Hanoi is to launch a 31-day countdown to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

A ceremony to kick-start the countdown is scheduled to take place on April 11, together with the Olympic Run Day for Public Health and the 47th edition of the Ha Noi Moi Newspaper Run at Hoan Kiem Lake at the heart of the capital city.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a stronger South East Asia”, will run in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities from May 12 to 23. It will feature 40 sports with 526 events and expect to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the pandemic’s impact. 

Quang Ninh releases 2.3 million fish fries into Bai Tu Long Bay

Nearly 2.3 million fries of various fish species were released into Bai Tu Long Bay in Cam Pha city of the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh on March 31, aiming to regenerate and increase the diversity of fishery resources in the area.

The activity was carried out by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People’s Committee of Cam Pha district.

Quang Ninh province has over the years allocated funds for fishery resources protection and development.

In the past five years, the province released approximately 10 million fries of shrimp and fish species to the nature, and plans to release about 3 million this year, 30 percent higher than the figure in 2021.

Project helps LGBT teens in service access

Hundreds of activities have been held under a project to help LGBT children and teens access educational, health care and social services.

The project was funded by the Norwegian Organisation for Sexual and Gender Diversity through Save the Children International (SCI) in Vietnam, with a total funding of 9 million VND (394,045 USD).

As of March 31, 2022, the project has drawn the participation of more than 12,500 people and accessed 5,000 young people in the LGBT community.

Vietnam to join regional operation against drug, wildlife trafficking next month

The General Department of Vietnam Customs will participate in the Operation Mekong Dragon IV, a joint regional operation against drug and wildlife trafficking, from April 15 to September 15 this year, the department has announced.

Under the Operation Mekong Dragon IV, local customs units are requested to accelerate collection of information regarding the drug and wildlife trafficking situation across Vietnam and the methods and tactics that traffickers use. The information will be used for risk analysis and warnings to improve the effectiveness of customs inspection and supervision.

Vietnam’s equipment, goods to be transported to UNISFA

Nearly 2,000 tonnes of equipment and goods of Vietnam's first military engineering unit participating in the United Nations peacekeeping operations at the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) will be transported from Hai Phong port in the northern city of Hai Phong to the mission from April 4, according to the Ministry of National Defence’s Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The equipment include 147 types of engineering machines, trucks and guard vehicles.

Colonel Mac Duc Trong, commander of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force at UNISFA and head of the team, said the team has basically completed preparations, and has been transporting the equipment and goods to the Hai Phong port from March 30- April 4.

The UN has officially sent a vessel to the Hai Phong port to receive the equipment and goods from Vietnam, which will be shipped to Sudan port and then transported by road to Khartoum and Kaduqli of Sudan and to UNISFA.

Vietnam launches voluntary midterm report on implementation of UPR third cycle recommendations

The Foreign Ministry on March 31 launched Vietnam's voluntary midterm report on the implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) third cycle recommendations and announced the country's candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure.

The event drew more than 70 delegates who represented many international organisations and foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam, as well as representatives from Vietnamese ministries and sectors that directly engage in the implementation of the recommendations, non-governmental organisations, and human rights researchers in Vietnam.

Recently, at the 49th High-level Segment of the 49th Regular Session of the UNHRC, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that Vietnam pledges to make positive contributions to the work of the council in the spirit of “Mutual Respect. Dialogue and Cooperation. Ensuring All Human Rights, for All.” He also made clear Vietnam’s priorities when joining the council.

Vietnam is willing to cooperate with other member countries and relevant parties to maintain principles of the UN Charter and international law, reinforcing the effectiveness and efficiency of the UNHRC through dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect.

Vietnam will work to promote gender equality, especially for women and girls in the era of digital transformation, while continuing to, together with other members of key groups, to propose a resolution on human rights and climate change, and making contributions to the council’s efforts in ensuring the right to access health care services, especially in the post-pandemic recovery period. Vietnam will also promote people’s rights to decent work to complete the Agenda 2030, and education on human rights.

Vietnam, France step up collaboration in public services, administrative modernisation

The Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs and the French Ministry of Public Sector Transformation and the Civil Service on March 31 signed a cooperation agreement in the field of public services and administrative modernisation.

The pact was inked by Vietnamese Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra and French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery on behalf of the two agencies.

Under the agreement, the two sides will exchange experience and real-life practices in a range of aspects, including digital government and e-government building, digital transformation of public administration, management of document and digital data, gender equality policy, and leadership capacity support.

They are expected to work together regarding related wage issues and human resources training; exchange experience in the organisation of local administrations in urban, rural, and island areas; and build a legal framework and a system of public service ethics control.

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approved for children from 6 to under 12 years old

Vietnam’s health authorities announced they have expanded the emergency use authorisation for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (Spikevax) to include children from 6 to under 12 years old.

The dosage will be 0.25ml, or half of the dosage for adults, according to the Drug Administration of Vietnam.

The amendment to the original approval of the vaccine is based on the request and subsequent data submission from Zuellig Pharma Vietnam, which distributes the COVID-19 vaccines in the Asian region.

The primary vaccination course is two doses, with the interval between the two shots set at four weeks.

Dossier of Via Ba Chua Xu festival approved for submission to UNESCO

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved the submission of the dossier of the Via Ba Chua Xu festival in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang for UNESCO's recognition as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO was tasked with being in charge of the submission and working with the ministry to complete all necessary procedures for sending the dossier to UNESCO prior to March 31.

The Via Ba Chua Xu festival honours the holy lady of Mount Sam in An Giang’s Chau Doc city. It annually takes place from the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month. It was recognised as national intangible heritage in late 2014.

Institute inviting volunteers for trials of nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine

The Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province, is recruiting more volunteers for trials of a nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine.

It plans to recruit 3,000 volunteers aged at least 18 in central Quang Nam and Khanh Hoa provinces for the third-phase trials of the viral vector-based influenza vaccine.

The recruitment will last from now through April 30, she noted, adding that the trials are scheduled to last for one year since the spray administration, and the interval between two doses is 14 days.

The first- and second-phase clinical trials have proved this nasal spray vaccine is safe and good in immune response generation. Apart from Vietnam, the third-phase trials of this vaccine are also being carried out in four other countries, namely Colombia, the Philippines, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Vietnamese young artist’s paintings exhibited in UK

A solo exhibition “The gioi lon trong mat tre tho” (Big World, Little Eyes) by Vietnamese young painter Xeo Chu is underway in London from March 29 – April 4 in the framework of the Vietnam Days in the UK 2022.

On display are 40 works that Xeo Chu, born 2007, painted during a decade since he started his painting career at the age of 4.

The event also introduces a series of paintings about Mu Cang Chai terraced fields – a famous landscape in the Northwest that left a deep impression on the artist.

Also within the Vietnam Days in the UK 2022, a contemporary painting exhibition themed “Que huong” (Homeland) by four Vietnamese artists Dinh Quan, Do Minh Tam, Pham Binh Chuong and Doan Van Toi, was held from March 30 to April 1.

Young Vietnamese hopeful named as future AFC star

Vietnamese footballer Nguyen Thanh Binh recently won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s vote on the future star for match day 10 of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Thanh Binh scored the only goal of the game to help the national team record a historic draw against Japan in the World Cup qualifiers on March 29. During the match, the 21-year-old scored one goal and made six clearances.

The AFC vote considered Thanh Binh and Harib Abdalla of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the voting. Indeed, the 19-year-old UAE player scored one goal as his team beat the Republic of Korea 1-0 in their final Asian qualifier, thereby helping the UAE to secure a ticket to the coming play-off match against Australia.

The Vietnamese footballer won the poll after claiming 67.4% of the vote compared to the 32.6% of his opponent.

Photo exhibition marks 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties with RoK

A press photo exhibition officially opened in Seoul on March 31 to celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of Vietnam’s diplomatic ties with the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The exhibition, running from March 31 to May 5, is expected to feature 86 photos by journalists of the two media agencies, materials detailing the 30-year history of the diplomatic ties and videos containing information on the two countries. 

VN to preserve vulnerable wildlife amid climate change

Scientists have studied, evaluated and predicted the impact of climate change on wildlife species in Việt Nam.

The studies conducted by the National Science and Technology Programme on natural resources, environment, and climate change for 2016-20 showed that 18 out of 51 evaluated animal species were classified as seriously affected by climate change. Primates are the group suffering the most.

An assessment of 50 bird species also revealed that 16 species, distributed in areas at high risk of changes in temperature and rainfall, were feeling the impact of climate change.

Climate change seriously affected 93 out of 288 plant species examined. Đà Lạt pine is a precious and rare genetic resource categorised as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to scientists, climate change adaptation-related activities in Việt Nam are still limited. Knowledge about biodiversity conservation in the context of climate change is still relatively new for staff of protected areas and national parks.

Although there are several conservation action programmes for important species groups, such as the one for pangolins, turtles, elephants, primates, and tigers, there is none on protection for species that are vulnerable to climate change.

VN football team prepare to defend their SEA Games gold

On April 7, one week after the end of their historic World Cup qualifiers, coach Park Hang–seo and his men will begin another journey -- defending Việt Nam’s gold at the upcoming SEA Games 31.

At the last tournament the national team triumphed, thanks in no small part to the 64-year-old South Korean at the helm and that over-age players allowed to be selected under SEA Games regulations.

The shortlist last time included Quế Ngọc Hải, Vũ Văn Thanh, Nguyễn Văn Toàn, Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng and Đỗ Hùng Dũng, but only two could be choosen for SEA Games 30.

In the end, Dũng (25 at the time) and Hoàng (29) were chosen, though this year, three over-age players can be selected.

Throughout the tournament, both captain Dũng and Hoàng shone brightly, playing an extremely important role in leading their younger teammates to the first men's footballing gold medal in 60 years.

Three central provinces join hands to lure tourists

The central provinces of Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh have launched a new inter-provincial tour as part of the ongoing Việt Nam International Travel Mart Hà Nội 2022.

With the tour titled Three Localities – One Destination, the tourism sector in the three neighbouring provinces is ready to welcome visitors back under the guidelines of safety and friendliness, Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, director of Nghệ An Tourism Department said.

The three provinces have co-ordinated to build new tourism products, including a tour to visit cultural heritage sites and relax by the sea (Hồ Citadel – Kim Liên Relic Site – Thiên Cầm Beach Tourism Site); a tour to visit revolutionary bases and ecological sites with extreme sports (Pù Luông - trekking Pu Xai Lai Leng Peak - to Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Ecological Site); and a self-driving tour along the Hồ Chí Minh Trail passing Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh.

Japanese, Vietnamese partners cooperate on education, publications

ASK International from Japan, in cooperation with Đông Á University in Đà Nẵng, will publish two books on Japanese language learning for Vietnamese students in 2022 as part of an agreement on education and human resources training signed by the two partners in Japan last year.

It’s expected that two local publishing houses will issue 4,000 copies of the books to provide learning documents for Vietnamese learners in central Việt Nam later this year.

ASK International said Japanese language e-learning courses would be held for Vietnamese students to promote Japanese language vocational practice skills before working in Japan.

Students practice at a laboratory of a university in central Việt Nam. Partners in Đà Nẵng, HCM City, Japan, have joined a cooperation in education and scientific research. VNS Photo Công Thành

Regular tests not needed for newborns with COVID

According to new guidance from the Ministry of Health, it is not necessary to regularly test newborns who are infected with COVID-19, even if their caregivers have the virus.

Infants with COVID can take home treatment if they are asymptomatic or have mild clinical symptoms and no serious symptoms.

The ministry’s guidance points out specific serious signals in the newborn such as breastfeeding less, dozing off and finding it hard to wake up, signs of respiratory failure, groaning, wheezing, rising and falling nostrils, and apnea lasting more than 20 seconds.

Vietnam up two notches in latest FIFA rankings

The Vietnamese national men’s football team have jumped two notches to finish 96th in the world, the world’s football governing body FIFA said in its latest rankings on March 31.

Vietnam risked dropping out of the Top 100 due to their unconvincing results in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, their 1-1 draw against hosts Japan on March 29 helped head coach Park Hang-seo’s team climb from 98th to 96th position in the global rankings.

In Asia, Vietnam remain in 16th place.

According to the latest rankings, Vietnam still stay atop Southeast Asia, trailing behind archrivals Thailand that climbed one spot to 111th.

Meanwhile, the Philippines are ranked in 133rd, while Myanmar and Malaysia are placed 152nd and 154th, respectively.

VR exhibition showcases beauty of Vietnam’s border regions

A virtual reality exhibition opened on March 31 to showcase the best works from a photography contest on Vietnam’s sovereignty and the beauty of its border regions.

The contest, launched for the first time in 2020, drew the participation of about 7,000 entries from 745 photographers from all of the country’s 63 provinces and centrally-governed cities, reflecting the public’s deep interest in the topic.

After the exhibition’s opening ceremony, the organisers launched the second edition of the contest, open to all Vietnamese citizens both at home and abroad.

Entries should be submitted to the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists no later than August 30.

Hanoi approves Duong River Zoning plan

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh signed decision No.1046 approving the Duong River Zoning plan, the section from Bac Cau Bridge to Phu Dong Bridge at the scale of 1/5000.

The plan would cover an area of 1,152 hectares that is expected to be home to 8,296 people by 2030.

The North of the planned area is set to border the dykes on the left side of the Duong river and the N9 residential area in the districts of Dong Anh, Gia Lam; the South would face the dykes on the right side of the Duong river in Long Bien District; the West borders the Bac Cau Bridge and Red River Zoning plan; N10 residential area and the southern reaches Phu Dong Bridge.

Hanoi is set to build a high-standard dyke system in the area to prevent risks of flooding and upgrade the waterway routes to bolster regional connectivity.

The available land portfolio in this area would be used for tree planting, as the city aims to preserve the natural landscape and historical sites for tourism.

In addition, Hanoi would build new roads alongside the Duong River, as well as bridges crossing it, to create a new growth engine for the area.

Hanoi starts construction of second waste-to-energy plant

The new factory, located on the outskirts of the city, is expected to treat a high volume of waste in the capital city.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a waste-to-energy factory with a total investment of VND3.5 trillion (US$153 million) was held at Xuan Son landfill, Son Tay Town and Ba Vi District.

The plant, covering ​​2.5ha, will be equipped with European technology with a daily capacity of burning 1,500 tons of solid waste and generating 37MW of electricity.

It is estimated to be completed within 20 months. Once being put into operation, the factory will help reduce the volume of landfill waste to 3%.

“Hanoi- Travel to Love” to boost the city’s tourism

Hanoi Tourism Festival in 2022 will be held from 13 to 15 May as part of the tourism stimulus program to lure international visitors to Hanoi, according to a plan recently approved by the municipal People’s Committee.

Some cultural exchange spaces, tourist and local product booths, as well as gastronomic areas, will be set up around the iconic Hoan Kiem lake of the capital city.

Specifically, at the two cultural exchange spaces on Le Lai and Le Thach streets, 2D and 3D miniatures of Hanoi’s famous tourist destinations such as Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature, Son Tay Ancient Citadel among others will be set up for visitors to take “check-in” photos.

On Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Thach streets, around 80 booths of tour operators will be set up, presenting tourism products, tour combos, accommodation and flight tickets.

In addition, the Hanoi tourism festival this year also draws the participation of international travel agencies, introducing hot destinations around the world.

Visitors to the festival will have the chance to experience lots of cultural spaces as well as buy high-quality tourism products at reasonable prices offered by travel agencies.

The highlight of the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2022 is a space for craft villages and cuisine at Octagonal House.

Hanoi aims to welcome 9-10 million visitors, including 1.2-2 million foreigners this year and 12-14 million tourists, including 2.5-3.5 million foreigners in 2023.

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

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 31

Nearly 1,700 Vietnamese people return home safely from Ukraine