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The authorities of Ho Chi Minh City have issued a plan on organising pilot in-person classes starting December 13.

The pilot programme, targeting students at the 1st, 9th and 12th grades, will last for two weeks until December 25, with five-year-old kids attending their kindergartens from the beginning of the second week.

Based on outcomes of the pilot and advises from the municipal departments of Health and Education and Training, the local People’s Committee will decide whether to gradually expanding the subjects of the programme or to reopen schools across the city on January 3 next year.

VN football star named player to watch at AFF Suzuki Cup 2020

Forward Nguyen Tien Linh has been chosen among 10 players to look out for at the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 by ESPN’s sports journalist Gabriel Tan.

For all Vietnam's defensive stability and invention in midfield, Linh, standing at 1.83 metres, offers a focal point in attack and a keen eye of goal, having already scored seven goals in Vietnam's ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign, he wrote.

The games are scheduled to take place in Bishan stadium of Singapore, which has a capacity of 6,000. However, the organising board only allows 1,000 football fans to enter the stadium due to COVID-19.

Vietnam National University - Hanoi establishes two new member schools

The Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi has upgraded its two faculties into VNU – International School (VNU – IS) and VNU – Hanoi School of Business and Management (VNU – HSB).

The business and management faculty, now VNU-HSB, was established in July 1995, providing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business and management, as well as consultancy services for both public and private sectors. It has a network of more than 13,000 alumni, many of whom are holding important positions in governmental organisations and major companies.

The international faculty, now VNU-IS, was founded in July 2002, offering courses covering a wide range of fields, from economics, business, management, finance, to data science, technology, and hospitability. Over 4,000 students from 12 countries are pursuing higher education at the school. It has established partnership with nearly 40 universities and institutes in the US, the UK, France, Russia, Malaysia, Taiwan (China), among others.

Vietnam, Australia hold fifth defence policy dialogue

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien and Peter Tesch, Deputy Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Industry at Australia’s Department of Defence, co-chaired the two countries’ fifth defence policy dialogue on December 1.

Exchanging views on the global and regional situations and issues of mutual concern, they shared a common stance regarding the East Sea issue.

Both emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters, and of settling disputes at sea by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the UNCLOS. It is also necessary to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea as well as to speed up negotiations to soon achieve an efficient and effective code of conduct in the waters in line with international law, they added.

The two sides agreed to continue to maintain and foster the defence ties and approve a three-year bilateral defence cooperation plan for the 2022-2024 period. They stated that both countries are responsible members of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM ) and regularly consult and support each other at regional forums.

Vietnam prioritises protecting rights of bomb and mine victims

According to Deputy Minister of Labours, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan, the number of bombs and mines left over from the war in Vietnam is about 800,000 tonnes, scattered over about 6.1 million hectares or nearly 19 percent of the total area of the country. From 1975 to date, more than 40,000 people have died and 60,000 people have been injured due to the detonation of these explosive devices.

In 2020, the State budget spent 374 billion VND (16.46 million USD) on implementing a policy on education for disabled people, including the bomb and mine victims.

In 2021 – 2025, the Ministry of Labours, Invalids, and Social Affairs is set to focus on assisting people with disabilities in doing business, and seeking vocational training and employment. In hotspots of bomb and mine pollution, the group will be supported via livelihoods models.

Additional 14,508 COVID-19 cases recorded on December 1

Vietnam recorded 14,508 infections of COVID-19 in 61 localities during 24 hours from 4pm November 30 to 4pm December 1, including two imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

Ho Chi Minh City continued to record the highest number of infections with 1,675, followed by Can Tho with 989 and Soc Trang province with 757. The national tally reached 1,252,590.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 6,497 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 674 requiring invasive ventilation and 14 on life support (ECMO).

On the day, the country saw 196 deaths from the disease. The death toll now hits 25,448.

Vietnam seeks consultancy in developing energy technologies

The Vietnam Energy and Technology Forum 2021 was held in Hanoi on November 30 to put forward policies and recommendations for Vietnam in energy technologies.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said though the energy industry has experienced strong growth over the past several years, expanding 10 percent in average annually, Vietnam had to import electricity.

Vietnam is likely to face a shortage of electricity in the future, so it is crucial for the country to develop alternative energy sources, especially the renewables, to enhance energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emission.

The Ministry of of Science and Technology is crafting plans for developing renewable energy technologies, it needs advice and help from academics and enterprises to come up with the best supportive policies for the development of energy technologies.

Study Melbourne Hub opens in Vietnam

The Australian-based Study Melbourne established an educational centre in Ho Chi Minh City on December 1, offering a vibrant and friendly space alive with opportunities to experience Melbourne.

The Study Melbourne Hub Ho Chi Minh City has classrooms, meeting rooms, equipment to support students in participating in online learning; and in connecting with services and study programmes of educational institutions from the Australian state of Victoria.

Statistics showed that before COVID-19, about 24,000 Vietnamese students lived and studied in Australia.

Vietnamese referees selected for 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has sent an official letter to Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to appoint female referee Bui Thi Thu Trang and assistant referee Truong Thi Le Trinh to participate in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Tournament.

The Vietnamese referees will play a vital role in administering the matches of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Tournament in Mumbai, India from January 14 to February 7, 2022. They will have to experience the preparation session and physical strength check from mid-January to January 19, 2022.

The Vietnam women's national football team will also join in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Tournament under the training of coach Mai Duc Chung. The Vietnam team will confront Japan, Myanmar and South Korea at Group C.

HCM City: Nearly 1,000 medical workers quit in January-October

Nearly 1,000 medical workers in HCM City quit their jobs from January to October 2021, surging 65% year-on-year, mainly for personal reasons.

According to head of the municipal Department of Health’s office Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, in 2020, 597 medical workers left their jobs. Mai said they might move to private healthcare centers.

Those who quit their jobs this year were mainly those at the medical stations of communes and wards.

September 8 proposed as day to honour Vietnamese language abroad

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training have proposed September 8 as the day to honour the Vietnamese language in overseas Vietnamese communities.

For the community of 5.3 million Vietnamese people living and working in over 130 countries and territories, the Vietnamese language is both the national pride and the firm foundation of the Vietnamese culture.

Therefore, it is necessary to have a policy to honour the beauty, value and history of the Vietnamese language so as to further promote the teachings and learnings of the language in overseas Vietnamese communities.

Vietnam inaugurates its first Honorary Consular Office in Turkey 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey has inaugurated Vietnam’s first Honorary Consular Office in Istanbul.

The office is led by Ali Tezolmez, 55, a successful businessman who was been appointed Honorary Consul in Istanbul by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam. Tezolmez has experience in leading many businesses and business associations in both Turkey and Vietnam.

2,000 Vietnamese died of HIV/AIDS each year

HIV/AIDS is still a burden on Vietnam with about 12,000 new cases diagnosed and about 2,000 deaths each year, according to the latest report on HIV/AIDS situation in Vietnam.

To date, about 212,769 people are living with HIV in Vietnam. Since the beginning of this year, 10,925 people have been found positive to the virus, 84.8 percent of whom are male, while 1,528 have died of the syndrome, bringing the total deaths so far to 108,849.

Unsafe sexual activities remain the main method of HIV transmission in the country with 79.1 percent of new cases this year. 

Vietnam has about 1,300 facilities providing HIV testing and consultation services, along with 201 labs qualified to confirm HIV testing results in 63 cities and provinces across the nation. 

Hanoi, Danang allow Covid patients with mild symptoms to be under home quarantine

Asymptomatic coronavirus patients and those with mild symptoms in Hanoi and Danang cities have been allowed to receive home-based care, provided their houses meet the health authorities’ requirements.

As of November 29, Hanoi's four outlying districts of  Hoai Duc, Soc Son, My Duc and Thanh Tri were providing treatment for patients with mild symptoms or those who were asymptomatic at pop-up health care stations.

Danang has also issued a pilot plan to allow asymptomatic Covid patients and those with mild symptoms to undergo home-based quarantine and treatment in December.

After the pilot period, the Danang Health Department will review the outcome of the pilot plan and propose expanding it to the city’s anti-Covid authority based on the Covid situation in the central locality.

AIP to provide helmets, safety training to Vietnamese students

Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation is carrying out Phase III of its Safety Delivered programme in Thai Nguyen and HCM City to reduce road crash injuries and fatalities among children and vulnerable road users through helmet distribution and education, combined with advocacy and awareness initiatives that target youth, community members, civil society, and governments to address high-risk road behaviours.

AIP Foundation plans to present 4,900 helmets to students in Phase III in 2021-2022. The helmet handover ceremony for students was organised online on November 28 in Thai Nguyen Province. The other handover in HCM City will be held on December 12.

In Phase III of the Safety Delivered programme supported by The UPS Foundation, 50 percent of students taking part in the program are from underrepresented communities. These children often lack access to safe and sustainable commutes. 

Singapore's Young Social Entrepreneurs program debuts in Vietnam

The Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF) signature Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) Regional programme has made its debut in Vietnam.

YSE Regional | Hanoi joined the Vietnam National University – International School (VNU-IS) to organize a three-day virtual workshop from 26 to 28 November. The workshop was attended by 22 Vietnamese young social entrepreneurs, representing 10 social enterprises from six cities nationwide. 

Participants from YSE Regional | Hanoi will have the opportunity to further their YSE journey by applying for direct admission into the 2022 edition of the main international programme, YSE Global.

The YSE Global and Regional programmes have nurtured more than 1,300 changemakers of 42 nationalities and an international network of 618 social enterprises since 2010.

Initiative launched to lower number of child drownings in Vietnam

As part of an initiative to prevent child injuries, including drowning, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the World Health Organisation are working together, starting with a conference held in Hanoi on November 30.

In the coming time, the programme will focus activities on training at least 13,000 children on survival swimming and 20,000 children on water safety education in 2022. 

Drowning has caused 2.5 million deaths around the world in the last decade. An estimated 235,600 people drown every year. Sadly, more than 90 per cent of drowning deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. 

Hanoi war exhibition to be held at Hoa Lo prison

In 1946, the streets of Hanoi were the scene of 60 days of intense fighting between revolutionaries under President Ho Chi Minh and the French colonial forces. Now, an exhibition on the battle is being broadcast on the social media channels of the Hoa Lo Prison.

The exhibition, which is called The Vow of Fighting to the Death, will be broadcast until the end of March 2022 on the prison museums Facebook page, as well as on the exclusive radio channel "Time travel" on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

The exhibition consists of three main themes: “Ho Chi Minh’s appeal for national resistance”, “Hanoi standing up” and “Forward to Hanoi”.

HCM City Travel Fair 2021 to be held online 

The annual HCM City Travel Fair will for the first time be held virtually from December 4 to 25. It would be held on the websites of the fair, the department at www.visithcmc.vn, e-commerce site Shopee, and Traveloka appd.

The festival, with the theme ‘Safe destinations- Fantastic itineraries’ this year and organised jointly with the HCM City Tourism Association, is aimed at reviving tourism as the country seeks to safely adapt to COVID.

It will have more than 100 stalls put up by travel and tourism businesses and the tourism sectors of 27 cities and provinces, offering local travel products at discounted prices.

Photo exhibition to celebrates HCMC Photography Association 40th anniversary

An outdoor photo exhibition about HCM City and its history has openeed on Dong Khoi Street to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the city’s Photography Association.

The event, called Photos on the Street, features 200 black-and-white and colour photos highlighting the contributions of labourers and farmers during the city’s history and development. The event includes a series of prize-winning photos captured by the association’s members.

The exhibition will run through December 31.

Final-phase trial of Vietnam’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate lacks volunteers 

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and the Hanoi Medical University, which are in charge of the human trial of Vietnam’s second Covid-19 vaccine, Covivac, have not been able to recruit as sufficient volunteers as required for the final-phase trial, resulting in the suspension of the clinical trial.

The human trial of the vaccine was initiated in February and the first and second trial phases have been completed with the participation of nearly 600 volunteers. After the two phases, the vaccine proved to be safe and produce a strong immune response.

According to the Ministry of Health, Covid vaccine candidates which are being developed in Vietnam include Nanocovax, ARCT-154, Sputnik V and a vaccine produced by Japan’s Shionogi Inc.

Vietnam, EU discuss bilateral, multilateral issues

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang and the Ambassadors of the European Union, France, Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic discussed bilateral ties and several multilateral issues between Vietnam and the EU during a meeting in Hanoi on December 1.

Both sides pledged to step up collaboration in various areas, including the early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), removal of obstacles regarding yellow card warning on Vietnam’s fisheries and fight against COVID-19.

The two sides promised to continue with discussions to raise mutual understanding on issues of shared concern in the spirit of mutual respect, good will and cooperation within existing mechanisms.

Hanoi welcomes 300,000 tourists in November  

The number of domestic visitors to Hanoi reached 300,000 in November after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

The figure declined by 57% year on year, making the total revenue down 51% to VND844 billion (US$39 million).

The travelers usually came in small groups and families to visit museums, parks, ecological zones, hotels and resorts in Hanoi.

Compiled by Le Ha

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 1

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 1

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets embassy's staff in Russia