Vietnam Airlines has announced it will conduct two more flights to bring more than 500 Vietnamese people from Ukraine back home on March 13.

As planned, Flight VN58 will pick up evacuees from Warsaw and come back to Hanoi at 4:40 pm on March 13. Meanwhile, Flight VN68 from Bucharest will arrive in the capital at 11 am the same day.

These flights will be conducted under a cooperation agreement signed on March 10 between the national flag carrier and to support the repatriation of Vietnamese people and their family members from war areas in Ukraine. Sun Group will cover the entire cost of the flights and the Vietnam Airlines will offer the most preferential prices.

As scheduled, flights will be operated until the demand is over.

Previously, on March 8, Vietnam Airline’s first free flight helped repatriate 287 Vietnamese people from war zones in Ukraine.

Quyet Chien beats World No.1 cueist in world championship

Leading Vietnamese player and world number three Tran Quyet Chien successfully defeated world No.1 Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands at the ongoing World Three-Cushion Championship for National Teams in Germany.

During the opening match played in Group C on March 10, Chien had the chance to get revenge on the Dutch player after losing to Jaspers in the final of the Three-Cushion World Cup in Turkey last month.

The local player led 20-17 before the break and then scored a further 13 points after play resumed. With Chien leading 30-20, he went on to gain 10 more points to win the game with a final score of 40-35.

Following these good results, the Vietnamese team won 2-0 over the Dutch team and therefore have the chance to win a place in the next round.

The 2022 World Three-Cushion Championship for National Teams is taking place from March 10 to March 13 in Viersen, Germany.

This year's tournament features a total of 16 teams which are divided into four groups of four. The nation are in Group C with the Netherlands, France, and Colombia, with the top two teams of each group making the quarterfinals.

Most notably, the Vietnamese haven't advanced to the semifinals before. Indeed, 2019 saw them top their group stage but lose out to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The prize pool for this year’s competition will be US$9000.

WWF and partners to scale climate solutions for global impact

A five-year project which aims at shifting Vietnam's private sector toward sustainable energy use has been officially launched in southern Tay Ninh province.

The project 'An energy transition for a 1.5 degree world: Accelerating Progress in Asia,' will harness corporate, sectorial and subnational levels to help accelerate the adoption and scale-up of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions in Tay Ninh.

The project, sponsored by HSBC, is implemented by WWF-Vietnam and World Resource Institute through the Clean Energy Investment Accelerator in cooperation with Tay Ninh's Department of Industry and Trade and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Vietnam is one of the five target countries of the Climate Solutions Partnership besides China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh to accelerate progress toward energy efficiency and renewables.

New environment law views people, businesses as crucial players in environmental protection

The 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, taking effect on January 1 this year, is expected to create substantial changes to people’s awareness and promote businesses’ action in this issue.

This is the first time communities have been defined as a stakeholder in environmental protection. With this rule, the law is expected to help further bring into play the role of communities in environmental protection by encouraging their solidarity, mutual assistance, creativity, and initiatives in this regard.

To facilitate communities’ performance of their role, the law clarifies their rights and responsibilities, as well as the State’s support for their participation in environmental protection. In particular, it includes a regulation on the establishment of online systems for receiving, handling, and replying to opinions about environmental protection from organisations, individuals, and communities. Such systems will also enable people to monitor environment-related activities.

A message of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection is that people and businesses form an integral part of the environment, and that staying proactive and responsible for the environment also means ensuring people’s life quality and businesses’ sustainable development.

Sun Group, Vietnam Airlines join hands to bring Vietnamese home from Ukraine

Sun Group and Vietnam Airlines on March 10 signed a cooperation agreement on supporting the repatriation of Vietnamese people and their family members from war areas in Ukraine back home.

Under the agreement, the sides will join hands to organise flights to bring home Vietnamese people in Ukraine who were evacuated to Poland and Romania. Sun Group will cover the entire cost of the flights and the Vietnam Airlines will offer the most preferential prices.

Vietnamese people and their relatives in Ukraine who wish to return home will be transported free of charge.

As scheduled, flights will be operated until the demand is over.

The first flight is expected to take off from Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi on March 12 to Warsaw to pick up Vietnamese from Ukraine, and come back on March 13.

Youth group charged up for greener future

GOMers, a youth volunteer group, are collecting used batteries to help protect the environment of northern Quang Ninh province.

Research conducted by the group in January showed that 77 per cent of students have never recycled used batteries, and 88 per cent have never heard of battery recycling. The group are on a mission to change this.

The group initialised has created an online campaign to raise awareness of battery recycling, and social media posts focus on the negative effects of mishandled batteries on the environment and the wrong perceptions of the public on batteries.

The group also holds offline workshops to inform the public and stage exchange events where people can trade their used batteries for plants.

As local recycling facilities are either focused on recycling plastic or do not have proper media campaigning, the group have taken it upon themselves to make things better, despite others thinking they are wasting their time.

Ha Thi Nga re-elected as women’s union leader

Ha Thi Nga was re-elected as the President of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) for its 13th term (2022 – 2027) on March 10 during the ongoing 13th National Women’s Congress.

Nga and her four deputies were selected by a 155-member executive committee elected by the congress earlier the same day.

Nga was born in Mai Chau district, the northern province of Hoa Binh, in 1969. She served as Vice Chairman of the Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee from 2011 – 2014 and Deputy Secretary of the Lao Cai Party Committee from 2015 – 2020.

She became President of the 12th VWU in May 2020. Now she is also a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee for its 13th term and a deputy of the 15th National Assembly.

Vietnam Embassy in Thailand works to repatriate crewmembers in distress​

The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is urgently coordinating with sides involved to support the repatriation of four crew members of the Vietnamese-flagged Huy Hoang ship, which encountered an accident on March 8.

On March 8, the embassy received a notice by a representative of the Panama-flagged MV Toyo Star cargo ship in Thailand, which informed that the ship hit and caused the Vietnamese seafood logistics vessel to sink earlier the same day when it was on the way to Thailand through Vietnam's waters.

The MV Toyo Star rescued four crew members of the Huy Hoang ship, three of them residing in Vietnam’s Ben Tre province and one in Ca Mau province. The Panama ship arrived at the Kerry Siam port in Thailand’s Chonburi province on the night of the day.

On March 9-10, the embassy sent officials to visit and provide basic necessities for the four citizens at the port, and work with representatives of MV Toyo Star and Chonburi provincial authorities concerning procedures to bring them to the mainland and back home. However the repatriation work is facing difficulties due to Thai regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the morning of March 10, the MV Toyo Star moved to the Klong Toei port in Bangkok with four Vietnamese crew members onboard and is expected to leave for Indonesia on March 12.

Le Trung Kien, first secretary in charge of citizen protection at the embassy, said the embassy has sent a note to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting coordination with relevant local authorities to allow the Vietnamese crew members to come ashore before the cargo ship departs for Indonesia. Kien said that the embassy will closely coordinate with the Thai immigration authorities to carry out procedures to bring the citizens back to Vietnam.

ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group completes agendas

The 42nd ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group (MTWG) Meeting, hosted by Vietnam, has completed all ten agendas during its course spanning March 9 and 10.

Chaired by the Vietnam Marine Administration (VINAMARINE), the virtual event was participated by ten ASEAN member states, regional associations of seaports and ship owners, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the bloc's dialogue partners – China, the US, Japan, the Europe, the Republic of Korea, and India.

Sharing experiences at the meeting, participating member countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar highlighted the need of a national coordination plan on shipping, increasing connection among ports in each country, and the application of digital technologies and customs clearance mechanisms in line with the national and regional requirements of COVID-19 prevention and control.

A notable proposal was the concept of the 'common risk' on the ecological environment in maritime activities in order to provide risk mitigation solutions. With support, Vietnam expressed its wish that member nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore continue to study the proposal for further discussion and agreement.

U23 squad named for men’s football at upcoming SEA Games

The Vietnam Football Federation on March 10 announced 32 players of the Vietnam’s U23 team to prepare for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Many players competing at the Asian Cup qualification last October received call-ups, particularly goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan and midfielders Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Huu Thang.

Prominent players of Vietnam triumphed at the recent 2022 AFF U23 Championship also made to the list.

Lee Young-jin, assistant to head coach of the national team Park Hang-seo, will serve as the U23 squad’s acting head coach.

The young footballers are to gather for training in Hanoi on March 14-20. They will fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to compete at the 2022 Dubai Cup friendly tournament. SEA Games 31 is to be hosted by Vietnam this May.

Project launched to improve nutritional condition for poor children

A nutrition project has been launched by Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) Central Committee, aiming to provide nutritious meals for children and improve their stature, especially those with difficult circumstances in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

The project will be carried out over the next five years, starting this month.

It will develop and maintain 20 restaurants and 20 food banks that provide free food for children. As many as 1,000 medical workers and nutritionists are anticipated to involve in the programme. One million poor children are expected to benefit from the project.

The project focuses on implementing many activities including food support, nutritious meals for poor children; nutrition examination and counseling for children; providing medical equipment and training, and promoting communication work on disease prevention and control; building a healthy living and learning environment; raising awareness of nutritional care for poor children; and enabling them to grow well and fuel their brain development.

People joining social insurance up 1.14 percent in two months

The number of people participating in compulsory social insurance and unemployment insurance in the first two months of 2022 recorded year-on-year increases of 1.14 percent and 1.02 percent, respectively, according to Vietnam Social Security (VSS).

So far, the country has more than 16.3 million people joining social insurance, and more than 13.4 million people with unemployment insurance, equivalent to 33 percent and 26.7 percent of the workforce, respectively.

Vietnam expects to have more than 1.77 million people joining social insurance, and over 1.71 million others participating in unemployment insurance from now to the end of 2022.

UNFPA supports Vietnam’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals

The Government of Vietnam confirms that the interventions and support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the period of 2017 – 2021 substantially contributed to Vietnam’s efforts to fulfill the transformative promise of “Leaving No One behind” while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, heard a meeting in Hanoi on March 10.

UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara together with Nguyen Thi Dieu Trinh, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Economic Relations Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, chaired the meeting to review the achievements recorded in the past five years under the framework of the 9th UNFPA Country Programme for Vietnam.

The meeting also discussed the key intervention areas under the 10th Country Programme for Vietnam for the period of 2022 – 2026, which was approved by the UNFPA Executive Board on February 3 as well as next steps to deliver the new Programme, including the signing of 2022 annual work plans between UNFPA and the partner ministries.

VSS, USABC partner for sustainable health insurance development in Vietnam

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on realising health insurance policies with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), the VSS announced on March 10.

The signing of the MoU aims to specify the scope of cooperation in health insurance, facilitating frequent exchanges between the VSS and US partners towards the sustainable development of the health insurance system in Vietnam.

USABC President and CEO Ted Osius said the US business community highly valued efforts and achievements by the Vietnamese Government, people and firms in fighting COVID-19 and protecting people’s health, and at the same time resuming production activities to catch up with the global economic recovery.

The MoU will be valid for five years from the date of signing. Under the agreement, the sides will bolster cooperation in health insurance, particularly in the development of sustainable universal health insurance coverage; assessing the quality of medical equipment and services covered by health insurance; and health insurance payment verification.

Quang Tri handles over 400 explosives

More than 400 explosives have been deactivated in Dong Ha city in the central province of Quang Tri, according to the provincial Military Command.

The explosives were found in the foundation of a household in Tay Tri street in Ward 1.

Right after receiving information from the household, the Military Command’s engineer force conducted inspections at the site.

The team found mortar rounds, shells, M83 and M49 bombs, grenades, and ammunition of various kinds.

The fuses of most of the explosives remained intact when found.

Vietnam calls for full implementation of climate finance commitments

A diplomat of Vietnam underlined the importance of ensuring equality and justice in climate change response, with climate finance commitments being fully implemented on the basis of common but differentiated responsibility.

Le Thi Minh Thoa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, laid the emphasis while attending an Arria-formula meeting held by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on March 9 to discuss climate finance for sustaining peace and security.

She shared other countries’ concern over climate change challenges that have rendered tens of millions of people homeless and worsened transboundary security challenges, especially in conflict-hit regions.

The diplomat pointed out the need to fully consider the demand and priorities of developing countries, particularly those affected by conflicts, appealing for stronger partnership and coordination in the entire UN system to solve climate change issues.

Thoa also voiced Vietnam’s support for the UNSC to continue discussion climate security and the role of climate finance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and post-conflict reconstruction.

Vietnam's Solforest Ecopark set to become tallest vertical garden in the world

Situated on the outskirts of Hanoi, Solforest Ecopark will break the record set by Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential towers in the Porta Nuova district of Milan, Italy, to become the tallest vertical garden in the world once construction is finalized.

The site represents the largest ecological urban township in the north of the country and will feature a complex of high-end villas and apartment buildings built into a green space, including the 41-storey, 156-metre high Solforest Ecopark.

According to details given by Travelandleisureasia.com, the stunning natural landscape of the township is set to incorporate more than one million trees, meaning the ratio of trees to residents will be roughly 120 per capita.

The Sol Forest Ecopark project has also appeared on the homepage of many famous Asian newspapers such as Singapore Business and Channel News Asia. 

Karate fighters to warm-up for SEA Games at regional tournament

The national karate team will take part in the Southeast Asian championship, a key warm-up tournament to prepare for the Southeast Asian Games in Việt Nam in May.

A team of 19 athletes will compete in the event from March 21 to 27 at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Seven other countries, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, will be represented in the tournament, along with the hosts.

Café Saigon returns to HCM City Opera House

The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will stage contemporary dance Café Saigon, which features the city’s lifestyle in the mid-20th century, at the Municipal Opera House on March 26.

The dance drama is a co-production of HBSO and the Gotra dance company from Maastricht, the Netherlands. It is choreographed by Joost Vrouenraets, Gotra’s artistic director and his colleague Maite Guerin.

The music includes songs from the 1960s by American singer and songwriter Joan Baez and music by Belgian accordion duo Fabian Beghin & Didier Laloy. It ends with What a Wonderful World, one of the most famous songs recorded by American musician Louis Armstrong.

The performance will feature ten dancers paired into five couples, with one acting as a narrator of the dance.

Hanoi aims to attract more tourists to cultural heritage sites

As the country gets ready to get international arrivals again from March 15, Hà Nội authorities are working to attract more tourists to the capital city's cultural heritage sites.

Due to COVID-19, the number of tourists visiting landmarks in the city has remained modest, despite municipal authorities allowing these sites to reopen in February.

The Hương (Perfume) Pagoda is currently welcoming only about 1,000 pilgrims a day. So far this year, the popular spiritual tourist destination has welcomed 60,000 visitors, equivalent to one day during peak season in previous years.

A similar situation has been reported at other sites, such as the Temple of Literature, Thăng Long Imperial Citadel and the Central Prison relic.

The situation is expected to improve in time as the tourism sector fully opens, allowing foreigners to begin visiting Việt Nam again.

Phu Tho prepares for Hung Kings Festival next month

The northern province of Phú Thọ will organise a festival commemorating the death anniversary of the Hùng Vương (Hùng Kings) on April 10.

The festival will take place at the Hùng Temple on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain in Phong Châu District, 85km northwest of Hà Nội.

This year, the festival, with theme "Hùng Kings Land - Sacred Root", will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the recognition of worshipping the Hùng Kings in Phú Thọ by the UN heritage agency UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage in 2012.

The event will include incense offering ceremonies to the nation's legendary father Lạc Long Quân and the nation's legendary mother Âu Cơ, and to the Hùng Kings at the Hùng Kings Temple historical heritage site on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain in Phong Châu.

HCM City to issue certificate for recovered COVID patients online

HCM City plans to issue digital certificates of recovery for COVID-19 patients, which would preclude their need to visit local medical stations to obtain them.

Currently patients who treated themselves at home and tested negative need to visit nearby medical stations to get the ‘Certification for quarantine completion’.

Recently due to the recent spike in cases, many commune and ward medical stations are packed with people coming for the certificates.

The city Department of Health has said it will now instead issue them online.

Patients need to register their personal info, including email, at https://tracuuf0.medinet.org.vn/khaibao.htm.

Vietnamese action thriller receives enthusiastic applause from international directors

‘578 – Phat Dan Cua Ke Dien’ (578 Magnum), an action thriller by Vietnamese director Luong Dinh Dung, has received enthusiastic applause from international directors.

‘578 Magnum’, which is expected to hit the big screen in Vietnam this May, tells the story of Hung, a container truck driver, and his lone and intense journey chasing after the unknown abuser of his daughter.

The cast is led by Alexandre Nguyen, along with Hoang Phuc Nguyen, Nguyen Lâm Thao Tam, Jessica Minh Anh and former Miss Universe Vietnam H’Hen Nie.

According to the film crew, Canada’s website Screen Anarchy recently published the film’s trailers, images and articles introducing ‘578 Magnum’ to its viewers.

Work on Ring Road No. 3 project to start next year

Work on the Ring Road No. 3 project, which will connect HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and be completed in 2025, according to the prefeasibility study for the project. The HCMC government has submitted the prefeasibility study to the prime minister.

The investment, compensation and site clearance plans and construction phases are kept unchanged as in a report sent in late January to the prime minister. However, the total investment and the progress of the project has changed.

The first phase of the project will need some VND75.4 trillion, including over VND25.9 trillion for construction and equipment, nearly VND41.6 trillion for site clearance and the remainder for project management and backup.

The State will provide half of the investment, or VND38.74 trillion, and the remaining VND36.6 trillion will be sourced from the localities’ budgets.

Long An allows asymptomatic Covid patients, direct contacts to return to work

The Long An government has allowed asymptomatic Covid patients and direct contacts of Covid cases to voluntarily return to work during their quarantine period.
The decision was made to ease a shortage of employees at many firms and State-owned agencies in the province.

Under the decision, Covid patients with no symptoms and direct contacts are allowed to work either online or offline. Firms were told to consider prioritizing them with online tasks to avoid direct contact with other people, and arrange a separate working area for those working offline.

These employees, who are asymptomatic Covid patients and direct contacts, are required to go to their workplaces from their quarantine facilities via private vehicles and avoid direct contact with other people on the way. They must strictly follow Covid safety protocols, including wearing face masks and maintaining a safe physical distance from each other, on working.

HCMC Police raze illegal trade ring of Covid-19 test kits, treatment drugs

The Investigation Police Department on Economic, Corruption-related Crimes and Smuggling (PC03) said that the Ho Chi Minh City Police had collaborated with the Market Management Department of Ho Chi Minh City to detect and razed an illegal transportation and trade ring of Covid-19 test kits and treatment drugs from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.

Yesterday morning, dozens of police raided the head office of AND Care Company at Street No.18, Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District. At the site, the functional forces seized a large number of Covid-19 test kits and treatment drugs with the label of Lianhua Qingwen from China. Additionally, numerous masks and antiseptic hand sanitizer spray were also seized.

During the checking process, Ng.T.T., a representative of the company did not submit the relevant documents related to the consignment as regulated. The 39-year old man declared that he bought the consignment from a Cambodian via social media. After the negotiation, his company transferred money to this guy’s bank account.

As for antiseptic hand sanitizer spray, the product was produced by the company; however, the company did not show any license regarding the conditions for production and trading of the above goods.

Covid-19 infectious people to receive financial aid via bank account

The Vietnam Social Security proposed that employees who have not been granted a bank account should promptly open it to receive financial support for benefits of sickness, convalescence and health recovery from the agency when the circular is officially issued.

The Vietnam Social Security yesterday said that with the increasing surge of the Covid-19 infections performing treatment at home and hundreds of people needed granted certificates of absence from work due to sickness.

Currently, many localities having numerous Covid-19 patients performing treatment at home have faced difficulties in applying for the certificate of absence from work due to sickness. Therefore, the Vietnam Social Security proposed the Ministry of Health to handle the arising obstacles.

5 outstanding scientists nominated for Ta Quang Buu Prize 2022

The Ministry of Science and Technology has just announced five excellent candidates for Ta Quang Buu Prize 2022. They are selected by the Council for Basic Scientific Research in Natural and Technical Sciences (under the National Fund for Science and Technology Development) from 48 eligible nominations.

Accordingly, the main category consists of 3 candidates, namely Prof. DSc. Ngo Viet Trung (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) in the mathematics field; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Le Thu (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology – Vietnam National University-HCMC) in the chemistry field; and Dr. Pham Quang Thai (the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology – the Health Ministry) in the biomedicine and pharmacology field.

The young scientist category has two nominations of Dr. Doan Le Hoang Tan (the Vietnam Center for Molecular and Nano-architecture – VNU-HCMC) and Dr. Tran Tien Anh (Vietnam Maritime University).

Ta Quang Buu Prize is an annual award of the Science and Technology Ministry to authors of outstanding scientific works conducted in Vietnam and published in prestigious international scientific journals. 

Japanese Government helps build classroom, road, water supply

The Japanese Government will provide US$268,597 as non-refundable aid to carry out classroom-building and road -building projects in the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang, the Southern-Central Province of Binh Thuan and the Central-Highlands Province of Dak Lak.

At the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, an aid contract signing ceremony took place within the framework of the Japanese Government's Grassroots Grant Program (GGP) for three projects yesterday.

The first project will help build new classrooms at Mong Tho Á Primary School in Kien Giang Province’s Chau Thanh District. The second and third projects will help build rural roads 4 in Tra Tan commune in Duc Linh District in Binh Thuan Province and build a domestic water supply system in Ea Yong Commune in Krong Pac District in Dak Lak Province. 

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/VGP/SGGP/Hanoitimes

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 10

PM demands substantial progress in administrative reform in 2022