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Vietnam has six new Covid-19 patients

March 5, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Vietnam has six new Covid-19 patients

The Saigon Times

A medical worker takes a sample from a man for Covid-19 testing. Vietnam reported six new Covid-19 cases this evening – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – The Health Ministry has confirmed six new imported Covid-19 cases in Binh Duong, Tay Ninh and Kien Giang provinces, sending Vietnam’s caseload to 2,494 as of this evening, March 5.

Tay Ninh Province had one new case, a 52-year-old woman residing in Truong Tay Commune, Hoa Thanh Town that entered the province through Moc Bai International Border Gate on February 22. The patient is being treated at Tay Ninh General Hospital.

Four new Covid-19 patients, aged between 24 and 28, were reported in Kien Giang Province. They entered the province through Ha Tien Border Gate on February 27 and March 3. They are undergoing treatment at Ha Tien City medical center.

A 43-year-old Chinese expert became the latest Covid-19 case in Binh Duong Province. He arrived at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC on Flight BR391 on February 19 and was immediately transported to Binh Duong Province for quarantine. He is being treated at Binh Duong Province General Hospital.

All of the new patients were immediately quarantined after arriving in Vietnam, posing no risk of community transmission.

Malaysia’s Tenaga makes foray into Vietnamese solar market

March 5, 2021 by www.vir.com.vn

The deal will serve as a beachhead for Tenaga in the Vietnamese solar market

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia today, TNB said this acquisition extends TNB’s collaboration with Sunseap, beyond the Malaysia and Singapore cross-border partnership, to capture the rapid growth in the Vietnamese renewable energy market, as reported by The Malaysian Reserve .

The acquired project has secured the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) 2 rates in Vietnam. Having achieved commercial operation date in December 2020, all five plants are under 20-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with EVN to supply clean energy to the national grid.

Sunseap currently holds a 90 per cent stake in the projects, which will be reduced to 51 per cent upon completion of the 39 per cent stake acquisition by TNB Renewables slated for the first quarter of this year. Sun Times Energy JSC, an existing shareholder of the project, will continue to own 10 per cent equity interest in the project, according to TNB.

“This acquisition will serve as a beachhead for TNB to establish a local presence in Vietnam and expand into the rapidly growing renewable energy and utility market in Vietnam. This acquisition builds on our earlier Malaysia-Singapore cross-border collaboration with Sunseap and demonstrates our commitment in transforming TNB into a regional renewable energy and utility player,” said TNB’s president and CEO Datuk Ir. Baharin Din.

By TNB

Prudential, Maritime Bank extend bancassurance partnership for 15 years

March 5, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Prudential Vietnam and Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank have renewed their strategic bancassurance partnership (Photo courtesy of Prudential Vietnam)

HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Prudential Vietnam Assurance Private Limited , a subsidiary of Prudential Plc , and Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank have renewed their strategic bancassurance partnership for another 15 years.

The new agreement significantly expands the geographical scope to include the north, where MSB is headquartered, and make Prudential the lender’s only partner.

They have been collaborating since 2013 and built a highly successful bancassurance partnership which delivered a 34 percent compounded annual growth rate in annual premium equivalent between 2014 and 2020.

Under the renewed partnership, the two sides will also expand into new segments, including digital, to deliver holistic protection solutions to customers.

With a digital-focused approach that is aligned with MSB and Prudential’s plans to leverage existing digital tools such as the latter’s artificial intelligence-powered application Pulse, they hope to seize further growth opportunities.

Nic Nicandrou, Chief Executive of Prudential Corporation Asia, said: “Vietnam is an important market and source of growth for Prudential. The renewal and expansion of our long-term partnership with MSB represents a tremendous opportunity for Prudential to build on its strong presence in the market. It is a clear demonstration of our commitment to serving MSB’s customers, helping them get the most out of life with our leading suite of health and wealth solutions.”

Phuong Tien Minh, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Vietnam, said: “Prudential Vietnam has built a highly-effective bancassurance partnership with MSB since 2013.

“We are delighted to be taking the partnership to the next level as we deliver our innovative offerings to MSB’s customers through existing as well as new channels, including digital. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with MSB for another 15 years.”

Nguyen Hoang Linh, Chief Executive Officer of MSB, said: “We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with Prudential Vietnam and this reinforced our decision to extend the partnership and expand its scope to cover all of Vietnam.

“Together with Prudential Vietnam, we will remain focused on providing best-in-class financial and investment solutions to consumers across the country, helping them fulfil their evolving needs and providing them with a secure future.”/.

VNA

The restoration of Da Lat’s abandoned monastery

March 5, 2021 by tuoitrenews.vn

Residents and tourists alike have shared their disappointment over the removal of large portions of the Franciscaines Misionnaires de Marie – an abandoned monastery in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat – during the site’s renovation.

Spanning more than seven hectares, the chapel and residential quarters of Franciscaines Misionnaires de Marie sit between Tran Quang Dieu and Hung Vuong Streets in Da Lat, which is the capital of Lam Dong Province.

For years, the iconic chapel has been an inspiration for Vietnamese artists and photographers, being reimagined in countless works of art.

The mission is located in an area surrounded by pine trees near the center of Da Lat. Photo: Duc Tho / Tuoi Tre

A ruined complex

According to writer Nguyen Vinh Nguyen, the Benedictine complex was designed and built by French architects Alexandre Leonard and Paul Veysseyre in the late 30s and early 40s, marking the onset of Benedictine missionaries from the West making their way to Vietnam.

In 1954, these missionaries left the complex in the hands of Franciscans nuns before moving to Hue in the central region to set up the Thien An Monastery.

In the following years, the nuns enlisted Vietnamese architect Pham Khanh Chu to design additional classrooms behind the existing complex.

According to Tran Ngoc Trac, former head of Lam Dong Province Arts and Literature Association, the mission was known as Viet Nu Commercial School in 1969.

In 1979, the seven-hectare complex was handed over to the government.

Machines are brought to the mission to remove severely destroyed areas. Photo: Duc Tho / Tuoi Tre

Over the following decades, the school’s two classroom blocks and residential building served as the province’s supplementary school, then as the Lam Vien Hotel, and eventually Tran Phu High School.

In the 1980s, another building was built between the two blocks.

The chapel and monastery were next used as a warehouse, sports hall, and residential structure.

It was eventually abandoned for several years before becoming a campus of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture.

At one point, nearly 20 families illegally occupied the chapel but were eventually forced out by local authorities.

Inside the main chapel. Photo: Duc Tho / Tuoi Tre

Pulling out all the stops

The Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, which currently manages the complex, said it has plans to restore the site.

“We are doing our best to preserve the monastery’s artistic value,” said the school’s representative.

“We expect it to be a landmark of the university’s Da Lat campus in which potential architects from the Central Highlands and neighbouring areas are trained.”

Plans on the renovation include a new amphitheater being built in the complex and the restoration of dilapidated structures.

The chapel will be transformed into a library and meeting hall which will host architecture and art workshops, while the residential structures will be used as boarding houses for lecturers.

The residential building’s roof is removed for restoration. Photo: Duc Tho / Tuoi Tre

“We decided to restore the existing constructions of the chapel and residential structure though they are not listed in the government’s compulsory reservation scheme,” the university told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“We see the complex as a meaningful and valuable heritage site.

“Restoring costs much more than rebuilding but we must protect this significant landmark.”

The monastery’s façade has been reimagined in many pieces of art. Photo: Duc Tho / Tuoi Tre

The right decision

Although the monastery is not classified as a relic or included in the list of reserved buildings by the government, it is highly appreciated by architects for its architectural value, according to architect Le Tu, head of Lam Dong Province Association of Architects.

On a purely legal basis, it is permissible to demolish the complex built atop the land, yet the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture chose a much more challenging and noteworthy solution.

It is too early to comment on the project’s impact, yet it does open the door for discussions on how Da Lat’s old villas should be managed and used to preserve the old town’s atmosphere.

As Tu sees it, if all precious villas are lost or investors wait for them to be severely ruined as an excuse to tear them down, Da Lat’s heritage will slip away.

Restoring old villas is difficult.

Therefore, besides goodwill, investors must have plans in place to prevent unwanted incidents and ensure safety.

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Foreign military attaché corps visits Military Region 9

March 5, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

The command’s representative answered a number of questions of the delegation on the training, combat readiness as well as role of the region’s armed forces in supporting localities to respond to climate change, natural disaster prevention and assistance in easing difficulties for local people, poverty reduction and the building of new-style rural areas.

On behalf of the delegation, Colonel Mpiwa Kgotso Abiel thanked the command for the warm welcome and highly valued its achievements in the cause of construction and protection of Vietnam.

He also said that the visit was a good opportunity for military attachés to Vietnam to exchange and learn more about the Vietnam People’s Army in general and the region’s armed forces in particular.

Translated by Thuy Duong

ADB helps build resilient houses for disaster-hit families in Quang Tri

March 5, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

The houses are for poor and near-poor households and those from ethnic minority groups in Dak Rong, Huong Hoa, Cam Lo, Gio Linh, and Vinh Linh districts, which were all hit by flooding and landslides last year. They are scheduled for completion by May 24.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri People’s Committee Ha Sy Dong asked local authorities and beneficiaries to coordinate closely to ensure that the houses are completed on time with high quality.

The province will continue to mobilize resources for the construction of public works serving local people, he went on, especially those in mountainous and ethnic minority areas and those prone to natural disasters.

The historic flooding last October in Quang Tri killed 53 people and left two missing, while destroying more than 2,000 houses and inundating 110,000 others. Total losses were estimated at over 4.25 trillion VND (183 million USD).

Source: VNA