The Ministry of Education and Training has approved the resumption of Aptis testing at the British Council and four other companies two days after several foreign language examinations were postponed.

The four other companies with testing approval from the ministry comprise Vietnam Trading and Development Education Co., ltd, Education and Era Communication JSC, Ete Vietnam Co., ltd, and Time Education Development Co., ltd.

The Aptis test is the first foreign language examination in the British Council to be resumed as normal.

The exam venues are in Hanoi, Haiphong, Thua Thien-Hue and HCMC, and the certificate for this exam is the Aptis ESOL International Certificate.

The Ministry of Education and Training has requested the companies to abide by the applicable regulations related to the organization of foreign language proficiency exams.

It also urged the British Council to complete procedures to resume the IELTS and other foreign language tests.

Previously, the British Council and IPD announced the postponement of the IELTS and Aptis tests on Wednesday.

Other foreign language tests, including HSK, HSKK, and Nat-test, have also been delayed until further notice in foreign languages and informatics centers.

HCMC records 29 dengue deaths this year

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) said that in the past week, the number of dengue fever cases decreased by 21.7 percent compared to the average of four weeks ago, but still higher than the same period in previous years. Worse, 29 people succumbed to the disease this year.

Specifically, a total of 1,605 confirmed dengue cases from October 31 to November 6 were reported in the southern largest city, a decrease of 21.7 percent compared to the average of four weeks ago. Moreover, the number of inpatients decreased by 21.7 percent and outpatients decreased by 21.8 percent.

During the week, roughly 78 new dengue outbreaks were recorded in 46 wards and communes in 16/22 districts and Thu Duc City. The city saw an increase in three new outbreaks compared to the prior week. Medical workers had sprayed chemicals to kill mosquitoes in 157 outbreaks.

From the beginning of the year until now, the city has recorded 72,091 cases of dengue, an increase of more than 7 times compared to the same period in 2021. The number of severe dengue cases is 1,670 cases and the ratio of severe cases to the total number of dengue cases was up 2.3 percent, an increase of more than 3.4 times over the same period in 2021.

Regarding the number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, the city last week recorded additional 355 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, down 18.4 percent compared to the average of the previous four weeks. The number of outpatients and inpatients decreased. From the beginning of the year until now, the city has recorded 17,392 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 85 outbreaks.

According to HCDC, climate change which is favorable for respiratory pathogens to develop results in more cases of respiratory infections, especially seasonal flu including influenza A and influenza B. Symptoms of seasonal flu are difficult to distinguish from other respiratory diseases; therefore, diagnosis and treatment must follow the guidelines of health authorities.

First hospital in Mekong River delta region receives JCI accreditation

This marks Phuong Chau Hospital as the first hospital in Mekong River delta region, and the sixth in Vietnam, to be recognised as a JCI-accredited healthcare entity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry's Department for Medical Examination and Treatment, highly appreciated the hospital's efforts to meet the international standards set by a reputable organisation.

He called on the hospital to work harder to enhance the professional of the team of doctors as well as the quality of equipment and facilities so that it can perform specialised techniques according to international standards.

He also asked the hospital to maintain its service quality and to better serve the healthcare needs of the patients.

Founded in 1994, Joint Commission International is a US-based group providing international healthcare accreditation services to hospitals around the world.

Its accreditation standards were established to encourage the highest international benchmarks for accredited organisations, comprising 281 standards and 1,197 measurable elements, with a focus on the quality of healthcare and patient safety.

Da Lat Flower Festival 2022 to last until year’s end

The Da Lat Flower Festival 2022 will take place for nearly two months, until the end of 2022, with various events to attract tourists and promote agricultural products.

The People’s Committee of Da Lat city and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong province held a press brief on November 10 announcing the schedule of the festival.

Themed “Da Lat - The City of Four Seasons of Flowers”, the festival will begin on November 11, while the opening ceremony will be held on December 18.

Da Lat Flower Festival 2022 will feature nine main programmes, such as Flower space, a special art programme to announce the 9th Da Lat Flower Festival 2022, a fashion show, an art programme to welcome the New Year 2023, an exhibition space on the Central Highlands and others.

Meeting reviews HCM City - St. Petersburg cooperation

The Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg held an online meeting on November 11 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Russian city and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. 

Addressing the event, Aleksandr Beglov, an official of St. Petersburg, highlighted the importance of the strong friendship and cooperation between  the two cities in the relations between the two countries, saying that this is an example of a relationship of trust and mutual respect, which is expanded every year.

In his speech, Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said the city and St. Petersburg have partnered in many research projects in the field of pharmaceuticals and cancer treatments, as well as shared technology and experience to reduce water loss. 

He affirmed there are enough grounds to believe that the frienship and cooperation between the two localities will continue to be strengthened in the future. 

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi spotlighted the significance of the meeting, affirmging that Vietnam attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, and Vietnamese localities wish to promote multifaceted cooperation with St. Petersburg.

The project to buid a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in St. Petersburg, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2023, will be a new symbol in the Vietnam-Russia relations in general, and between HCM City and St. Petersburg in particular, the diplomat said.

Vietnam hopes for UN's further support in policymaking: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Vietnam hopes for more support from the global organisation in the process of monetary and financial policy design, during their meeting in Phnom Penh on November 11.

The two sides showed delight to meet again on the sidelines of the ongoing 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related meetings after the Vietnam visit by the UN leader in October.

PM Chinh pledged that Vietnam will continue to implement agreements reached during the visit.

The two leaders held that 2023 will continue to be a difficult year for the world, with many macroeconomic issues such as inflation rise and the raising of the exchange rate and interest rate by central banks of many major countries, which will negatively affect the economies of developing countries.

Along with that, energy and food crises will remain global issues, requiring coordination among all countries, especially world powers, they noted, stressing that developing countries must make greater efforts to prevent external shocks and improve self-reliance, especially in terms of financial security, energy security, and food security.

Guterres expressed pleasure at the contributions that Vietnam has made to the UN as well as the outcomes of his recent Vietnam visit.

He highly valued Vietnam's efforts in post-pandemic economic recovery, and showed his belief in the bright future of the nation with great potentials and friendly and dynamic people.

MOET pledges units to complete procedures to promptly resume IELTS ​exams

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) proposed the educational institutions promptly complete the documents as regulated. After that, the Education Quality Management Agency under the ministry will prioritize handling and soon approve the examinations of granting foreign certificates of foreign-language proficiency, especially IELTS and TOEFL in the next several days.

The Ministry of Education and Training has just given information related to Decree No.86/2018/ND-CP and Circular No.11/2022/TT-BGDDT on prescribing regulations on jointly organizing examinations for granting foreign certificates of foreign-language proficiency.

According to the MOET, the proposal aims to ensure the management function on jointly organizing examinations for granting foreign certificates of foreign-language proficiency and joint parties, and to complete the legal regulations following Decree No.86/2018/ND-CP and Circular No.11/2022/TT-BGDDT on prescribing regulations on jointly organizing examinations for grant of foreign certificates of foreign-language proficiency.

Accordingly, the ministry has given guidance to units, organizations, and joint educational institutions to promptly complete the assessment, and approval documents and the Ministry will also strive to shorten the handling time within 20 days. However, some units and institutions have not had sufficient documents as regulated for approval affecting the examination plan of people in need. 

Previously, on November 11, the Ministry of Education and Training approved the British Council to conduct Aptis exams and will prioritize other certificates.

The temporary cessation of the examinations of granting foreign certificates of foreign-language proficiency recently of the units has caused anxiety to many parents and students, especially those who have students preparing for university admission next year. The IELTS certificate is one of the key criteria that many universities choose to review along with the high-school result. 

The British Council estimated that thousands of Vietnamese candidates would be affected by the decision and the agency is closely working with the Ministry of Education and Training to soon approve the IELTS exam organization.

Apart from IELTS, some other international certificates comprising Cambridge (Starters, Movers, Flyers, PET, KET), HSK, HSKK for Chinese or the Nat-test for Japanese have also been postponed previously.

President attends festival of great national unity in Lai Chau

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the festival of great national unity in communes of Khong Lao, Muong So, Hoang Then in Phong Tho district, the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on November 11, on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of Traditional Day of Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18).

The communes now have 30 residential areas with 3,404 households of Kinh, Thai, Dao, Mong and Day ethnic groups living together.

President Phuc expressed his delight at socio-economic and great national unity achievements made by the Party Committees, authorities and people of the three communes, adding that Lai Chau has overcome a particularly difficult period and is striving to become a middle-class province in the northern mountainous region.

He asked the provincial Party Committee to continue thoroughly grasping the Party's policies and President Ho Chi Minh's Thought on great national unity, especially those for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas and improving people's material and spiritual lives.

The leader suggested continuing to uphold the core role of the VFF and mass organisations in building the great national unity bloc, encouraging citizens to join patriotic emulation and new rural development movements as well as protect security and order and national borders.

He wished each citizen would assume own responsibility for homeland, voluntarily follow the Party and States’ policies and guidelines and offer mutual support to have a better life.

On the occasion, he presented 50 houses worth 2.5 billion VND (104,000 USD) to Lai Chau and gifts to outstanding households of the three communes.

Deputy PM wishes for further support from UNICEF

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has expressed his wish for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN’s continued support to promote and protect children's rights in Vietnam.

During a reception in Hanoi on November 11 for UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M.Russell, Dam said her visit has contributed to reinforcing ties between Vietnam and UNICEF on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam’s UN membership and nearly 40 years of Vietnam’s partnership with UNICEF.

He said the visit will continue promoting ties between UNICEF and Vietnam, contributing to promoting the exercise of children's rights and approaching international standards on children's rights.

Speaking highly of the UNICEF Vietnam Office’s active support over the years, Dam said apart from cooperation activities within the framework of the 2017-2021 Country Programme, UNICEF has actively assisted Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19, particularly in transporting over 70 million vaccine doses under the COVAX Facility, seeking the supply of vaccines for children, providing vaccination equipment and improving national vaccination capacity. Vietnam and UNICEF also embarked on the 2022-2026 Country Programme at a total cost of 70 million USD, most of which is non-refundable aid.

The Vietnamese Government and PM have issued a number of policies and projects to ensure the enforcement of children’s rights that best meets socio-economic conditions, promptly settle traditional and arising children-related issues, fulfill goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including those related to child protection, care and education, he said. 

This year, an estimated 74% of children living in special circumstances received support, up 2% annually. All children aged below 6 were have received free health insurance cards, while 95% of children aged below 1 have been fully vaccinated.

Children's forums at all levels are held annually while the national children's forums are held every two years, with over 1.7 million children attending all-level forums, Dam added. 

Russel hailed Vietnam as one of the first countries to approve the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and actively join global alliances and movements on children’s rights.

She said UN agencies and UNICEF in particular prioritise supporting Vietnam in building and strengthening child protection in Vietnam, including strengthening the legal system, developing a three-level child protection service system, improving the capacity of staff in charge of child protection; and detecting, supporting and intervening in cases of child abuse and those at risk of abuse and violence. 

UNICEF will continue partnering with and offering effective support to Vietnam in child protection, care and education in the near future, she said.

She vowed to pool the support of international organisations, countries and stakeholders to solve difficulties and challenges in the new context in order to demonstrate Vietnam's role in the UN Human Rights Council, as well as strengthen Vietnam's global integration in the field of children's rights.

Vietnam, Netherlands tighten anti-crime cooperation

Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam has expressed his hope that new Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar, with his experience, will contribute to further strengthening friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

During a reception in Hanoi on November 11, Lam said since the establishment of diplomatic ties on April 9, 1973, Vietnam and the Netherlands have witnessed growing friendship and cooperation in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, education and training. They have regularly maintained high-level visits and exchanges, conducted diverse activities to raise mutual understanding, and broaden collaboration in priority areas.

At the same time, ties between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and Dutch law enforcement agencies have been increasingly tightened in various fields, particularly in crime prevention and control. The two sides have maintained and promoted the exchange of high-level delegations and experts to discuss and launch specific cooperation contents.

In order to push forward ties in the coming time, Minister Lam suggested both sides continue with the exchange of delegations at all levels to share experience and information about transnational crime, and sign agreements on crime combat and judicial assistance, thus creating a legal corridor for their joint fight against transnational crime.

The ambassador was asked to boost joint work between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and Dutch agencies, especially in personnel training, sharing of experience in ensuring cyber security and fighting environmental crimes.

Ambassador Kees van Baar vowed that in his capacity, he will serve as a bridge to raise mutual understanding, step up coordination in promising fields and particularly in security and order, connect the two countries’ relevant agencies and between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and Dutch partners in particular to implement cooperation activities within the signed agreements.

Certificate of merit conferred upon Argentine friend of Vietnam

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on November 11 bestowed a certificate of merit on Chairwoman of the Argentina-Vietnam Culture Institute (ICAV) Poldi Sosa Schmidt, who has spent over five decades on conducting friendship activities with Vietnam.

In a friendly meeting with Poldi Sosa on the day, VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, who presented the honour to the cultural advocator, lauded ICAV’s practical contributions to the nations’ increasing mutual understanding.

Believing that the institute will continue to be a bridge connecting Vietnamese and Argentine culture, Nga pledged her commitment to supporting its activities.

Tam Dao honoured as world’s leading town destination 2022

Tam Dao town in the northern mountainous province of Vinh Phuc has won the award for world’s leading town destination 2022, the organizers announced at the 29th World Travel Awards ceremony held in Oman on November 11.

The town beat seven other rivals to come first in the category including Český Krumlov Region of the Czech Repubplic, Hāna, Maui, Hawaii of the United States, Jajce of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sauraha of Nepal, Shirakawa Village of Japan, Talkeetna of the US, and Wanaka of New Zealand.

The World Travel Awards, launched in 1993, acknowledge excellence in the tourism industry, and have been described as the "travel industry's equivalent of the Oscars."

Vietnam named among Top 10 Asian countries with most beautiful women

Vietnam has ranked third in the list of Top 10 Asian countries with most beautiful women by US travel website Wonderslist.

The site stated that Vietnamese women were featured on various media outlets for their incredible beauty and personality.

Their faces are known for their high cheekbones, wide eyes and long eyelashes – all of which add some extra zing to their appearance, according to the website.

The Republic of Korea topped the list for having the best-looking women who have their natural beauty, cultural influences, and their strong independent spirit.

India came second in the list. The beauty of Indian women has caught the attention of many people over the years. Some attribute this to their cultural background and their traditional dress, while others say it’s simply the result of good genes, the website wrote. 

Others in Top 10 Asian nation with most beautiful women include the Philippines, Laos, Pakistan, China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan).

Local beauty heads to Miss Tourism International 2022 in Malaysia

Nguyen Nga, the Vietnamese representative at Miss Tourism International 2022, departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on November 10 to compete in the world's pageant in Malaysia.

She travelled to the pageant with three separate pieces of luggage weighing 150kg in total.

The local beauty, a native of Phu Tho province, stands at 1.74 metres tall with measurements of 89-62-92. She is currently an emcee, model, and actress.

At Miss Globe Vietnam 2022 concluded in Ho Chi Minh City on October 22, Nga finished as second runner-up and claimed several sub-contest titles, including the most favourite contestant, Top Model, the best swimsuit model, and Miss Sports.

Miss Tourism International was held in 1994, aiming to promote tourism and cross-cultural exchanges among various participating countries.

This year the beauty contest is scheduled to take place in Malaysia on November 11-25, drawing the participation of 80 beauties from across the world.

Vietnam has so far sent a total of 12 representatives to the pageant over the years, with Hoang Thu Thao, Thuy Linh and Giao Linh winning the Best National Costume award in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. Hoang Thu Thao also finished among the top 10 in the 2016 contest.

Most notably, 2021 saw Hoang Huong Ly named among the Top 5. She also won the Miss Tourism Metropolitan International title.

Hanoi named as ideal destination for a solo travel adventure

Booking.com has named Hanoi among six ideal destinations for travelers who want to embrace their independence and explore alone on Singles Day (November 11).

According to the website, solo travelers would soon get a taste of Hanoi as they set foot on the busy traffic streets and begin to explore the local culture, distinctive architecture, and the exquisite yet affordable cuisine.

Booking.com said that visitors can hop on a Full-day City Tour to visit several of the city’s most significant temples and historical buildings such as Tran Quoc Pagoda built in the 6th century, one of the city’s oldest pagodas, the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Museum of Ethnology.

Food-lovers are also advised to join a guided street food tour that walks them through the city’s most iconic restaurants.

“Don’t forget to stop along the way and taste the first-try ‘egg coffee’ while in Hanoi”, Booking.com suggested.

Rounding off the list of the top 6 ideal destinations to go on Singles Day include Liverpool of the UK, Ko Ngai of Thailand, Bad Füssing of Germany, Búzios of Brazil, and Yaeyama Islands of Japan.

Installation festival to promote sea protection

An art festival, Art to Save the Sea, will be held at the Tân Thành Flea Market on a section of Nguyễn Phan Vinh street on An Bàng beach, 5km from Hội An, from December 22-24.

The event organiser, Lê Quốc Việt, said the festival plans to display 20 selected art works on a 300m section of the beach front street with the topic of climate change, ocean environmental protection, saving the sea from pollution, recycling and plastic waste.

He said the selection will be open for all participants from November 11th to December 20th, and the best 20 will be shown in the official exhibition.

The organisers said the art works (painting, picture or mock-up) should be 2m wide by 2m high, or 4m long, or 1.5m wide and 2.5m long for sidewalk setup.

It said all art works should be made from weather-proof material for outdoor display at the Kid’s Zone in the street.

Việt said the art festival encourages participants to use recycled and environment-friendly materials for art works.

Vietnamese and foreigners living in Việt Nam can email their works through: tanthanhfleamarket@gmail.com.

National seven-a-side football super cup returns

The outdoor tournament is organised by Vietfootball and sponsored by the Hyundai Thành Công Việt Nam Auto Joint Venture Joint Stock Company.

The second Việt Nam Super Cup Finals -- Hyundai Cup (VSC-S2) seven-a-side football tournament will be held in Hà Nội from December 15-18. 

The outdoor tournament is organised by Vietfootball and sponsored by the Hyundai Thành Công Việt Nam Auto Joint Venture Joint Stock Company.

Organisers on November 11 held a draw for the North, which will see 16 teams competing in four groups.

They will compete from November 13 to December 11 at Hoàng Mai District's football field.

The draw for the South happened on November 9. The sixteen teams are competing from November 12 to December 10 at the Gia Định football field.

The Central Highlands region's competition will be from November 20 to December 11, with eight clubs at the Đắk Lắk Province's Tây Nguyên University campus.

The Central region will see eight teams playing from November 19 to December 10 at the Đà Nẵng's Tuyên Sơn Sports Complex.

Top university teams to battle it out at NUC basketball championship

The participants overcame nearly 100 rivals to earn their place during three regional qualifiers, held in October in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City.

The finals of the National University Championship basketball tournament will begin on November 12, featuring the 14 strongest student teams nationwide.

The participants overcame nearly 100 rivals to earn their place during three regional qualifiers, held in October in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City.

Eight men's and six women's teams have been divided into two groups, competing in a round-robin format. The two best teams of each group will advance to the semi-finals.

The finals are scheduled for November 17, with a prize of VNĐ50 million (US$2,050) for the title holders. The second and third-placed sides will receive VNĐ30 million and VNĐ20 million, respectively. The Most Valued Players will be awarded VNĐ5 million.

All matches will be live aired on the tournament’s fan page at www.facebook.com/nuc.basketball; the fan page of Bóng rổ TV  at www.facebook.com/bongrotv; and tournament’s Youtube www.youtube.com/channel/UCxOfzcmP4gnkYqB4jD98Fww. 

More train tickets offered to meet Tet demand

Thousands of train tickets will be available to meet increasing demand during the coming Tet Holiday.

Around 3,000 tickets will be used for routes from HCM City, Di An and Bien Hoa to central localities such as Tuy Hoa, Dieu Tri, Quang Ngai and Danang from January 9 to January 20, 2023.

Meanwhile, in the southern region, the Saigon Railway Transport JSC will add 3,900 tickets on the HCM City-Quang Ngai route. Train service SE26 will operate more trains from HCM City to Quang Ngai on January 14, 16 and 18, while on January 26, 28 and 31, the SE25 service will run in the opposite direction.

Roughly 76,000 seats remain after two weeks of Tet ticket sales, according to a representative from Vietnam Railways Corporation. Of the figure, 22,000 are for trips from HCM City to Hanoi before Tet, mostly from January 12 to 14 and January 19 to 21, 2023. Meanwhile, some 54,000 are for the Hanoi to HCM City route after the Tet holiday, between January 22 and February 5.

Passengers are advised to buy tickets on Vietnam Railways Corporation’s official website, stations or its agents to avoid being cheated.

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