Nearly 1,700 Vietnamese people in Ukraine have been brought home safely on six flights arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with relevant ministries, sectors and representative agencies of Vietnam in the country.

About 5,200 Vietnamese people from war areas in Ukraine have so far been evacuated, according to the ministry. 

Currently, only a few Vietnamese people are still in Ukraine for their personal reasons, the ministry said.

Vietnamese representative agencies have kept a close watch on the situation in Ukraine, and actively coordinated with local authorities, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and foreign representative agencies with many citizens in war zones in the European country to help Vietnamese citizens evacuate and return home safely.

Japan’s experience in water management introduced

Experts from Japan’s Osaka Municipal Waterworks Bureau (OMWB) tabled solutions to better manage water quality and losses at a recent online conference.

The conference was jointly held by the Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco), the OMWB and the Dong Nai Water Joint Stock Company (DOWACO), within the framework of the sides' agreement on technical cooperation.

Japanese experts suggested putting forth safe water supply plans and building intermediate containers in the water supply network.

Japan’s leading private firms in the sector also showed their high-tech products at the conference, helping SAWACO and DOWACO work towards higher technical standards in the time ahead.

Football body highly values Vietnam's achievements

Secretary General of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Windsor John has stated that Vietnam’s draw with Japan is a big surprise and serves as a motivation for Southeast Asian football, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said on March 30.

He made the remark while meeting with VFF Acting President Tran Quoc Tuan within the framework of the 72nd FIFA Congress and the AFC Executive Committee meeting in Qatar.

For his part, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated Vietnam on achievements of the men’s and women’s football squads in recent times, believing that the sector will obtain new strides in the future.

In the third round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, Vietnam lost eight matches, won 3-1 over China and held Asian giants Japan to a 1-1 draw in the final match of the round. 

International fund helps Vietnamese rural residents in market access

A project financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has helped Vietnamese rural residents better access markets.

A workshop was held in Hanoi on March 30 to review the implementation of the project enhancing access to markets for rural poor through information and communication technologies (ICT)-based market information network over the past two years.

Under the project, 150 computers have been presented to localities in order to help rural residents access market information and the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme.

81 pct of people aged 18 and older receive 3rd COVID-19 vaccine shot

About 81 percent of people aged 18 and above nationwide had received the third jab of vaccine against COVID-19 as of March 28, according to the Ministry of Health.

Localities are making efforts to ensure schedule of the inoculation campaign.

The ministry on March 30 confirmed 85,765 new cases of COVID-19, including six imported ones, down 2,619 cases from the previous day. The new infections raised the national tally to 9,472,254.

Also the same day, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long joined a working session with a delegation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by its chief representative in Vietnam Shimizu Akira.

The two sides reached an agreement on the acceleration of the Cho Ray 2 Hospital project./.

New pedestrian zone proposed around Hanoi’s Thien Quang Lake

The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports has proposed the municipal People’s Committee to pilot a pedestrian zone in Hai Ba Trung district’s Tran Nhan Tong street and surrounding areas, including the bank of Thien Quang Lake.

Earlier, the department was assigned to join hands with relevant agencies to mull over turning 3-5 areas of the capital city into such zones, namely in Hai Ba Trung and Hoang Mai districts and Son Tay town.

Hanoi reopened its pedestrian spaces in downtown Hoan Kiem district from March 18 after nearly a year of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese athletes win gold at Asian Jujitsu Championships

Vietnam grabbed two gold medals at the sixth Asian Jujitsu Championship 2022 on Wednesday at the National Stadium in Manama, Bahrain.

World defending champion Phung Thi Hue shone in the women’s 45kg class, beating Hamda Al Shekheili of the UAE in the final match.

Earlier, Duong Thi Thanh Minh, the world silver medallist, defeated Rania Meqbel of Jordan in the women’s 52kg category.

The Vietnamese team also secured a bronze in the women’s 57kg pool through Vuong Vo Kim Thanh.

All medals were in the newaza (ground fighting techniques) discipline, helping Vietnam place third among 26 teams participating in the tournament after two days of competition.

Vietnam wants to deepen comprehensive partnership with US: PM

Vietnam wishes to work together with the US – one of its leading important partners – to deepen the bilateral comprehensive partnership on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, political institutions and differences, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed on March 30.

Speaking at a reception for newly-appointed US Ambassador Marc Evans Knapper in Hanoi, Chinh expressed his belief that the diplomat will make more contributions to the comprehensive partnership.

Chinh noted with pleasure strides made in the bilateral ties over the past time, with economic and trade cooperation remaining a driving force.

The PM stressed that cooperation in the settlement of war consequences is a bright spot in the Vietnam-US ties, which has contributed to building trust between the two peoples. He also commended the bilateral partnership in climate change response, education-training and national defence and security.

Knapper said he will also work to boost the bilateral trade and economic links, as well as cooperation in climate change response, high-quality infrastructure building, green and sustainable development, personnel training and digital transformation.

The US will make every possible effort to support Vietnam, the ambassador emphasised, expressing his belief that the Southeast Asian nation’s programme on quick recovery and sustainable development will be a success, contributing to promoting economic recovery and development in the region.

Knapper also reiterated the US’s wish to enhance cooperation with countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Indo-Pacific, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region, as reflected in the US’s new strategies and initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Youth Forum 2022 talks vocational training for young people

Delegates to the Youth Forum 2022 on March 30 compared notes on policies and guidelines of the Party and the State regarding vocational training for youths.

They looked into vocational training for young people in rural areas or those who are workers, disabled, ethnic minorities and students, and those who have completed their military service.

The Government has sketched out a planning scheme for high-quality vocational schools, which targets 70 schools by 2025 with 130 careers. Currently, 25 vocational training schools in Vietnam have satisfied Australia's standards, and 45 others meet Germany’s standards.

Vietnamese students’ association in New Zealand established

The Vietnamese students’ association in New Zealand convened its first congress for the 2022-2024 tenure in Wellington on March 30.

The congressed reviewed the Vietnamese students’ movements over the past time, and set out targets and orientations for the association’s operation in the time ahead.

It elected a 13-member executive board for the association, with Nguyen Duc Xuan Tung from the Victoria University of Wellington as President in the 2022-2024 term.

Following the congress, the association will carry out necessary procedures to be officially recognised as a member of the Vietnamese Students’ Association Central Committee.

In 2019, over 5,000 Vietnamese students were studying across New Zealand. The number dropped to some 2,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese men expected to move up two places in FIFA ranking after drawing Japan

The national men’s football team of Vietnam is expected to move up two spots in the FIFA rankings after the 1-1 draw match with Japan as part of the final round of World Cup 2022 qualifiers on March 29.

The FIFA has yet to update its rankings. The team is likely to jump to the 96th place in March, according to the Football Ranking website.

In March, Vietnam played two games within the third qualification round of World Cup 2022. The team lost 10.54 points after losing 0-1 to Oman, and then gained additional 7.37 points after drawing 1-1 against Japan.

By advancing to the 96th position, Vietnam will rank 16th in Asia and first in Southeast Asia. 

Cao Bang province has two new national relic sites

The former base of Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) at Nguom Chieng Cave and the scenic landscape of “Mat than nui” (Mountain God’s Eye) in Trung Khanh district, the northern province of Cao Bang, have been listed as national relic sites.

The Trung Khanh district People’s Committee held a ceremony to receive the national status certificates on March 30.

Nguom Chieng Cave was one of many locations nationwide that served as transmission backups for the VOV’s radio broadcasting from 1966 to 1978. It was also a workplace of the VOV staff during the resistance war against the US.

Meanwhile, the scenic landscape of “Mat than nui” is part of the UNESCO-recognised Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark. It is linked with a system of 36 inter-connected lakes, along with surface and underground flows.

Vietnamese continue to be second largest foreign community in Japan

Vietnamese continued to be the second biggest foreign community in Japan after China, despite a 3.4 percent drop in 2021, according to the the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA).

According to the agency, the number of Vietnamese people in Japan reached 432,934, accounting for 15.7 percent of the total foreigners in the country.

The Republic of Korea came third with a community that made up 14.8 percent of total foreigners in Japan, followed by those from the Philippines and Brazil with 10.5 percent and 7.4 percent respectively.

Fishing boats sunk by heavy rains in Phu Yen

As many as 30 small and large fishing vessels sank following heavy rains and large waves which hit Long Thuy beach of An Phu commune in Tuy Hoa city in the central province of Phu Yen.

The impact of the weather saw strong waves hit the boats and water pour onto their decks, causing heavy losses of property to local people, with 10 boats being completely broken.

Fortunately, no deaths were recorded in the incident.

The Phu Yen provincial People's Committee has mobilized border guards and police forces to rescue the sunken ship and the crew in an effort to minimize damage. 

Miss Indonesia to judge Miss Tourism ASEAN+ pageant in Vietnam

Indonesian beauty Carla Yules is set to serve as a judge for the Miss Tourism ASEAN+ 2022 pageant aiming to seek beauties who can promote images of the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) to take place in May in Vietnam.

Carla Yules, 26, is most well known for her achievements in being crowned Miss Indonesia 2020 and Miss World Asia 2021. She was also the only Southeast Asian representative to claim a Top 6 finish in Miss World 2021.

At a press conference on the Miss Tourism ASEAN+ pageant held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 30, other members of the panel were also announced, including businesswoman Ly Nha Ky, singer Ngoc Son, and Jennifer Pham, Miss Asia USA 2006.

The contest aims to praise the beauty of ASEAN women and will seek out beauties who are enthusiastic about sports, knowledgeable about culture and tourism, whilst are simultaneously capability of inspiring many people.

The grand final is scheduled to take place on May 10 in Hanoi. The winner and two runners-up will receive cash prizes and tours to Bali, Indonesia, which will cost a total of VND1 billion.

VN attends 8th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đặng Hoàng Ân attended the eighth Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue held in Berlin, Germany, under the motto “From Ambition to Action”.

The two-day dialogue, which ended on Wednesday, brings together ministers and high-ranking officials from more than 50 countries around the world to discuss smart energy transition strategies worldwide and how to become more independent from fossil fuels.

On the first day of the event, Deputy Minister Ân had meetings with representatives of major German corporations, including ThyssenKrupp, SkyWind, Enertrag, and PNE, where he gave them an overview of Việt Nam’s policies and incentives in renewable energy.

The Green Resolutions Group of Việt Nam also took the occasion to sign an agreement with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (tkIS) and Thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA to develop green hydrogen and ammonia projects in Việt Nam. The signing was witnessed by Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vũ Quang Minh.

Elderly people encouraged to take part in environment protection

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Viet Nam Association of the Elderly have committed to coordinate in building green models with the participation of elderly people to better protect the environment.

The cooperation programme between the ministry and the association during the 2022-2026 period was signed in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

Under the programme, the ministry and the association will share experience and provide knowledge and skills for the association's members; promote related emulation campaigns; and expand good models in protecting the environment.

The two sides will also organise conferences and training sessions, build initiatives that bring in practical benefits for the community and carry out annual assessments to honour individuals and groups that have made achievements in natural resources management and environment protection.

HCM City provides succour to COVID orphans

HCM City has implemented various programmes to care for disadvantaged children and those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Organisations and individuals have joined hands with the Government to help more than 2,200 children who lost parents to COVID. More than 2,000 children who lost one parent, 39 who lost both, and 78 who lost caregivers received VNĐ8-9 million (US$350-390) in cash each.

They were also given food, essential goods and scholarships to attend school until they turn 18.

Disadvantaged children living at shelters received VNĐ5-6 million ($218-262). As of last year the city had mobilised more than VNĐ17.3 billion ($755,000) to assist disadvantaged and pandemic-affected children through various programmes.

Piling work begins at Long Thanh International Airport

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) held a ground-breaking ceremony for the start of piling work at the passenger terminal of the Long Thành International Airport project on Wednesday.

The passenger terminal is the most important work of the Long Thành Airport project. It has a complex technical nature, which applies advanced and modern technologies to compete with international aviation hubs in the region.

The construction of piles – the foundation of the passenger terminal – is the core item to determine the progress of the entire project, according to the ACV.

The contractors will construct bored piles with diameters of 800mm, 1000mm and 1200mm with 1,560 piles.

The piling construction package is scheduled to be completed in October, 2022.

Key coastal traffic route commences in Thua Thien - Hue

The central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế has commenced construction of the coastal road and a sea cross bridge in Thuận An Township on 21.8km with a total investment of VNĐ3.49 trillion (US$152 million) that promotes links of provincial key economic zones and the national coastal traffic system.

The project, one of the province's most important infrastructure items in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, was designed with four lanes and a 2.3km bridge crossing the Thuận An estuary.

The province said the coastal road is expected to be finished in 2025, creating smooth traffic among Quảng Trị, Đà Nẵng, Thừa Thiên-Huế and the East-West Economic Corridor that links Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam.

Cho Ray Hospital pioneers AI application

HCM City’s Chợ Rẫy Hospital has applied the first complete set of health information technology solutions ever in Việt Nam.

The set includes the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) - radiology information system (RIS), artificial intelligence (AI), and digital radiography system, which was donated by Japanese company Fujifilm.

Dr Lê Văn Phước, head of the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department, said AI is widely used in medicine, especially diagnostic imaging.

With support from Fujifilm, the hospital has created an eco-system for systems such as RIS and PACS, at the visa medical department, he said.

These systems help reduce the time taken for diagnosis and eliminate mistakes caused by manual handling, and allow doctors to read and detect lesions faster, he said.

This model should be replicated in the hospital’s other departments as well as at other medical facilities in the country, he added.

Hanoi metro route expansion approved

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line will be extended by 8.76 kilometres, increasing the line to 21 kilometres.

According to the Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved a VND343 billion (USD14.78-million) project to research the expansion of the Nhon-Hanoi metro line and the development of an integrated urban traffic system to connect to the project.

VND49 billion will be funded from Hanoi’s reciprocal capital, while the remainder is from Asian Development Bank and EU non-refundable loans. The project is scheduled to be conducted in the 2022-2024 period.

The MRB added that up to 8.13 kilometres of the extended section would be underground, travelling through Tran Hung Dao, Tran Thanh Tong, Kim Nguu and Tam Trinh. Seven underground stations will be built on the section.

The 12.5-kilometre Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line runs underground for 4.5 kilometres. It runs through the districts of Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh, Dong Da and Hoan Kiem.

Lam Dong hosts culture and sports festival of ethnic minority groups

The fifth culture and sports festival of ethnic minority groups in Lam Dong Province kicked off on March 29 in Ka Don Commune, Don Duong District, attracting the participation of more than 300 artisans from 12 districts and cities across the province.

The festival opened with a procession worshipping the Gods of Fire and Gong and a traditional Arya dance staged by Chu Ru ethnic people of Don Duong District.

It was followed by gong performances and folk dances and songs by K’Ho, Ma, and Chu Ru ethnic groups.

The two-day festival includes a music night, a cuisine festival, sporting events, folk games, and gong performances.

Hoa Phuong Do Festival back after two-year hiatus

The Hoa Phuong Do (flamboyant red) Festival, a typical tourism product of the northern port city of Hai Phong, will return in mid-May following a two-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival will be held on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the city’s Liberation Day, which falls on May 13.

Themed “Hai Phong – a destination of success”, the festival will offer an opportunity to promote the image of the land and people of Hai Phong city, as well as the potential and advantage of an attractive and successful destination for investors.

The event will also include a carnival parade and art performances by both domestic and foreign troupes.

US Embassy supports English language training in Vietnam

A conference on the future of English language teaching and learning in Vietnam was held on Wednesday by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV).

The two-day Vietnam English Language Teaching Forum, which saw the attendance of leading Vietnamese policy makers, influencers, educators, and other key stakeholders working in the field of English language education, aims to support Vietnamese educational institutions as they shape the way they teach English in a post-pandemic era.

Sponsored by the US Embassy in Vietnam’s Regional English Language Office and organised by the VietTESOL Association, the National Foreign Languages Project, and the DAV, the Vietnam English Language Teaching Forum brings leading voices in the Vietnamese English language education community together to identify global, regional, and local trends in education and to discuss challenges and opportunities in English language learning and teaching going forward.

Hanoi Tourism Festival to be held in May

A large-scale tourism festival will be held at various sites in the centre of Hanoi between May 13-15 with an aim to attract more visitors to the capital.

According to a plan announced by the municipal people's committee, the 2022 Hanoi Tourism Festival will be held at Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thach, and Le Lai streets, and Ly Thai To Flower Garden.

The event is among a series of activities that will take place in Hanoi during 2022, such as the Air Hot Balloon Festival, Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival, and the Festival for Food and Handicraft Village Tourism which aims at welcoming international tourists back to Hanoi during the ‘new normal’.

During the festival, Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thach, and Le Lai streets, and Ly Thai To Flower Garden will be decorated with 2D and 3D visualisations featuring famous beauty spots in Hanoi including the Thang Long Royal Citadel, the Hanoi Temple of Literature, Son Tay Citadel, or Hoa Lo Prison.

There will also be areas introducing tourism products and services by local travel companies, hotels, restaurants in Hanoi as well as other provinces and cities.

A large space will be allocated to introduce local craft villages and local food and specialities.

US$117,642,489 allocated for coastal erosion prevention projects in Ca Mau

The Prime Minister has allocated VND2,680 billion (US$117,642,489) for investment in projects to prevent riverbank and coastal erosion in the Mekong Delta from medium-term public investment in the 2021-2025 period, managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of the amount, VND382 billion will be spent building 15km of the embankment to reduce waves causing accretion to protect the west coast of the Mekong Delta Province of Ca Mau.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in recent years, due to abnormal changes in weather, especially the effects of climate change, sea-level rise, along with the impact of unsustainable development on socio-economics, development of coastal erosion is becoming more and more complicated, causing loss of protective forests, affecting the stability of people in the Mekong Delta region in general and Ca Mau Province in particular.

Therefore, from 2016 until now, about VND9,764 billion taken from the central budget capital and the ODA capital has been used to support the Mekong Delta provinces to prevent riverbank and coastal erosion, contributing to stabilizing the infrastructure in the region.

Concert commemorating musician Trinh Cong Son to come in April

A music performance marking the 21st death anniversary of musician Trinh Cong Son, one of Vietnam’s most famous and beloved song writers will be held at HCMC Book Street at 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm on April 1.

Music lovers will have a chance to enjoy the late musician’s popular songs performed by singers, namely Ha Le, Hien Thuc, Tan Son, Ha Vi, and Duyen Quynh.

Actors including Avin Lu, Lan Thy, Samuel An, Nakatani Akari, and director Phan Gia Nhat Linh who participated in the movie, "Trinh and I" portraying the life of legendary Vietnamese musician will also take part in the music show. The film is expected to release in April.

Vietnamese musician Trinh Cong Son was honored on a doodle on google.com on the occasion of his 80th birthday anniversary in 2019.

Hung Kings' Commemoration Day 2022 to be observed in 42 countries, territories

Hung Kings' Commemoration Day 2022, which marks the value of peace and sacrifice of fellow citizens together with the Hung Kings to build the country, will be observed in 42 countries and territories on April 10 (or the 10th day of the third lunar month).

It will be held in both online and offline formats, at https://www.facebook.com/quoctovietnamtoancau, and be broadcast on such TV channels like Hung King TV Global, HITV and Future Now.

As Vietnamese people turn their heads to Hung Kings' Temple to pay tribute to the nation's founding fathers, overseas Vietnamese communities across the globe will also gather to commemorate the occasion.

A project to mark the anniversary globally was initiated by a number of scientists, intellectuals and leaders of the Vietnamese associations in some countries, with a view to fostering bonds among overseas Vietnamese.

Source: VNA/VIR/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 30

Sick Bangladeshi sailor saved in Khanh Hoa