Northern ireland prime minister

Condolences to UK over passing of Prince Philip

April 10, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Floral tributes in memory of Prince Philip outside Buckingham Palace in London, the UK, on April 9. (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 10 sent a message of condolences to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland over the death of her husband Prince Philip , the Duke of Edinburgh .

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also cabled a message of condolences to PM Boris Johnson.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son extended his condolences to Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Raab.

Prince Philip died on April 9 at the age of 99./.

VNA

How two decades of EU migration went into reverse

April 3, 2021 by sggpnews.org.vn

Illustrative photo

Marcin Poltorak still has the one-way bus ticket that took him from Krakow, Poland, to Manchester in August 2004, aged 26. “The plan was to work for two years then go back and buy a house,” he recalls. Poltorak found a job in a slaughterhouse in the northern town of Clitheroe and, 17 years later, remains in the UK: “It was so much better here,” he says.

When prime minister Tony Blair opened Britain’s doors to workers from eight former communist states in central and eastern Europe that year, it was a big decision with huge ramifications. Over the next decade, Britain’s economy and society were transformed by hundreds of thousands of arrivals from Poland, Lithuania and elsewhere. At its peak, the number of European migrants in the UK was by some estimates five million or higher, from a population estimated to be more than 66 million. London’s Victoria coach station was packed with people starting a new life and soon the country’s bars, hotels and farms spoke with different accents.

“We’ve got to be honest with ourselves,” Blair tells the Financial Times. “We pursued an open labour-market policy because, at the time, our economy was booming and we needed the workforce.”

The decision convulsed UK politics. According to Nigel Farage, former leader of the Brexit party: “That one issue had more impact on the political direction of the UK than any other political decision in recent years. No question about that.”

The after-effects of Blair’s move were still being felt by the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU; in one poll, a third of Leave voters said their main reason for voting for Brexit was to control immigration.

Now, nearly two decades of migration into the UK appear to have reached another turning point and are going into reverse. The Brexit vote shook the faith of some immigrants in the country they called home, while the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a big return of workers after their jobs disappeared or were put on hold.

Over the past year, tens of thousands of workers at least have returned to their countries of origin or to other countries in the EU, according to academics’ calculations. Some claim the return migration is on a much bigger scale: “It’s an absolutely massive deal,” says Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford university, on the shift to net emigration.

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Many of these people will come back when the British economy returns to life, but some will not. And for the companies that have come to depend on an apparently inexhaustible supply of foreign labour, a big change is coming as post-Brexit immigration rules kick in.

The FT has spoken to political figures involved in the immigration debate over the past 20 years, to those who left their homes to come to the UK — and to those who have now decided to go back.

This is the story of how one of Europe’s largest peacetime migrations shaped a country and of the people who made their lives in Britain. It is an account of how those driven to seek work and a better life inadvertently found themselves in the Brexit maelstrom and the pandemic and of the calculations they are now making on whether to stay or to go.

There are as many migration stories as there are migrants and each person weighs up their life and their options differently. But the upheaval caused by the pandemic has led a growing number of people to ask themselves whether the costs of remaining in the UK are greater than the benefits.

Kasia Przybylo looks pained as she contemplates the question of returning to her native Poland. Since 2010, she has lived with her husband and children in Bedford, 45 miles north of London. But Przybylo, 48, explains that she is facing a dilemma.

Her parents are growing older and she misses her homeland. It would, however, be a big shift for her 10-year-old twins, born shortly after her arrival in the UK, to move from the English education system to Poland’s. Her husband is happy with his job as a truck driver in Peterborough. Her own English is improving and her older daughter, 18, and son, 25, are determined to stay in the UK.

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Newly arrived Polish people checking a board for jobs, London, 2005. At its peak, the number of European migrants in the UK is estimated to have topped five million © Piotr Małecki/Panos Pictures

In a sparse consultation room at the offices of PBIC, a group in Bedford that helps eastern European migrants, Przybylo says she has been thinking hard about leaving but, for now, the balance remains tipped in favour of the UK. “It would be a difficult decision because of my children,” she says. “I’m not thinking of going back to Poland now — but maybe in the future, when I retire.”

For others, the time to leave has already arrived. Michal — who declines to give his surname — moved to the UK in 2012, initially for an internship, before starting a career in technology in the financial sector. Like many people, he had frequently considered moving back, only to find reasons to stay.

Speaking to the FT from Krakow, he says: “I would say, ‘OK I’ll stay another year, because there’s a new opportunity, there’s a new company, I’m entering a different phase of life.’ It ended up being eight years. I was still considering staying a bit longer, but there were multiple things. Covid was one, Brexit was another. The [state of the] contracting market in the UK was another.”

The arrival of the pandemic — with its switch to remote working, which meant that he could do his job from Poland — tipped the odds in favour of moving to Krakow, where he already had a flat.

Michal has a British passport, which means that returning to Britain would not be difficult. But now aged 30, and with a small son to look after, he says that the quality of life is just better. “It’s much cheaper, and we can live in the centre of Krakow, in a nice location, have a much bigger flat than we could afford in London, especially as we are in that stage of life when we are spending more time at home, and not just being all the time at galleries and sports events and so on.”

Another Pole who has left the UK is Piotrek Przyborowski. When the pandemic hit, he was in the final year of a degree in film production at York university. He was due to start a one-year masters in international journalism in London after graduation but, with the virus raging, decided to move back to his hometown of Poznan in western Poland in June to complete his studies remotely. “It just made more sense if we were only going to spend one day a week on campus,” he says. “Also, I would have been almost alone in London at that time, because all my Polish friends who were studying in London went back to Poland and my international friends from York also went home. So I just decided to go back home.”

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Piotrek Przyborowski completed his final year at York university remotely from his hometown of Poznan in Poland, and has shelved plans to return to London for a masters © Kamila Lozinska

The day before he left York, Przyborowski applied for pre-settled status — the post-Brexit “right to remain” system for established EU migrants — to ensure that he had the option of coming back to the UK. But soon after returning to Poland he got an internship running the YouTube channel of Warta Poznan, one of the city’s football clubs. For now at least, he’s staying put. “It’s kind of a dream job,” he says.

While stories of people leaving are plentiful, experts have been peering through the muddiest of waters to decide how big the exodus has been overall. There is general agreement, however, that we have reached a historical turning point.

As recently as the year ending March 2020, 58,000 more EU citizens arrived in the UK than left. The peak inflow occurred in the year to June 2016, when 189,000 more Europeans arrived in the UK than left. Now we know this has gone into reverse.

Figures are unclear, however. In March 2020, the government suspended the survey of passengers at ports and airports that provides the backbone of analysis of changes in the UK’s migrant population, and nearly every statistical tool used to check its results has been suspended or disrupted.

The highest estimate of the fall in the UK’s foreign-born population — by the government-funded Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence in January 2021 — suggested up to 1.3 million people born abroad (both EU and non-EU citizens) left the UK between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2020. The lowest estimate — by Ian Gordon, emeritus professor of human geography at the London School of Economics — puts the outflow at 235,000, with 42,000 of those EU citizens.

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Madeleine Sumption says all the evidence currently suggests a “substantial decrease” in the UK’s migrant population “for the first time in a long time”. “That in itself is something that absolutely no one would have anticipated a couple of years ago,” she adds.

She is reluctant to put a number on how many EU citizens she thinks have left, but estimates that they account for just under half the approximately 450,000 foreign-born citizens she calculates have left the UK. “Anything in the 100,000 to 300,000 range would be broadly plausible,” she says. In other words, it is as if most of the population of Cardiff had abruptly decided to leave the UK, and no one is sure when — or if — they will return.

In 2004, globalisation was at its peak and Britain was booming. Expansion of the EU was seen by successive British governments as a means of binding former communist states into the west. It was also seen as a way of diluting the influence of France and Germany. “Wider, not deeper,” ran the mantra in London. Little more than a decade later, that decision contributed to Britain’s own departure from the EU.

Farage was one of a small band of Eurosceptic MEPs who voted against the enlargement in 2004. “I turned to my colleagues and said that was the best day’s work we have done in our lives,” he recalls to the FT. Farage argues that, although they lost the vote, the Eurosceptics had helped to define the debate.

In big cities, which generally voted Remain in 2016, the new arrivals from Europe after 2004 had added to the cosmopolitan buzz, while providing middle-class families with a ready supply of builders and cleaners. But elsewhere, particularly in rural areas, they put pressure on school places and health services. In Boston, Lincolnshire, for example, the town’s migrant population quadrupled between 2004 and 2014; EU migrants are thought to make up more than 10 per cent of the population and it had the highest Leave vote of anywhere in the UK.

All this helped make EU membership a big issue for many ordinary voters, and gave the Leave side leverage. “They saw the impact on their daily lives — it was utterly decisive,” says Farage.

Along with Sweden and Ireland, Britain was one of only three EU countries to open its labour market immediately, while others, including Germany, decided to apply controls on workers coming in for seven years. When Romania and Bulgaria joined the bloc in 2007, the UK did apply a seven-year jobs freeze on nationals from those countries.

Blair admits his government vastly underestimated how many people would come but defends the policy. He argues that since all EU citizens had the right to travel freely across the bloc, many Poles, Lithuanians, Czechs and others would simply have come to Britain and worked in the black economy: that is what happened in Germany, he says.

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A Polish delicatessen in London, 2007. Restaurateur Jeremy King says EU migrants brought culinary expertise and culture to the UK: ‘I call it the continental influence’ © REUTERS/Agnieszka Flak

Critics say Blair wanted to import cheap labour to hold down prices and supercharge the British economy. “I don’t think that’s fair,” he says, adding that many new arrivals were highly qualified. “It was only in particular areas where there’s any evidence there was a downward pressure on wages.” However, he does admit that, had he known how many people would come, he would have imposed “a lot more controls”, for example limiting access to benefits or requiring people to find a job within a certain period of time.

Does Blair think people who left during the pandemic will come back? “I think for those people who left because temporarily their job had gone — which would be quite a significant number — they may come back,” he says. “But they may find it more difficult to come back. And those people who left because they didn’t feel welcome in Britain any more — I doubt if they will come back.” What happens if they don’t? “You just deprive yourself of a highly motivated group of people.”

Marcin Poltorak’s story is typical of the experiences of many who arrived in Britain after 2004. He joined friends at the Clitheroe slaughterhouse, sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a shared house and sending most of his earnings back home. “It was the hardest I have ever worked,” he recalls.

By 2009, he had bought a house on a former council estate in Preston, a city of about 142,000 in the north of England. It contains touches of his homeland, such as wooden furniture and carvings from the Tatra mountains. His wife Alicja, who spoke no English when she arrived, now works in a sewing factory where almost the entire staff are Polish.

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From left: Marcin, Karina, Kasper and Alicja Poltorak at their home in Preston, last month. Marcin says Britain has been good for him, but describes Brexit as ‘a sad moment’ © Christopher Nunn

The couple have two children, both born in the UK. “In England you work hard, you get a house, car, a foreign holiday once a year,” he says. “It has been so good for me.”

But the atmosphere around the Brexit vote soured the mood, admits Poltorak, who has worked as a go-between for the police and Preston’s eastern European migrant community. As well as experiencing abuse in the streets, he recalls youths damaging a car and even setting fire to a hedge. “Brexit was a sad moment,” he says.

Jakub Krupa, a journalist and board member of the POSK Polish Centre in London, says that Brexit was when many began to consider whether they really had a future in the UK: “That was the first moment where they were faced with the question, ‘What do we do with this?’”

He adds: “For the first time in many years, people sat down and discussed all sorts of issues together. So the conversations, even if they were prompted by Brexit, were not necessarily about Brexit.”

Speaking to the FT, Sadiq Khan, London’s Labour mayor, argues that Brexit unsettled many migrants from the EU, describing migrant workers at City Hall as “traumatised not just by the Brexit result but by what happened next”. Some Brexiters contest claims that the 2016 referendum campaign — which had a heavy focus on migration — was responsible for an increase in reported hate crime. However, 10 police forces in the UK reported an increase of more than 50 per cent in the number of suspected hate crimes between July and September 2016, compared with the previous three months.

But it is the pandemic that has forced the hand of many migrants and left a cloud of uncertainty over a British economy that has been hit harder than any other in the OECD. With leisure, hospitality, culture, tourism and retail all frozen, Khan says people without jobs cannot afford to stay: “People have returned home to mum or dad, rather than paying high rents in London.”

Although the mayor believes many will come back to the capital if they enjoy settled status — “they love London” — he fears for its services sector if they don’t; “It’s going to be difficult to fill those vacancies without EU citizens.”

That raises a big question: who will do these jobs if EU migrants won’t? Priti Patel, Conservative home secretary, argues that if Britain reduces the supply of labour from central and eastern Europe, then employers will have to recruit locally or provide training for the roughly one-fifth of Britons aged 16-64 classed as “economically inactive” — even though many of them are students, looking after families or long-time sick.

The challenge in the hospitality sector is particularly vivid. Just before the first lockdown, hospitality software provider Fourth analysed 4,000 businesses in the sector and found that just over two-fifths of their workers came from the EU, with the majority paid an average hourly wage of £8.85.

As lockdowns end, restaurants, hotels and pubs now face a sudden rise in demand but fewer staff to cope with it. The sector has about two million on furlough and “we simply don’t know how many will say ‘I’ve moved on’ or ‘I’ve moved home’,” says Kate Nicholls, head of trade body UKHospitality.

Ludovica Pilot, assistant manager at London pub Aragon House, says that recruitment is a growing concern among the managers of her pub company, City Pub Group: “We are aware of how many people have left the UK and gone back to Europe or found other jobs during the pandemic like become delivery drivers for Amazon [and] I’m sure that a lot of the European citizens might not come back. It’s definitely a big weight on our minds.”

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Many operators in the sector are contemplating ways to encourage more UK nationals into hospitality careers, although multiple restaurant and hotel owners told the FT that, for whatever reason, many British-born workers don’t feel that entry-level service-sector jobs are for them. “Past evidence would suggest that there is no appetite on the part of UK residents to be frontline staff, doormen, housekeeping,” says Chris Mumford, a headhunter for hotels.

The problems are similar, albeit in a grander setting, for Jeremy King. He sits amid the empty tables at one of his restaurants — The Delaunay, on Aldwych in central London — and explains how his business thrived on the UK’s previous open-door policy for European migrants. King, who set up the restaurant with his business partner Chris Corbin in 2011, says that before coronavirus, about 70 to 75 per cent of staff at The Delaunay and other restaurants in the Corbin & King chain were from mainland Europe.

The dark wood panels of the Delaunay’s dining room make clear its debt to central Europe’s grand café-restaurants and King, like many business people, insists that there was more to free movement than cheap, willing labour. “It’s the expertise and it’s the culture,” he says. “While Britain has had this surge in culinary expertise and reputation over the last 30 years, I put it down in the majority to what I would call continental influence and support.”

His staff now feel “disenfranchised, unloved and unwanted” in the UK, he adds. “We immediately lost a very high proportion of the Polish workers after the 2016 vote because a lot of the residents on the estates where they lived thought that was a mandate to harass and bully them and tell them to go home,” King says. “A lot of them did.”

In other industries, the stakes are even higher. Workers from eastern Europe have become integral to the UK’s food-supply chain. In food and drinks processing, about a quarter of workers are eastern European, according to the Food & Drink Federation.

Florin Flavius Luca, a 41-year-old from Romania, spent two years from 2014 to 2016 working night shifts at a factory near Sheffield, assembling pots of prepared food for sale in supermarkets for just above the minimum wage. Most of his colleagues were from eastern Europe.

“The work was not easy, you were working on a [production] line at speed,” he says. “You started with sauce and added meat and vegetables to the pots, then on the end there was a sealing machine. Everything was fast-paced and it was cold, minus two or minus four degrees.”

Luca moved to the UK seven years ago for his son’s education and had hoped to buy a home here. However, he gave up that dream after he was made redundant from the factory and later had to shutter a Romanian restaurant he opened.

He now expects to move back to Romania in a couple of years.

Trade groups and unions warn that, again, British-born workers don’t seem inclined to take up food-factory jobs. Before Brexit took effect, eastern European people accounted for almost all of the 70,000-80,000 seasonal farm workers who each year gather the UK’s fruit and vegetable harvest, so farmers are also bracing for a year of deep uncertainty about recruitment.

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Packers at a farm near Dorchester, 2020. Pre-Brexit, UK farmers relied heavily on seasonal workers from eastern Europe, and now worry about recruitment © ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

When coronavirus blocked some overseas workers from travelling in 2020, farms held a campaign to attract UK workers, with very limited success: just 11 per cent of workers last year were from the UK and many of those did not stick at harvesting for long. Of workers placed through Pro-Force, one big agency, fewer than 4 per cent were still employed by the end of the season.

A pilot scheme for seasonal workers, previously used to bring people to the UK from non-EU countries such as Ukraine and Belarus, has now been expanded in terms of numbers. This could bring in up to 30,000 overseas workers for the harvest, in a notable exception to post-Brexit rules, which prioritise skilled workers earning at least £25,600 a year.

Tom Bradshaw, vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union, says farmers were “delighted” with the expansion of the pilot scheme, which previously allowed in 10,000 workers, but that the sector expects labour shortfalls in the future.

“The pool of EU workers [with settled status] will begin to exhaust itself,” says Bradshaw. “There is going to have to be a drive to recruit from the UK workforce — a much more targeted campaign.”

If the UK is about to have its demographics reshaped once more, hotels, pubs, farms, Catholic churches and schools could all look very different. Sumption says: “I think there are people who have left who will never come back. It’s a very important inflection point.”

Farage insists his campaign for Britain to take “control” of its borders was never about xenophobia. Despite the Leave campaign’s relentless focus on immigration, “The question wasn’t a racial one — it was a numerical one,” he says.

But Blair warns that the tone of the Brexit debate — and the aftermath of the decision to leave the EU — will hang over Britain. “Overall, I think we will end up losing if we don’t have those people coming in from Europe any more,” he says. “I think we’re going to struggle because there are many reasons why people have gone back. They’ve gone back partly because in countries like Poland there has been a very substantial rise in real wages. But they’ve also gone back, frankly, because they don’t feel so welcome.”

For those who have made their homes in Britain, decisions on what to do next are often bittersweet. The UK has been a source of adventure and work — and in some cases a bastion of liberal values compared to less tolerant regimes in countries such as Poland and Hungary. At the same time, their home countries have grown richer while they have been in Britain — and the post-Brexit rules make it harder for friends and family to join them.

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Five years after arriving in Britain Marcin Poltorak bought a house on a former council estate. But he says that if he were in his twenties now he would not have had to come to the UK © Christopher Nunn

For Marcin Poltorak, Britain is home for his family and three Alsatian dogs. His 19-year-old son Kasper played youth football for Preston North End and is now a student in the city; his 12-year-old daughter Karina wants to be an actress. But he says that, after 15 years of EU investment in Poland, the UK no longer has the same allure for young Poles. “My region is now a tourist centre. There are great roads, cycle paths, restaurants. When I grew up, all people did was drink vodka.”

In a sign of progress, Poland itself is now a magnet for Ukrainians searching for a better life. Poltorak says: “If I was in my twenties now I would never have to come to the UK.”

But one day, he and his wife Alicja will head back to Nowy Targ, a town at the foot of the Tatra mountains, by car rather than coach — the reward of their labours. He smiles: “I am going to retire at 67 to a log cabin in the mountains for us and the dogs.”

Financial Times

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 6

April 6, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Four people arrested in large drug trafficking ring

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

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 11

April 11, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Unique ceramic streets in Lien Mac village

Residents of Lien Mac village in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem district have been busy collecting discarded materials such as ceramics, bottles, and dishes to decorate the village’s streets.

The initiative was inspired by a group of painters and received a warm response from local people, especially in collecting materials and gluing the ceramic pieces together.

The mosaic walls also help spread a message to everyone about environmental protection.

The vivid and artistic artworks have already garnered major attention from local people and visitors alike./.

VNA, NA Office release photo book on 14th legislature

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the National Assembly (NA) Office have coordinated in compiling and publishing a photo book on the 14th legislature.

The 428-page book, titled “Quoc hoi khoa XIV – Nhung thanh tuu va dau an noi bat” (The 14th National Assembly – Outstanding achievements and imprints,” comprises nearly 1,000 photos featuring the past five-year journey of the legislative body.

Such photos, together with infographics, give readers an insight into the NA’s performance in legislation, supervision, decision-making on the country’s major matters, and external affairs.

The book also devotes pages to introducing 494 deputies to the 14th NA, who are grouped in provincial and municipal delegations of NA deputies.

The book has been released at the end of the 14th legislature that created many hallmarks during the five-year tenure.

The 14th NA concluded its 11th session – the last of this tenure – in Hanoi on April 8, with many important contents on reviewing the tenure’s work, building laws and handling personnel matters completed over the course of 12 days./.

Foreign scholars have high expectations for Vietnam’s new leadership

Vietnam’s new leadership is expected to continue inheriting and building on impressive achievements made in the past tenure to carry the country forward, contributing to ensuring peace, stability and development in the region and the world, said Dr. Takashi Hosoda, an expert on Asia-Pacific from the Czech Republic’s Charles University.

In an interview recently granted to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Prague, Hosoda said in order to continue ensuring national interests and security, improving the country’s stature on international arena, Vietnam needs to maintain balance between ensuring a stable regional environment and promoting economic development.

Specifically, he suggested Vietnam pay attention to joining ASEAN’s cooperation mechanisms and other multilateral cooperation frameworks with the participation of the US, Australia, Japan, the UK and the European Union to shape international code of conduct.

Additionally, Vietnam needs to keep boosting multilateral trade and mutually beneficial economic relations within the framework of multilateral free trade agreements, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), he said.

In particular, Vietnam also needs to enhance trust in international relations by reinforcing bilateral and multilateral cooperative ties in a more substantial and effective manner, for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

The scholar also expressed his special impression of Vietnam’s success in controlling COVID-19 pandemic and sustaining economic development, saying that while countries suffered negative growth due to the pandemic, Vietnam was one of a few economies to achieve a growth of 2.91 percent last year.

According to him, the success demonstrated Vietnamese leaders’ prestige, capability and determination when facing difficulties.

Hosoda also highlighted the Southeast Asian nation’s important external achievements thanks to multilateral foreign and global economic integration policies.

As ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam actively worked to raise international community’s awareness about the importance of international maritime security besides other issues. Major powers like the US, Australia, India, Japan and European nations actively contributed to maintaining maritime security and freedom in Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia in particular.

In global integration, Hosoda hailed Vietnam for actively signing important multilateral trade deals like the CPTPP and EVFTA, which held strategic significance and created a driving force for Vietnam to develop its economy.

In Russia, the Independent, the most popular newspaper in Russia, recently published an article by Chairman of the Council of Experts of the Eurasian Research Fund Grigory Trofimchuk on important leadership changes in Vietnam.

Among four new pillar leaders, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc have been known among and trusted by many Russian people.

Pham Minh Chinh is considered “the PM of the fourth industrial revolution” in Vietnam while NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will assume great responsibility as inter-parliamentary cooperation is becoming an important factor of global security and stability, he wrote.

The author said Vietnam is now among 40 largest economies and 16 most successful emerging economies in the world. It also climbed three spots in the global soft power rankings.

Concluding the article, he said Vietnam’s leadership apparatus has been completed and is ready to perform harder and more ambitious tasks set by the 13th National Party Congress./.

Italian official: Vietnam, Italy could work on fields of shared interest

Vietnam, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and Italy – in its role as Chair of the G20 and Co-Chair of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, could strive and work together on fields of shared interest such as trade liberalisation, climate change combat and respect of international law, said Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Manlio Di Stefano.

In an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Rome, Di Stefano said in recent years, Vietnam has made a stride in history, which was the result of the Vietnamese leaders’ strategic vision.

The country has overcome difficulties during the Cold War and chosen the road of modernisation and multilateral integration with basic steps such as entry to the UN, ASEAN, the World Trade Organisation, and establishment of ties with regional organisations like the European Union as well as strategic partnership with many nations worldwide, including Italy, he said.

According to him, Vietnam’s opening of door to receive foreign investment, including those from Italy, has brought to Vietnam necessary resources in terms of investment, labour and technology for national construction.

Italy pays attention to Vietnam’s important role in the region and on international arena, he said, adding that the two nations have supported principles of a world order based on the respect of rules and the peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as shared a common wish to effectively promote multilateralism and sustainable development for all stakeholders.

He reiterated Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s congratulatory message sent to new State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc that Italy will grasp cooperation opportunities from the Vietnam – Italy strategic partnership established in 2013 and the Italy – ASEAN development partnership signed in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that common issues must be settled via solidarity and cooperation, which inspired Italy in its role as G20 Chair and promptly the country to fund 116 million USD for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) to offer equal access to vaccines worldwide, including Vietnam. He also hailed Vietnam for effectively coping with the pandemic thanks to its experience in dealing with SARS in 2003.

Commenting on the prospect of bilateral cooperation after the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect in August 2020, Di Stefano expressed his belief in growing Italy-Vietnam trade ties this year. He suggested that Vietnam and the EU continue pursuing the goal of trade liberalisation in a more balanced manner.

As many as 110 Italian firms are operating in Vietnam. Bilateral economic ties are growing, especially in traditional fields such as machinery, apparel, automobiles, farm produce, oil and gas.

The European nation also supports hi-tech investment in Vietnam in telecommunications, outer space, pharmaceuticals, architecture and design, renewable energy, and innovation industries, he said.

He also expressed his hope to visit Vietnam when conditions allow.

Russia scholars, media confident in Vietnam’s new leadership

Vietnam’s new leadership have recently been on the radar of Russian scholars and media, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with the Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and sent his congratulations to newly-elected leaders of Vietnam.

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Russia, Professor Vladimir Kolotov, head of the Ho Chi Minh Institute at Saint Petersburg University, said Vietnam’s current apparatus of senior leaders is optimal and harmonious.

It allows the modernisation of the political system, creates a premise for continued reform and propelling the country forward, while maintaining stability and keeping in place leaders who have a wide reputation and rich experience in state administration, he added.

Earlier, also in an interview with the VNA, Valeria Vershinina, an expert from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke highly of the new Vietnamese leaders’ dignity and working capacity.

The expert expressed her belief that with its experience and successes in reforming the economy and maintaining a balanced foreign policy, Vietnam will continue posting fast development and playing a growing role in global and regional processes.

In addition, a series of major newspapers and news agency from Russia like TASS, Infox, and Bigasia have published articles on the new leadership, praising Vietnam’s successful election of senior leaders.

Regarding the future prospect of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, Russian experts and media said they are confident that the two countries will enhance their bilateral relationship toward practical outcomes as they consider each other their respective priorities in their policy for external relations.

Vietnamese Ambassador in Paris receives French honour

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Thiep was presented the French State’s National Order of the Legion of Honour, Class Commandeur, at a ceremony held at the French foreign ministry’s headquarters on April 9.

Addressing the event, Bertrand Lortholary, Asia-Oceania Director of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, congratulated Ambassador Thiep and said that by presenting the noble award, France has recognised and honoured the ambassador’s efforts during his working term in the country.

Ambassador Thiep recalled wishes of the two countries’ leaders to strengthen and expand bilateral relations in various areas.

He highlighted the development of the Vietnam-France strategic partnership over the past three years, marked by a number of visits by senior leaders of the two countries, especially visits to France by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in March 2018 and then National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in March 2019, and by a visit to Vietnam by then Prime Minister Édouard Philippe in November 2018.

These visits have helped enhance trust and deepen bilateral cooperation in a number of fields, Thiep stressed.

Permanent Vice NA Chaiman pays Chol Chnam Thmay visit to Soc Trang

Politburo member and Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man on April 10 visited and extended his greetings to dignitaries of the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang’s Patriotic Clergy Solidarity Association on the occasion of the Khmer people’s Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) festival.

Most Venerable Tang No, permanent vice president of the association, said it has so far encouraged Khmer Buddhist monks and followers to engage in social activities, and popularised the Party’s policies and guidelines, the State’s laws, and campaigns and movements launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, the association has postponed the traditional New Year’s rituals and informed the Khmer community on pandemic prevention measures, he added

Speaking at the visit, Man hihglighted Vietnam’s initial success in the fight against COVID-19, saying that the achievement is partly contributed by Khmer people nationwide, including those in Soc Trang.

He wished the association and Khmer people continue working together to overcome difficulties and implement the nation’s dual goals of pandemic prevention and economic development.

He asked them to further participate in the local prevention of natural disasters, drought, and saline intrusion as well as in upcoming National Assembly and People’s Council elections.

On the occasion, the official presented 25 gifts worth 130 million VND (5,645 USD) to local Khmer Buddhist monks and to the association.

According to Most Venerable Tang No, Khmer people accounts for over 30.18 percent of Soc Trang’s population and run 130 worshipping establishments.

Honorary Consul in Italy believes in Vietnam’s new leadership

Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Torino, Italy Sandra Scagliotti has said Vietnam’s new leadership will build on achievements in the past tenure, continue with reform and affirm Vietnam’s role and stature on international arena.

Italy’s Scenari internazionali newswire on April 9 quoted her as saying that Vietnam’s new leaders are experienced and capable who will surely overcome new challenges and continue with reform in an effective and sound manner.

She said Vietnam – a middle-income country with a goal of basically becoming a modern-oriented industrialised nation by 2030 – is one of the most promising economies in ASEAN. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese economy still grew strongly last year on the back of economic stability, upgraded infrastructure and successful negotiations with major trade partners. Its growth is estimated at 6.8 percent this year.

Another important factor to Vietnam’s success in pandemic response was the involvement of the entire political system and high public consensus. Learning from experience in coping with SARS in 2002-2003, the Government’s every action programme was accelerated via a widespread and effective awareness campaign and active public involvement. Therefore, Vietnam became one of the nations worldwide that rode through the pandemic the most effectively.

As ASEAN Chair last year, Vietnam effectively carried out the bloc’s activities to cope with global challenges, contributing to turnining ASEAN into a hub not only on geographical terms.

In recent years, Vietnam has successfully signed 11 trade deals, including the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.

Scagliotti affirmed that Vietnam – Italy ties will keep growing in the future.

Programme honours Vietnam’s Ao dai in Hanoi

An Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) performance event named “Ao Dai Cua Chung Ta” (Our Ao dai) was held in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (The Temple of Literature) in Hanoi, on April 9.

The area in front of Khue Van Cac (the pavilion of the constellation of literature) in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam became the “stage” for 15 designers to introduce more than 600 Ao Dai designs. Among them, there are renowned designers such as: Minh Hanh, Ngoc Han, Lan Huong, Chu La, and Trinh Bich Thuy.

The event, co-organised by the Thang Long Institute for Cultural Research (TICR) and Tinh hoa Dat Viet Magazine, also features the participations of more than 400 models, actors, and guests, including wives of ambassadors of Italy, India, Laos and Belarus.

Ao dai has long been a traditional costume and a typical cultural feature of Vietnam. Through ups and downs with constant changes, ao dai still honours the gracefulness and elegance of Vietnamese women.

The event “Ao Dai Cua Chung Ta” contributes to the continued promotion of community awareness and responsibility in preserving and protecting traditional Ao dai, and honouring and promoting Vietnamese traditional costumes; while, at the same time, promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and other countries around the world.

Gifts presented to poor Vietnamese in Cambodia

Up to 100 gifts were presented to poor Vietnamese households in Cambodia hard hit by COVID-19 pandemic on April 10, ahead of the traditional New Year festival Chol Chhnam Thmey from April 14-16.

With the support of Viettel Cambodia’s Metfone company and philanthropists in and outside the region, the event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Preah Sihanouk province, which is in charge of providing consular services in southwestern Cambodian localities – Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, Kampng Speu and Takeo.

As the Cambodian Government banned travelling nationwide to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the Consulate General and executive board of the Khmer – Vietnam associations of the southwestern provinces handed over 300 gifts to Vietnamese there.

As scheduled on April 12, Vietnamese Consul General Vu Ngoc Ly will meet Kouch Chamroeun, Governor of Preah Sihanouk – one of the three provinces hardest hit by the February 20 COVID-19 community transmission event, to grant 10,000 face masks.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese Consulate General will offer 200 gifts to help disadvantaged people in Preah Sihanouk.

Also on April 10 morning, Deputy Director of the provincial police Hout Sree received 50 boxes of instant noodles from the Consulate General./

US newspaper highlights Vietnam’s success in completing new leadership

The US newspaper Washington Times has ran an article assessing that Vietnam has succeeded in completing its key leadership positions.

According to the article, Vietnam now has a mindful and influential leadership.

It highlighted Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his strong anti-corruption campaign, and State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc with significant economic progresses he helped the nation achieve in his previous post as Prime Minister.

It also expected Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to effectively implement contents set out in documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

It said the new administration is expected to bring Vietnam into a new era, with new technologies applied in knowledge-based industries.

Vietnam reports nine imported COVID-19 cases on April 10 afternoon

Nine imported cases of COVID-19 were detected in the past 12 hours to 6pm April 10, raising the national count to 2,692, according to the Health Ministry.

All of the patients are Vietnamese citizens who were put under quarantine right after their arrival through Ha Tin international border gate in Kien Giang province. They are now being treatment at the medical centre in Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province.

As many as 37,938 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic areas are under medical monitoring nationwide, with 523 in hospitals, 21,705 in designated facilities and 15,710 at their accommodations.

The ministry said 2,429 COVID-19 patients in the country have been given the all-clear so far, while the death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 22 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 11 twice and 17 thrice.

Condolences to UK over passing of Prince Philip

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 10 sent a message of condolences to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland over the death of her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also cabled a message of condolences to PM Boris Johnson.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son extended his condolences to Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Raab.

Prince Philip died on April 9 at the age of 99.

President lauds Da Nang, Quang Nam for achievements

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc lauded the central city of Da Nang and the neighbouring province of Quang Nam for their achievements over the past years during a working session with their leaders on April 10.

He stressed that due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Quang Nam and Da Nang’s economies suffered negative growth. But in the first quarter this year, they achieved outstanding growth.

Da Nang attracted a number of investors and is working on building a financial hub. Meanwhile, Quang Nam dealt with difficulties following disasters and flooding, and is focusing on tourism and services.

The President suggested the two localities seek pillar fields as Da Nang is a hub in the central region and Da Nang – Quang Nam is a growth locomotive in the region and an important driving force of the country.

He asked them to become worth-living localities and join hands to build a powerful country. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, they should strive to become safe tourism paradises.

Their leaders were urged to fix shortcomings, step up reform, rearrange a streamlined apparatus while ensuring effective vaccinations.

The President also asked for creating favourable business environment, fighting negative behaviours and group interest in investment process.

Once Da Nang sets hi-tech industry as a pillar, it is necessary to choose capable investors that abide by law, and create a better working environment to raise labour productivity for socio-economic development.

Forum spotlights digital transformation challenges

A forum on Vietnam’s digital challenges took place on April 9, a follow-up of a chain of technological events initiated by the Ministry of Information and Communications in 2020.

Aim at introducing Make in Vietnam digital platforms, the forum informed participants on a smart transport management platform developed by the Vietnamese-based An Vui Technology JSC since 2015.

The technology facilitates the operation of the long-distance passenger transport industry, helping businesses involved step up digital transformation and scientific management, reduce social waste, and improve competitiveness.

To date, the 20-module platform is serving 150 transport firms, which operate more than 4,000 coaches nationwide.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung stressed 2020 was the year when the national digital transformation was kicked off and this year is the time for action.

Digital transformation platforms introduced at this forum have formed to solve social challenges, Dung noted.

He unveiled that the ministry will plan a host of digital events with the same aim of searching for and tackling these challenges./.

World Press Photo exhibition opens in HCM City

An exhibition showcasing 158 award-winning works from the World Press Photo contest in the Netherlands from 2018 to 2020 has opened at Lê Văn Tám Park in HCM City.

The “Best of Three 2018-2020” exhibition, organised by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM City, features topics such as the environment, climate change, politics, sports, animals and people.

Carel Richter, Consul General of the Netherlands in HCM City, who spoke at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, said the exhibition aims to celebrate the friendly relations between the Netherlands and HCM City.

Richter added that he chose excellent photos featuring important topics like human rights and climate change for the showcase.

The exhibition highlights photos on bilateral cooperation between the Netherlands and Việt Nam in general and HCM City in particular in various fields such as the circular economy, water management, food safety and sports.

The World Press Photo Contest is a leading contest for professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers.

The contest’s mission is to connect the world to stories that matter, embracing accuracy, transparency and diversity.

Contestants can send works as single photos or stories in eight categories, including contemporary issues, general news, environment, nature, long-term projects, portraits, spot news, and sports.

In the last three years, the World Press Photo Foundation received around 75,000 images each year from at least 125 countries and territories.

Each year, the prize-winning photos are collected for an exhibition held in 100 cities in around 45 countries, mostly in Europe.

The “Best of Three 2018-2020” exhibition will be open to the public until April 16. Lê Văn Tám Park is on Hai Bà Trưng Street in District 1.

HCM City hosts Techcombank HCM City International Marathon event

More than 13,000 athletes from 44 cities and provinces took part in the 4th edition of the Techcombank HCM City International Marathon event that opened on April 9.

Sixty companies competed in the corporate challenge, providing a platform for their staff, clients and suppliers to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

The marathon has grown to become the most anticipated sport event among professional athletes and sporting enthusiasts. It is the country’s largest running competition for the third time in a row, according to the organisers.

The annual event features four runs: a marathon (42.195 km), a half-marathon (21.1km), a 10km race, and a 5km race.

A children’s 1.5km run is held for 5-10 year-olds and a 3km run for 7-14 year-olds.

This year’s marathon course crosses Thủ Đức City and districts 1, 3, 5, 6 and Bình Thạnh.

The tourism and sports sectors have made concerted efforts to raise the marathon to the level of other cities in the world, said Mai Bá Hùng, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture and Sport.

Participants will pass by many of the city’s historic and iconic landmarks, he said.

The event is co-organised by the city’s Department of Culture and Sports, Department of Tourism, the HCM City Athletics Federation, HCM City Tourism Promotion Centre, Sunrise Việt Nam, and Techcombank.

It will end on April 11.

HAGL trying to play beautiful football, says coach

Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) said his side are trying to play beautiful and winning football at the same time.

The Thai coach made the statement following HAGL’s 2-0 win away to SHB Đà Nẵng at Hòa Xuân Stadium Thursday.

“HAGL have to play beautifully according to the direction of the club’s chairman Đoàn Nguyên Đức. But we still must have points. If there are no points, it is not beautiful anymore,” said Senamuang.

HAGL defeated Đà Nẵng with goals from national team stars Nguyễn Văn Toàn and Nguyễn Công Phượng.

“Before the game, we knew Đà Nẵng were a strong team. HAGL were also under pressure when we played away. Meanwhile, we played without Lương Xuân Trường and Kim Dong-su as they received yellow cards earlier. For us, this match was like a final,” said Senamuang.

According to Senamuang, HAGL’s defence line played with focus, while forwards Toàn and Washington Brandao played very well.

Meanwhile, coach Lê Huỳnh Đức of Đà Nẵng lamented his team’s failings.

“In the first half, I said my players had to play faster because HAGL were putting pressure on us. If my players had done so, HAGL would have had difficulties in the first half. But my players couldn’t do it. Đà Nẵng were bad because we lost ourselves, creating opportunities for HAGL,” said Đức.

With the win, HAGL climbed to the top of the V.League 1 table with 19 points after eight matches.

Elsewhere, Becamex Bình Dương beat Nam Định 4-3 and HCM City FC defeated Sông Lam Nghệ An 3-0.

Ninh Bình promotes agricultural tourism

Agricultural and rural tourism is gradually becoming a sustainable economic development trend in the northern province of Ninh Bình, helping take advantage of rural values and preserve traditional culture.

The tourism model has also generated stable jobs for hundreds of workers in the countryside areas.

In Đông Sơn Commune of Tam Điệp City, home to several historical sites and natural caves, co-operatives and farm owners have worked together in recent years to set up tours with homestays, gardening and fishing to tap local strengths.

The commune has become an attractive destination of the province, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Trịnh Văn Tiến, director of Tam Điệp Agriculture and Tourism Co-operative, said the co-operative has 10 members that produce and trade Ninh Bình’s speciality plants and animals.

Last year, the members decided to work with other farms to develop tourism, Tiến said.

“Tourists were taken to visit historical sites and natural beauty places and experience farm work such as animal rearing and planting, and then enjoy foods produced by the co-operative,” Tiến said.

With efforts in the development of agriculture and tourism, the co-operative’s tourism model has been recognised with 4-star certification from the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme.

Hoa Lư District has also enjoyed success by shifting from rice planting to tourism since 2019.

The district has more than 3,000ha of rice farmland, however, many areas are at the foot of the mountain and wetland areas that make it difficult to cultivate rice, leading to some households no longer planting rice.

To overcome the situation of abandoning fields in some localities and improve the production value in the area, from the beginning of 2019, the district People’s Committee has converted 6.2ha of inefficient rice cultivation land to plant Japanese-bred lotus combining breeding to develop ecotourism in Ninh Hải, Ninh Xuân and Trường Yên communes.

According to Vũ Văn Thông, director of the Hoa Lư Agriculture and Rural Development Department, growing Japanese lotus combined with fish breeding had not only brought high economic efficiency but also attracted many tourists to visit the lotus ponds.

The model had also helped local people earn more income from renting outfits to tourists for photography at the lotus ponds, Trường said.

Hoa Lư District has been expanding the model in the communes of Ninh Xuân, Ninh Hải, Ninh Thắng and Trường Yên.

According to a provincial official, combining tourism with agriculture was first formed and put into operation in Vân Long Wetland Nature Reserve in Gia Viễn District.

This started as tourists visited Vân Long Wetland Nature Reserve and wanted to stay at local people’s houses to explore rural lives, he said.

The model has spread to many localities throughout the province in Gia Viễn and Hoa Lư districts and Tam Điệp City.

“Ninh Bình is a purely agricultural province, with more than 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas, possessing a long history of agricultural ecological production,” said Phạm Duy Phong, vice director of the Ninh Bình Tourism Department.

The province has many fields implementing new farming models attracting domestic and foreign tourists for taking photographs such as Đồng Giao pineapple field, Ninh Phúc flower field and Đông Sơn peach blossom village, he said.

With those advantages, the development of agricultural and rural tourism is becoming a trend of sustainable economic development in the province.

“In the past, people lived on cultivation and animal breeding,” said Vũ Nam Tiến, director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Thanks to tourism development, people can earn VNĐ6 million (US$260) per month from tourism services,” said Tiến.

To further develop rural tourism in the next period, the province needs plans and guidelines to connect people, travel businesses and local authorities to create high-quality tourism products, Tiến said.

Local authorities should accelerate agricultural and rural development in association with tourism planning including investment in traffic infrastructure and tourism promotion campaigns, he said.

Local people needed to increase the application of science and technology in production but still retain traditional culture to give a good impression to tourists.

Building community and agriculture-based tourism associated with environmental protection to attract domestic and international tourists was also important, he added.

Helmets for Kids programme reduces injuries and fatalities due to traffic accidents in Vĩnh Phúc Province

Asia Injury Prevention Foundation and Vietnam Garments Manufacturing company yesterday (April 8) carried out the Helmets for Kids charity programme in Bình Xuyên District in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc.

The programme disseminates road safety knowledge and raises awareness among students, teachers and parents about protecting themselves while driving, and, importantly, seeks to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries by distributing quality helmets in schools.

During the 2020-21 academic year it distributed 400 helmets at Sơn Lôi A Primary School in the district.

Nguyễn Trọng Thái, chief of the National Traffic Safety Committee secretariat, said during the distribution on April 8: “All teachers should instruct and remind students to follow traffic safety laws and wear a helmet when travelling by motorbike or electric bicycle. They should … make sure the rate of wearing helmets is steady.

“Parents should create the habit of wearing helmets in their children, and always remember the message ‘love your child, wear a helmet’.”

Since the programme began in 2018, nearly 1,400 students in Vĩnh Phúc Province have received helmets.

Fire tragedies cause alarm in residential areas

Two deadly fires in recent weeks have raised the alarm about poor fire safety standards in big cities.

On April 4, a blaze in a house in Hà Nội killed four members of a family, including a 10-year-old child and a pregnant woman.

Five days earlier, six members of a family died in a fire at their house in HCM City.

Colonel Nguyễn Minh Khương, deputy director of the Police Department of Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue under the Ministry of Public Security, said both the houses were small and covered with iron cages and iron-welded roofs. The main door was the only way in or out.

At the house in HCM City’s Cát Lái Ward, five motorbikes were parked in front of the main door. When they caught fire, they blocked the only way out.

In Hà Nội, the fire occurred at a house that was not eligible as the site of a business but there were many flammable goods for sale inside. It was covered with an iron roof and there was no other way out but the main door.

That’s why the victims did not manage to escape, he said.

Colonel Nguyễn Trường Sơn, deputy head of Cầu Giấy District Police Sub-department and an expert on fire prevention and fighting of the Hà Nội Police Department, said there was not much time to stamp out fires at business households with flammable materials.

Sơn said in these fires, it took at least 10 minutes for the firefighters to approach the scene, which was usually too late.

In big cities, many houses are used as shops for business, especially houses near roads. Most of the shops have a worship altar of the God of Wealth and goods close to the main door, posing high risks of fire.

Meanwhile, due to the dense population in urban areas, many people only focus on measures to prevent burglary and intrusion instead of fires. In many houses, the main door is the only entrance and exit.

According to Hà Nội Police Department, the city now has hundreds of thousands of houses combined with businesses and most have only one way in and out.

Figures from the Ministry of Public Security’s Police Department of Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue showed in the first quarter of this year, there were 627 fires at private houses nationwide, accounting for 36.3 per cent of all recorded fires.

Most of the houses are used for small business and in most of these fires, the damage was not great but caused serious consequences for those living in the houses.

Colonel Nguyễn Minh Khương said the two fires should be a lesson for people to follow fire prevention regulations.

“Each house must have at least two ways in and out. Households must pay attention and clear goods and furniture out of the way in and out of the house,” he said.

“People should be equipped with skills to escape from the fire. For example, they should know how to escape the house from the balcony so rescuers can approach and save their lives,” he said.

“Those who build an iron cage on their balcony must build one more exit in case of emergency,” he added.

Khương also suggested that families have fire escape equipment and install automatic fire alarms. Information on fire prevention and fighting skills is available at the department’s website on canhsatpccc.gov.vn.

Measures needed to reduce traffic fatalities

Despite traffic safety improvements and a drop in the number of accidents overall, the amount fatal road collisions remains high.

That was the message delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety Trương Hòa Bình during an online conference on Friday.

The Deputy PM said traffic statistics from the first three months of the year did show a reduction in accidents, but this was mainly due to less vehicles on the road because of the Tết holiday and social distancing measures in a number of localities.

But he warned that despite the drop in accidents in general, many lives were still lost on the roads and overloading, plus traffic congestion, remained a concern.

Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thể said one of the reasons roads were getting busier was because of the large amount of new vehicles being registered, which he estimated at around 500,000 each year.

“With such an increase in cars, over the next five to seven years, the level of congestion will be very large if we do not have radical solutions right now”, he said.

Việt Nam had 3,206 traffic accidents in the first three months this year, killing 1,672 people and injuring 2,386 others. The number of accidents and injured people decreased by 263 and 183 respectively compared with the same period last year but the number of fatalities increased by 33, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

Measures

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyễn Duy Ngọc proposed several measures to improve traffic safety and order.

Ngọc said that as Việt Nam was on economic development mission, transport infrastructure improvements were crucial.

He suggested that provincial and municipal traffic safety committees must learn from experience what has been done well and what improvements were needed.

“One example is coach monitoring,” he said.

“It needs to be better directed because not monitoring journeys is the cause of many serious traffic accidents.”

He added that although the country still has many accident black spots, improvements had been made to about 20 per cent of them.

The Ministry of Public Security will direct traffic safety campaigns to educate motorists.

It will also strengthen coordination between police, prosecutors and the courts to ensure strict punishments for those who violate traffic laws.

“For illegal racing, we will assign provincial and municipal police and the court to open trials in public to create a strong deterrence,” said Ngọc.

Finally the Ministry of Transport and traffic safety committees will be asked to review all recommendations and prioritise those that need to be done first.

“The rainy season in the past few years has been very fierce, especially last year,” Ngọc said.

“Thanks to good forecasts and preparation plans, traffic police have coordinated with forces to guide vehicles through flooded places. This year, we also need a preparation plan to reduce congestion and accidents related to natural disasters.”

Sea grape cultivation thriving in coastal provinces

Sea grape cultivation has become a route to prosperity for many people in the south-central province of Khánh Hòa due to increased demand for the product in Việt Nam and overseas.

With productivity of 1-1.5 tonnes per hectare and a price of VNĐ35,000-40,000 per kilo, sea grape growers have enjoyed improved incomes.

Sea grape grower Đặng Ngọc Thoại of Ninh Hải Ward, Ninh Hòa Town in Khánh Hòa said he earned a profit of VNĐ100-200 million per hectare from growing sea grapes.

Now, he has about five hectares of sea grapes. In harvest time, he hires about 10 people to help collect, sort and process sea grapes.

“Sea grape cultivation does not require huge investment but can bring stable income and jobs,” he said.

Besides his own products, Thoại also buys those of other growers in his neighbourhood to supply the domestic market and to export.

However, like many other sea grape growers in the ward, Thoại is working in an area that is part of a delayed project.

“Once the project resumes, I will have to move,” Thoại said, adding that he will invest more to develop the business if he finds a different cultivation area.

Trần Thanh Tùng, vice chairman of Ninh Hải Ward People’s Committee, said all 27ha of sea grape cultivation area in the ward was on land slated for a heavy industry complex project by the Korean investor STX Group.

“However, since the land was transferred to the investor in 2009, no item has been developed and the area has been unused,” Tùng said.

Võ Khánh Đăng, Chairman of Ninh Thọ Commune People’s Committee in Ninh Hòa Town, said local farmers shifted to grow sea grapes to earn more than from traditional aquaculture products.

However, they had not found stable outputs for their sea grapes and had to accept the prices that wholesalers offered.

There was about 20ha in the ward being used for sea grape cultivation, Đăng said, adding that local authorities were considering placing sea grapes on the list of key farming products to develop.

“To include sea grapes in the local farming development planning, we need more studies and assistance from expert agencies,” he said.

Lê Bền, Vice President of Việt Nam Seaculture Association, who introduced sea grape cultivation to Việt Nam in 2004 in Ninh Hải Ward, said the cultivation was very promising and generated economic benefits.

Besides economic benefits, sea grapes can improve the aquaculture environment quality since they develop quickly, have strong anabolism and high nutrition uptake. They can be grown while cultivating shrimps and fish – this intercropping allows two to three times higher income compared with shrimp or fish cultivation alone.

Sea grapes are a highly nutritious plant that can be used as a substitute for green vegetables. They contain high quantities of protein and minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, as well as iodine, iron and vitamin A, which help prevent malnutrition and anaemia.

Sea grape cultivation is now present in several coastal provinces in Việt Nam, including Khánh Hòa, Bình Thuận, Ninh Thuận, Kiên Giang and Vũng Tàu ,Phú Yên, Bình Định in the south and Quảng Ninh in the north.

“Seeing high profits from sea grape cultivation, many farmers are rushing into it,” Bền said, adding that oversupply and improper farming technique could leave negative impacts on the emerging sector.

Voting of Viet Nam’s top 10 ICT businesses 2021 launched

The Việt Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) has begun voting procedures to find the top 10 leading information, communication and technology (ICT) firms in 2021.

The programme aims to support the Government’s goal of having 100,000 digital technology companies by 2030.

This year’s event will select the 10 best ICT companies in 17 categories, including e-government, smart city, logistics solutions, e-commerce, start-ups, information security, artificial intelligence of things (A-IoT), cloud computer services, blockchain, fintech, property technology (PropTech), education technology (EdTech) and medical technology (MedTech).

Enterprises will be evaluated across seven criteria, financial indicators; human resources; products and services; technology and research and development (R&D) capacity; leadership and business management; awards, titles and recognised achievements; and special assessment for each sector.

The evaluation process features three rounds – profile selection, presentation and verification, final voting. They will be judged by leading experts in technology, finance, corporate governance, e-Commerce, start-up and media.

Addressing the event, VINASA Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General Nguyễn Thị Thu Giang said given that digital transformation is in high demand, the selection and introduction of reputable solution suppliers and capable partners will quickly connect firms and facilitate their effective cooperation.

This year, the voting categories are expanded with the honouring of leading companies in new sectors – Fintech, Proptech, EdTech, and MedTech, she said, adding that the move does not only keeps up with the latest trend but also helps seek solutions for real-life problems in certain fields.

The presentation round is scheduled on May 15 – 16. The announcement and award ceremony will take place on July 13, prior to the Việt Nam ICT Summit 2021. ICT companies may register to join the programme on the website: top10ict.com.

The Top 10 Việt Nam ICT businesses programme was launched in 2014.

The software and technology services industry has posted high growth over the last five years, expanding 26.1 percent in average annually.

Last year, the industry earned US$120 billion in revenue. Of the figure, more than $6 billion was generated by software and digital content, twice as high as that in 2015.

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

World News in Brief: April 12

April 12, 2021 by en.nhandan.org.vn

* Mainland China reported 16 new COVID-19 cases on April 11, up from 10 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Monday. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 90,426, while the death toll remained at 4,636.

* Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees flocked on Monday to take a holy bath in India’s Ganges river, even as the nation racked up the world’s highest tally of new daily coronavirus infections. With 168,912 new cases, India accounts for one in six of all new infections globally, although the figure is still well below the US peak of nearly 300,000 new cases on Jan. 8.

* The United States had administered 187,047,131 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 237,796,105 doses as of Sunday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

* Talks between Britain and the European Union on part of their Brexit deal which governs trade with Northern Ireland are constructive but there are still differences on how to overcome issues that have triggered violence in the British province.

* US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Brussels on Tuesday to join Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in consulting with NATO allies and partners on range of priorities, the Department of State said on Monday.

* The leader of Israel’s ultra-nationalist Yamina party said on Monday it would back a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially nudging the incumbent towards being able to build a coalition after last month’s inconclusive election.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the current COVID-19 infection rate in the country was much too high, warning that the current third wave of the pandemic could prove to be the toughest yet.

* Republic of Korea plans to begin local production of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as June, while five domestic companies aim to start late stage clinical trials of their own shots in the second half of this year.

* Ireland is set to restrict use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to people over the age of 60, RTE reported.

* Bulgaria’s prime minister revealed that a big new vaccine contract the EU is seeking from Pfizer-BioNTech will be at a significantly increased price.

* The number of patients in intensive care in Sweden is now higher than during the second wave, figures showed on Monday.

* Czech schools, libraries, zoos and some stores reopened on Monday as well as English shops and pub gardens, following months of coronavirus closures.

* Canada is shifting its vaccination campaign to target frontline workers, moving away from a largely age-based rollout.

* An expert panel of India’s drugs regulator recommended emergency use approval of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, sources said, while businesses in Maharashtra state reeled under new restrictions.

* Africa must expand vaccine manufacturing, including by forging partnerships to boost expertise and investment, said continental leaders and international health officials.

* Treating COVID-19 patients at home with a commonly-used inhaled asthma drug called budesonide can speed up their recovery, according to UK trial results.

* Turkey’s daily infection numbers have soared above 50,000 and it will likely tighten restrictions this week ahead of the vital tourism season, a government official said.

* South Africa extended by a further three months the deadline of a loan scheme central to efforts to counter the economic impact of COVID-19.

* The French foreign ministry on Monday said it was confirming that two French citizens had been kidnapped in Haiti.