day helping his parents in the rice fields so that they could earn enough money for food.

Quy said she wished many times that Thông could have been born to a better family.

“But he replied ‘I still want to be born in this family’”, she said.

Quy said she initially didn’t want to let Thông register for the gifted school as it took him an hour to ride his bike to the school.

But the boy insisted as studying at the gifted school was his dream.

“My first time entering the Hưng Yên Gifted School was when I joined the district level excellent student exam two years ago. This was the most memorable exam as I could sit in the classroom of my all-time favourite school,” he said.

Thông has had 10 years of excellent performance at school and excels at maths.

Thông said he received a lot of support from teachers and friends. The monthly allowance of VNĐ700,000 (US$28) would be a gift for him to focus on his study.

“I used to be afraid that my studies would become a burden for my parents, but now I’ve realised it would be a chance for me to make my dream come true,” he said.

“I’ll do my best to get the best result in the next national excellent student exam. I plan to become a doctor as I can help save patients and bring a better life for my parents. I do understand the feeling of those whose relatives have illness,” he said.

Nine charged with allegedly beating up, burying alive young man

The police of Nghe An Province’s Vinh City have filed charges against nine people for allegedly capturing, beating up and burying alive a 17-year-old boy.

The nine, aged from 17 to 31, comprise Nguyen Trong Duong, Ho Trong Khanh, Le Nguyen Hung, Nguyen Tien Nam, Tran Manh Tai, Vo Quang Hung, Hoang Quang Thanh, Phung Duy Ngoc Anh and Nguyen Dinh Huy, the local media reported.

Five other younger boys were also found to be involved in the case and the police are investigating their violations.

According to initial results of the police investigation, N.Q.V., a resident in Xuan An Town, Nghi Xuan Town, Ha Tinh Province, hired Duong’s motorbike but did not return it. Therefore, Duong asked his henchmen to look for V.

On March 24, they found V. in Vinh City, so they captured and beat him and took off his clothes. The group later took V. to a nearby wasteland in Nghi Xuan District and continued beating him.

They dug a pit, covered V.’s head with a bag, tied his hands, pushed him into the pit and covered him with soil despite his pleading. A short period later, V. was pulled out of the pit and taken to a nearby river to bathe.

A video on the case, which was posted on social networks on March 26, has sparked public outrage.

Just three hours after the video was posted on social media, police detained 13 people and summoned the victim. The police later arrested Duong when he was hiding in Hanoi.

Many eateries in HCMC fined for food safety violations

The competent forces in HCMC have fined multiple restaurants and eateries for using food materials without a clear origin, violating safety conditions and operating without food safety certificates.

On April 5, the Food Safety Management Board of HCMC said that in March, the board discovered and fined 15 dirty food trading and manufacturing facilities, including eateries and restaurants.

Specifically, Duc Vinh Development and Investment Company in Thu Duc City’s Long Thanh My Ward was found producing and processing food in a polluted environment, while their food was also stored in unhygienic conditions after being processed.

Due to its unsanitary operations, the firm was slapped with a fine of VND29 million, Motthegioi news site reported.

Besides, the competent forces found the walls, ceilings and floors of the production areas and warehouses owned by Vinh Thuan Trading Facility in Binh Tan District moldy and the facility using excessive food additives, so it was fined VND37 million and forced to demolish all food and food additives.

Similarly, Nguyen Nhu Binh Company in HCMC’s outlying district of Binh Chanh received a fine of VND60 million for running its business without a food safety certificate. Further, the firm processed and produced food in an unhygienic environment, given the moldy walls, ceiling and floor of its trading and processing area and warehouse.

Apart from this, the competent forces also fined several others for food safety violations, including Bakar Company in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1, Hai Di Lao Vietnam Holdings in Thu Duc City, Green Saigon Pure Drinking Water Company in Nha Be District and Bau Sen Trading Service Company in District 5.

Vietnam DX Day 2021 formally kicked off

Vietnam DX Day 2021, themed ‘National Digital Transformation: Sharing and Linking’, is expected to welcome 3,000 delegates nationwide from May 26-27 in Hanoi.

The program has four main parts of updating the latest trends in digital transformation, introducing effective digital transformation solutions, sharing experience of successful cases, and connecting partners in the digital transformation process.

Vietnam DX Day 2021 has 8 seminars especially for 8 key fields in the National Digital Transformation Program: finance-banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, transport-logistics, energy, natural resources-environment, and manufacturing-industry.

In addition, there will be 2 specially meetings focusing on digital transformation for small- and medium-scaled enterprises, promotion of digital startups in Vietnam.

Other activities held simultaneously include an exhibition for Vietnamese Digital Solution Platforms 2020, a program for supply-demand connection (Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government), an online conference to introduce Vietnamese digital solutions and platforms.

General Secretary of VINASA Nguyen Thi Thu Giang shared that the four major missions of her organization in the period from 2021-2025 are forming a technological ecosystem, developing platforms, focusing more on AI strategies, and building strong IT human resources.

When fulfilled, these missions can greatly contribute to speeding up the national digital transformation process. Vietnam DX Day 2021 is considered an essential annual activity to help achieve these goals.

Hotels and restaurants join in “No Smoking” campaign in Hanoi

Restaurants and hotels will build an image of a professional, civilized, and fresh environment for tourists.

The campaign, jointly launched by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Vietnam, aims to encourage restaurants and hotels to build up a smoke-free environment in the capital city.

Addressing the event held in Hanoi on April 3, WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park said every year, eight million people died from cigarette smoking around the world.

In Vietnam, 15 million adults smoke while the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke is 75 million.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people each year in the country while around 6,000 people died from secondhand smoke, the WHO official said, urging an end to “the deaths of these blameless victims” of passive smoking.

“WHO called upon you to begin this with implementing smoke-free restaurants and hotels, which include simple acts such as placing “No Smoking” signs at visible areas of hotels and restaurants,” the WHO representative told restaurant and hotel owners.

He also suggested that inspections from law enforcement units should be conducted more frequently to achieve better compliance.

For his part, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department under the Ministry of Health and director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund fund stressed that building a smoke-free tourism environment is an effective way to ensure the rights of non-smokers to breathe fresh air.

It also helps reduce the risks of illnesses caused by exposure to tobacco smoke for the tourism sector’s personnel and tourists, reduce direct and indirect medical costs for examinations and treatment of diseases related to smoking, Khue added.

“According to a 2020 study conducted by the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, the rate of secondhand smoking in these establishments remains high, with 80% of customers exposed to smoking in restaurants, and 65% in hotels,” said the health official.

In her speech, Do Hong Xoan, deputy head of the Vietnam Tourism Association and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Hotel Association, highlighted the significance of this campaign for not only restaurants and hotels, but also for the community.

Xoan added that smoke-free environments, including restaurants and hotels, will build an image of a professional, civilized, and fresh environment for tourists and beneficial for the health of hospitality staff and customers. Such environment will surely attract more domestic and international tourists.

Joining the campaign is an effective way to enforce the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Xoan affirmed.

After the launch, “No Smoking” signs were hung at the Hilton Hanoi Opera at 1 Le Thanh Tong street and San Fu Lou-Cantonese Kitchen at 6 Phan Chu Trinh street.

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