Vietnam hopes Cambodia will work closely with Vietnam to soon complete the planting of markers along their common land border, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc told visiting Cambodian Senate President Samdec Say Chhum in Hanoi on October 25.

Vietnam and Cambodia have completed 84% of the workload and both sides should step up land border demarcation and marker planting at the earliest possible time, said Phuc.

He welcomed the results of the October 24 talks between Vietnam National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Cambodia State President Say Chhum, and said the two countries should regularly maintain high-level visit exchanges and promote cooperation mechanisms in all channels so as to consolidate and strengthen reliable political relations.

He also suggested that both sides support each other at multilateral forums such as the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Asia – Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), while enhancing people-to-people exchanges, especially among young generations, in order to cultivate and constantly strengthen the traditional friendship and close bond between the two nations.

President Phuc noted despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade turnover last year still reached over US$9.5 billion, up 79% year on year. Vietnam’s investment in Cambodia ranks first in Southeast Asia and is among the top five largest foreign investors in Cambodia.   

The President expected the Cambodia Senate and President Say Chhum personally would continue supporting Vietnamese expatriates in the country, including naturalization, to help stabilize their lives. He also proposed Cambodia create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in their host country.

The same day, State president Say Chhum met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. They both agreed that the two countries would further improve the efficiency of their economic - trade - investment cooperation in a bid to promote socio-economic recovery in their respective countries.

It’s necessary to promote the Vietnam – Cambodia economic connectivity, in terms of hard infrastructure and policymaking, creating new impetus for strengthening cooperation in other fields such as trade, investment, energy, tourism, education and training between localities, especially border provinces, they said.

PM Chinh thanked Cambodia for working closely with Vietnam in rescuing many Vietnamese citizens who were scammed and illegally forced to work at foreign owned business establishments in Cambodia, and requested the two sides continue collaboration to resolve this issue completely.

He suggested that the two countries coordinate alongside other ASEAN member states to maintain the bloc’s solidarity and central role in addressing strategic issues, including the East Sea issue.

Vietnam and Cambodia established diplomatic ties on June 24, 1967, and 2022 marks 55 years of their diplomacy. The two countries have organized numerous activities within the framework of the Vietnam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022.

TasteAtlas names Vietnamese noodle soup as best food

TasteAtlas, a website that discovers ingredients, traditional dishes and authentic restaurants, has recently honoured Vietnamese noodle soup (Pho) as one of the 100 best dishes in the world.

According to TasteAtlas, Pho is the Vietnamese national dish, street food, comfort food, and more than that it is a way of life.

Although it is classified as a soup, Pho is served as the main course which is completely different from soup.

The traditional food is made with chicken or beef broth, where the bones simmer lazily for at least three hours until the broth is perfect.

In April, Vietnam’s Pho ranked second in the list of 20 best soups in the world by CNN Travel. 

Vietnam wins FIFAe Continental Cup 2022

Vietnamese team Progamer has won the FIFAe Continental Cup 2022, a virtual esport football tournament.

Programmer, made up of ProGxDISASTER, ProGxLieta, ProGxDjokovic, and ProGxBae, successfully beat CrazyWin of the Republic of Korea to win the virtual tournament.

This marks the first international title won by a Vietnamese team in FIFA Online 4.

In the final match of the tournament the competitors had to play in a best-of-five format (Bo5), meaning a team must win three out of five games in order to be crowned champions.

The Vietnamese team were able to three games, losing only two, in order to bring brought home US$100,000 in prize money.

The FIFAe Continental Cup represents the biggest tournament of the EA SPORT FIFA Online 4 Series this year, with the event attracting the participation of the 16 highest-ranked teams from across the world and giving away US$300,000 in prize money.

Education for Nature Vietnam issues 2021 law enforcement responsiveness report

The Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) on October 24 issued an annual report reviewing efforts of 62 cities and provinces in handling wildlife violations reported by the public in 2021, excluding Bac Lieu province which registered no cases.

The report suggests a continued high responsiveness rate of 97% for all publicly reported wildlife crimes on a national scale, similar to the rate recorded in 2020 which was nearly 98%. However, there was a marginal decrease in terms of the national success rate, especially with regard to that on cases involving live animals.

This can be partly explained by the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in late enforcement responses in some cases. However, it also indicates the need for an improvement in law enforcement authorities’ capacity to respond to and handle publicly reported wildlife crimes for more successful results in the coming years.

The central city of Da Nang surpassed all other localities across most of the evaluation categories, from responsiveness rate to success rate. In detail, the city achieved an overall case success rate of 52.9% and 80% for cases involving live animals

At 82.4%, the central province of Thanh Hoa achieved the highest success rate in handling publicly reported wildlife crimes in 2021.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City still recorded the highest number of reported cases. However, Ho Chi Minh City achieved a relatively low success rate of 15.9% overall and 15.8% for live animal cases – both of these being far below the national averages.

The report re-emphasised the need for law enforcement agencies to respond quickly and decisively to all publicly reported violations to ensure the law is applied in a consistent, sustained, and determined fashion, ultimately leading to the eradication of wildlife crime in Vietnam.

Phuong Vinh makes good start at Veghel World Cup

Vietnamese cueist Bao Phuong Vinh on October 24 got off to a good start in the opening pool match of the Carom Billiard 3-Cushion Veghel World Cup, which is getting underway in the Netherlands.

Vinh has been drawn in Group L alongside strong rivals Gurhan Kabak and Norbert Roestel, both from Germany.

The first pool match of the tournament saw the Vietnamese billiard player successfully beat Kabak with a score of 30-16.

Moving forward, Vinh will face off against Norbert Roestel at midnight on October 25 (local time) to earn a place in the third qualifying round.

The two other Vietnamese players participating in the competition, Do Nguyen Trung Hau and Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, also won their matches to progress to the next round.

The UMB World Three-cushion Championship is a professional carom billiards tournament in the discipline of three-cushion billiards, organised almost annually by the Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB).

This year, Vietnam has sent five cueists to compete in the tournament, namely Tran Quyet Chien, Nguyen Duc Anh Chien, Do Nguyen Trung Hau, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, and Bao Phuong Vinh.

Vietnam, Namibia to boost relations in multiple fields

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu held online talks with Namibian Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Jenelly Matundu on October 24, affirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to the friendship and cooperation with Namibia.

Deputy Minister Hieu valued the two countries’ cooperation at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, and thanked Namibia for backing Vietnam’s candidacy for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council for 2023 -2025.

Speaking highly of bilateral relations, Matundu underlined her country’s consistent support for Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation in the past as well as national development efforts at present. She also asked Vietnam to share experience in addressing war aftermath and coordinate in the implementation of the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace, and security.

The two officials agreed to increase all-level mutual visits and step up meetings between Vietnamese and Namibian ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses so as to create prerequisites for multifaceted partnerships, especially in economy, trade, and investment.

They held that there remains much room for cooperation in economy, trade, and investment. They highlighted the determination to raise bilateral trade by providing the best possible conditions for commodities of the two countries' strength to enter each other’s markets and encouraging enterprises to seek investment and business chances in each other’s countries.

During the talks, the two sides also agreed to accelerate the negotiation of important agreements to create preconditions for bilateral cooperation.

Deputy Minister Matundu said she will ask her ministry’s units to ratify the agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders between the two countries early.

Hanoi bus passengers numbers improve from Covid low

Bus passenger numbers in Hanoi have considerably increased but remain lower than in the pre-Covid-19 pandemic period.

Thai Ho Phuong, deputy director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management Centre, said that in the first nine months of this year, Hanoi’s bus passenger number reached 212.7 million, up 25.1 percent on-year. However, the figure is still 40 percent lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The city has seen a surge in bus passengers since the second quarter of this year.

Between January and September, the city opened six new electric bus lines and five normal bus routes connected to the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line. By late September, Hanoi was home to 154 bus routes with 4,396 stops.

Hanoi Transport Service Company, which operates 70 bus routes in the city said that the firm was severely affected by the pandemic. It has focused on improving service quality to attract more passengers.

In the first eight months of this year, the company organised nearly 350 training courses for its 6,409 staff.

Australia’s Escape: Vietnam delivers Asia’s best value

Australia’s tourism newswire Escape has recently published an article hailing Vietnam as an ideal budget destination for Australian tourists.

In the article entitled “On a budget? Why Vietnam delivers Asia’s best value”, the author highlighted reasons for why this Southeast Asian country is the best “worth every penny” choice for Oceanian visitors.

The author wrote that lower inflation in Vietnam and a stronger-than-usual Aussie dollar against Asian currencies are a good confluence of events for those wanting to travel to Vietnam.

“Not only can you nab some incredible deals on budget direct flights from Australia, but there’s also a tonne of distressed accommodation rates due mostly to the country’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns which brutalised their tourism industry for over two years”, he said.

He cited his own experience to help readers envision an affordable trip to Vietnam, saying that from midday, on any given day, glasses of local lager are enjoyed by both locals and tourists from as little as 0.20 to 0.50 AUD each. Drinking cheap ‘Bia Hoi’ (beer) on a Hanoi street corner was made ubiquitous for tourists.

According to him, the Vietnamese have perfected coffee culture to a point where it rivals even Melbourne or Milan. A basic Vietnamese coffee, with the usual (welcome) addition of sweetened condensed milk, only fetches 1.6 AUD. He is particularly impressed by “Egg Coffee”, a popular Hanoi delicacy. It is the yolk of an egg, machine-whisked with milk, then poured over an Americano which ranges from 2-3 AUD.

Vietnam’s ground transport services like Uber’s equivalent - Grab are not only ridiculously cheaper but also way more efficient. A trip across the entire Old Quarter of Hanoi on the back of a Grab (with a helmet supplied) will set a visitor back about 2-3 AUD.

The first Vietnamese food he told was “pho” with a steaming, hot, delicious bowl costing about 2.5 AUD in Hanoi. He also mentioned “banh mi” (bread) in Vietnamese, saying that there are hundreds of “banh mi” shops around the city.

About accommodation, he said visitors don’t have to spend much to live like a King or Queen in Vietnam. A night at a five-star hotel in Hanoi only asks for about 160 AUD, including breakfast. Cheaper choices are also available at 29 AUD per night.

It isn’t a trip to Southeast Asia without a pampering session. Facials, pedicures, massages, and cut-throat shaves are all part of the experience. A two-hour spa package in Hanoi charges 70 AUD which includes a herbal foot soaking, manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, and sauna experience. For the blokes, a basic haircut, wash, cutthroat, local beer and head and shoulders massage will demand some 28 AUD.

Twenty dance troupes to compete in HCM City dance fest

Around 20 dance troupes from Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces are participating in the 2022 HCM City Dance Arts Festival from October 24-26.

The biennial festival, organised by the HCM City Dancers Association, will attract more than 150 dancers from the city, and Long An and Dong Nai provinces.

The participants will present 50 works in different genres, including traditional folk dance, contemporary folk dance, contemporary dance and ballet.

The festival will take place at the city’s Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, District 1.

Two people stabbed to death at Bac Ninh hair salon

A 19-year-old woman and her boyfriend were stabbed to death at her hair salon in the northern province of Bac Ninh on Monday evening.

According to reports from local police, the incident occurred at 9 pm on October 24 when Phan Thanh Hoang, 19, killed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend at her hair salon on Nguyen Gia Thieu Street.

Local residents heard screams for help from the victims but as they arrived, the two were both dead from serious injuries.

After killing the two with a knife, Hoang sat at the scene until police arrived and arrested him.

Initial investigations showed that Hoang and the woman who are both from Tuyen Quang Province used to be in a relationship. The woman decided to leave him and move to Bac Ninh Province and opened a hair salon. Here she started dating another man.

On the evening of October 24, Hoang came to her salon with a knife and killed both of them.

Quiz helps raise awareness of Vietnam's sea, islands

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue on October 24 launched an online contest on Vietnam’s sea and islands and the locality’s lagoons.

Head of the provincial Party Committee’s Department of Information and Communications Hoang Khanh Hung emphasised the sea and islands have an especially important position and role in the cause of national building and development.

Firmly protecting Vietnam's sovereignty over its sea and islands is both an obligation and a responsibility of every citizen, he said, adding that the quiz will help raise awareness of officials, Party members and people from all walks of life, especially younger generations.

It is held in the form of a weekly quiz, with the first week from 10am on October 24 to 9am the following Monday.

All Vietnamese citizens in the country can participate in the contest at https://thibiendao.thuathienhue.gov.vn. The closing and award ceremony is expected to be held in early December.

Hanoi Eye Hospital, Novartis launch glaucoma patient class

The Hanoi Eye Hospital and Novartis Vietnam launched the Glaucoma Hybrid Patient Class, a hybrid patient education model combining face-to-face and online platforms, on October 24.

The programme will take place at three leading eye hospitals in Vietnam, including the Hanoi Eye Hospital, Da Nang Eye Hospital and the Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, from October to December 2022.

To optimise the effectiveness in raising awareness about glaucoma for patients and their caregivers, each hybrid patient class is implemented simultaneously on two platforms: live at the hospital and online through digital platforms.

At the hospital, the model provides patients with information in the form of infographics about glaucoma, clearly showing the prevalence and risk of glaucoma.

Through digital platforms such as Zalo, Youtube, and the website of Hanoi Eye Hospital, the programme will be deployed to maximise the efficiency of accessing information and knowledge by patients.

In Vietnam, according to a survey conducted by the National Eye Institute and Atlantic Philanthropies in 16 provinces in 2007, 24,800 people were blind in both eyes due to glaucoma. In 2015, there were 13,160 people blind due to glaucoma.

Volunteers from Israel perform teaching activities in Lao Cai

A group of volunteers from Israel’s "Heroes for Life" arrived at the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on October 24 and started to teach English to local children and conduct other activities in the locality.

The 22-strong group will team up with 20 students of the Thai Nguyen University’s branch in Lao Cai in teaching English and other subjects in English for more than 1,000 primary and secondary students until November 3.

The volunteers will take part in extracurricular activities with local students as well as take over other jobs to meet the schools’ demands.

Members of the voluntary group will return after one year to continue the activity and maintain their connection with the locality.

"Heroes for Life" is a volunteer organisation founded by young Israeli military veterans, including those who have completed their military service. They volunteer to work in developing countries to spread the message of love and peace. Each year, the organisation sends hundreds of volunteers on missions in South American, Africa and Asia countries.

Local students to join Clubs Leaders Étudiants Francophones

Three Vietnamese clubs have been chosen to participate in the Clubs Leaders Étudiants Francophones (CLEF) Global Network which is made up of 180 clubs from across the world.

They include La Route des Découvertes of the University of Languages and International Studies in Hanoi, HANU Francophiles of Hanoi University, and Francophiles Club of Ho Chi Minh City University of Law.

CLEF network was first established by L'Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) with the primary aim of meeting the goal of “Job opportunities and Entrepreneurship” which is part of the AUF strategy for the 2021 to 2025 period.

Within the framework of the sponsorship, each club will receive financial support of EUR2,000 for their activities and events during 2023. In addition, the AUF will also hold an annual exchange space for CLEF members from around the world with the aim of promoting closer co-operation and connections, and sharing experience among the clubs in the network.

Thien An among most popular in voting for national costume segment

Vietnamese beauty Doan Thien An has been named among the Top 4 in the voting for the Best National Costume segment at Miss Grand International 2022.

The vote for the Best National Costume segment was announced on October 23 via the pageant’s fan page. Moving forward, contestants will continue to compete for the “Best National Costume” award, with the winner being unveiled in the grand finale on October 25.

Most notably, the winner of the sub-contest will progress to make it through to the Top 20 finalists of the international pageant.

As Miss Grand Vietnam, Thien An successfully received the highest score in terms of votes in the Best National Costume segment. In the competition she performed in an outfit with the theme of “Truc Chi”, with her clothes drawing inspiration from a kind of traditional painting originating from Hue in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The Vietnamese beauty greatly impressed both judges and audiences by wearing an outfit weighing 14 kg designed by Tran Thanh Tam.

This comes after An also won the “Country's power of the year” sub-contest at the ongoing Miss Grand International 2022, earning a place into the Top 20 in the process. In addition, she was also named among the Top 10 of the ‘Best in Swimsuit’ sub-contest.

Vietnamese cuisine, culture introduced at South Africa Diplomatic Fun Fair 2022

Vietnam’s cuisine and culture was introduced at the Diplomatic Fun Fair 2022 held by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa on October 22.

Accordingly, the Vietnamese Embassy brought to the event ‘ao dai’ (Vietnamese traditional gown) and conical hats, as well as photos featuring the beauty of Vietnamese land and people, and typical handicraft products.

Visitors to the Vietnamese stall were offered a chance to enjoy and learn how to cook spring rolls and fried spring rolls, and drink Vietnamese coffee.

Culture Ministry finds way to bring home Nguyen Dynasty antiques

The Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is in the process of finding a way to bring home two Nguyen Dynasty antiques, which are about to be auctioned in France by auction house Million, as soon as possible.

According to details given by Labour Newspaper, the MCST sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-ordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France to work directly with Paris-based MILLON auction house. They have been working together in an attempt to verify information relating to two Nguyen Dynasty antiques, including their owner, legality, expected selling price, and ability to negotiate direct purchases without auction.

Based on discussions held with the auction house, the Ministry will propose the most suitable plan in order to repatriate the antiques in accordance with the laws of the host country and international practices.

The Ministry stated that if the seal was the ‘Hoang de chi bao (Emperor's Treasure)’, then it had been used for the country’s public and political activities throughout a historical period and carried significant historical and cultural value.

According to a release published on its website, the French auction house which was founded in 1928, will put 329 antiques up for auction on October 31 (Paris time).

Two among them were said to be from the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled from 1802 to 1945, becoming the last Vietnamese feudal dynasty. They are a golden seal cast dating back to 1823 during the reign of King Minh Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1841, and a golden bowl dating back to the reign of King Khai Dinh who ruled from 1917 to 1925.

HCM City authorities want more buses to airport

The HCM City Management Center of Public Transport has called for adding two more bus routes to Tân Sơn Nhất airport to ease the current congestion.

The first, a circular 8.9 kilometre route, will start at the bus station near Gia Định Park, Gò Vấp District, pass through Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, Hoàng Văn Thụ Park and return to the bus station

The second, 12.6 kilometre will be between the Tân Phú District's bus station and the airport 

The two routes will not be subsidised by the city, and buses can carry 17-40 passengers on 91 trips between 05:00 and 20:00 daily.

There are now four routes connecting the airport from Trung Sơn residential area in District 8, Saigon Bus Station in District 1, Ngã Tư Ga Bus Station in District 12 and Vũng Tàu Bus Station in Vũng Tàu City.

However, they use the same pick-up and drop-off lanes at the airport as personal cars and so are often blocked, causing congestion at the entry point. 

Besides, like all vehicles, buses can only stop for three minutes, meaning people easily miss them and have to wait for 10-15 minutes for the next bus.

Workers going to South Korea warned of labour fraud

Many individuals and groups without permission to send workers abroad are still advertising jobs and vocational courses in South Korea.

The Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) issued a warning on possible exploitation of South Korea E7 Visa rules.

The E7 Visa is used for skilled labour in technical areas.

According to DOLAB, the Korean Government has expanded their policies of accepting foreign workers in technical fields, specifically in shipbuilding. The number of available job openings will be raised, and the level of professional qualities and experience needed are also lowered.

DOLAB also said that they have received feedback about many individuals and groups sending workers abroad, as well as advertising vocational courses and job offers in South Korea that does not adhere to legal frameworks of Việt Nam and South Korea.

The DOLAB also advised job export firms to recruit only after the DOLAB gave approval on sourcing preparation.

Workers looking for consultation or more information, as well as reporting on job export firms are advised to contact the DOLAB at 41B Lý Thái Tổ Street, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, or dial the number 0243 824 9517 with extensions 301 and 302.

According to data from South Korea's Ministry of Commerce, there are seven shipbuilding corporations and 335 companies, with 22,142 South Korean employed. With the new E7 visa policy, 4,428 foreign employees are expected to be recruited.

1,100 applications for jobs from foreign workers were received in 2022, according to a report from the Korean Shipbuilders' Association.

There are currently 3,535 Vietnamese skilled workers working in South Korea. 

Ten outstanding young scientists to receive Golden Globe Awards 2022

The list of the ten young scientists who won the Golden Globe Awards 2022 was announced at a press conference in Hanoi on October 24.

The awards’ winners were shortlisted from 37 nominees, including 28 male and 9 female scientists. There are 29 candidates among them who hold doctorate degrees, 6 with master's degrees, and 2 candidates with bachelor's degrees.

The awards were presented in the five areas of: information technology, digital transformation and automation; medical-pharmaceutical technology; biological technology; environmental technology; and new material technology.

According to the jury, several of the ten winners have conducted many national science and technology projects with high feasibility and efficiency and have obtained patents for their inventions.

The honourees have also won many domestic and international awards and medals in science and technology.

At the awards ceremony, which is scheduled for November, each winner will receive a Golden Globe trophy, a certificate of merit, and a cash prize.

A total of 20 outstanding girls in information-technology, electricity, electronics and mechanical engineering will also be honoured on the occasion.

The Golden Globe Awards were launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee in 2003 with the aim to discover talent and stimulate a passion for science and technology research amongst young people.

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