Numerous activities have so far been carried out to spread and develop reading culture within the community, according to the Library Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

An award ceremony honouring organisations and individuals contributing to the development of reading culture has been held annually since 2018. Through this initiative, all parties involved have worked together to improve the reading environment, improve the quality of libraries, cultural spaces, and reading facilities that meet people's needs. This endeavor also aims for the development of reading culture and the building of close-knit connections to mobilise development resources within the community.

In recent years, reading promotion activities have shifted from awareness to activities that offer participants better information skills and experiences. Notable initiatives include those bringing books to readers through mobile libraries and green library and classroom library models. These communications campaigns also target vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, children – especially preschoolers, ethnic minority people, and those in disadvantaged, border, and island areas.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy said building and developing reading culture is an urgent task, bearing significant importance in the endeavor to develop Vietnamese culture and people.

To effectively carry out the task in the new context, the nation needs to continue holding book fairs, donations, reading classes, and family reading sessions, as well as providing mobile library services, along with various other practical activities, she suggested./.

Two cultural elements in Điện Biên Province added to National Intangible Cultural Heritage list

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently inscribed the decorative art on costumes of the Lào ethnic group and the making of khẩu xén and chí chọp cakes by the White Thái ethnic group on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

With these additions, Điện Biên Province now has 20 cultural elements on the list.

The Lào ethnic people reside primarily across 23 villages in Điện Biên and Điện Biên Đông districts. Their intricate handwoven textiles have long been part of their daily life, symbolising cultural resilience and economic empowerment for the local women.

The White Thái people, meanwhile, celebrate their culinary legacy through two iconic dishes: khẩu xén and chí cọp cakes. The former is a delightful treat that combines rice, sesame seeds, chicken eggs and a touch of sweetness, and the latter, rice, sweet gourd and some specific leaves.

The recognition of cultural practices has played a significant role in preserving and promoting the cultural values of the ethnic groups in the province. 

Golfers to tee off at Hàn River Tour

Golfers from clubs in central Việt Nam will compete in the first Hàn River Golf Tournament at the city-based Legend Danang Golf Resort on April 20, promising the largest golf event in central Việt Nam with total prize fund of VNĐ5 billion (US$200,000).

The event’s organisers – Đà Nẵng Golf Association – said about 400 players with their best handicap index between April of 2023 and 2024 are eligible to join the tournament.

It said golfers will be playing in groups for executive members of associations, masters, women’s division, children, members of Đà Nẵng golf association and expats living in Đà Nẵng City.

The tournament’s organising committee also offers a hole-in-one cash-prize of VNĐ200 million ($8,000) on the 8th par three, and two Vinfast VF-7 cars.

Cost for tournament registration will range from VNĐ2 million ($80) to VNĐ3.5 million ($140).

The Legend Danang Golf Resort, which was designed by two legendary golfers, Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus, has seen five hole-in-ones since January.   

Last year, Đà Nẵng also hosted the BRG Open Golf Championship Danang 2023 – the first tournament of the Asian Development Tour in Việt Nam – at the Nicklaus Đà Nẵng course of the BRG Đà Nẵng Golf resort system.

Golf tours is one of two key products including in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) of Đà Nẵng’s tourism industry.

Various golf courses including BRG Đà Nẵng Golf Club, Bà Nà Hills Golf Club, Vinpearl Golf Nam Hội An, Hoiana Shore Club, Laguna Golf Lăng Cô, were developed in Đà Nẵng and Hội An offeringvacations for tourists.

Đà Nẵng was seen as a favourite central golf tour link with Quảng Nam, Quảng Bình, and Thừa Thiên-Huế, which are home to beautiful golf courses designed by Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Collin Montgomerie and Luke Donald.

Bà Nà Hills Golf Club in Đà Nẵng city, which features 18 tour-calibre holes, is the first golf course in Việt Nam to allow night access to golfers. 

Meeting charts course for sustainable marine economy

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired the first meeting of the National Steering Committee on the implementation of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Vietnam's Marine Economy till 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The virtual and in-person meeting connected with officials from 28 centrally-run coastal cities and provinces.

Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Ha highlighted a need to develop a set of indicators to evaluate what constitutes a strong and sustainable maritime nation where maritime economic sectors are competitive and there are shifts in awareness and policies related to investment, finance, environment, and resource allocation.

The committee was asked to urgently complete the national marine spatial planning and a master plan on the sustainable exploitation and use of coastal resources. Additionally, developing metrics for evaluating programs, projects, and tasks outlined in the strategy is crucial.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh reported positive developments since the strategy's inception five years ago. The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of coastal provinces reached VND4,786 trillion (US$199.4 million) in 2022, or 49.8 percent of the country's GDP.

At present, there are 110 seaports nationwide with a total capacity of over 328.6 million tons. As many as 19 coastal economic zones are included in the approved master plan, attracting 553 foreign-invested projects worth US$54.36 billion and 1,604 domestic projects valued at VND1.37 quadrillion (US$57 billion).

Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Cuong suggested a broader and more thorough assessment of the tasks related to the establishment of a marine economic framework.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh admitted challenges in ensuring the quality of input data for the implementation of marine economic projects that match the local potential and advantages, such as in energy and logistics sectors.

Vietnam to select candidates joining in Youth Council in Kazakhstan

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee will select five young Vietnamese to join the Youth Council of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) from May 14 to May 19 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The selection was planned after receiving the invitation of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan.

The candidates are Vietnamese citizens under 35 years old who could be proficient in English or Russian with a strong political will; great competence in historical, political, cultural–social and economic matters together with young movement activities of Vietnam; understanding of current issues in the region and the world with spirit of discipline and solidarity; working in group and leadership ability.

The organizing board prioritized those people with active participation in the Youth and Association activities.

Kazakhstan will cover round-ticket airplanes, accommodation and travel fees during the conference.

Regarding application documents and relevant procedures, young cadidates are able to take reference to doanthanhnien.vn. The deadline for receiving the document will be on April 16.

Central, Southern regions to suffer more intense heat

The weather is experiencing unpredictable fluctuations nationwide due to the influence of the El Nino cycle, and it is expected to become even more extreme during the current transitional season.

As for Hanoi, there is no hot weather today. However, this pattern will only persist until around April 17; from April 18 onwards, the weather will gradually transition to sunny and hot conditions.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting anticipates that around April 18 and 19, hot weather will extend to most areas nationwide. Regions currently experiencing hot weather, particularly the Southern and Central regions, will face even more intense heat.

Additionally, the meteorological agency warns that from now until May 10, the transitional period between seasons in both the Northern and Southern regions may bring about hazardous weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning, and hail. These events could result in damage and impact the production activities and daily lives of residents.

In regions where hot weather prevails, afternoon and evening often form clusters of thunderstorm clouds causing rain. In Yen Chau District (Son La Province), on the night of April 12, a hailstorm struck just 30 minutes after a series of hot days, causing extensive damage to over 80 hectares of ripe plums in Phien Khoai Commune, leading to significant losses for farmers.

In contrast, April is the peak of hot and dry weather in the Southern and Central Highlands regions. Meteorological experts predict that in the latter half of April, the heat in the Southern region will reach its peak, while the drought situation in the Mekong Delta region will worsen. Moving into May and June, the focus of intense heat will shift to the Northern and Central regions. Forecasts suggest that there will be record-breaking heatwaves in the Southeast Asia region.

HCM City officials seek more changes to Law on Archive

Amendments proposed to the Law on Archive should enable electronic archiving and allow archiving by private entities, HCM City officials have said.

They were speaking at a conference held by the city’s National Assembly members to seek opinions on the amendments on April 12.

The amendments seek to eliminate certain shortcomings in the law to ensure people's right to access information, they said.

But archiving is still done with paper documents, and e-archiving requires a great deal of investment, and so ensuring sufficient resources is important, they said.

Ensuring information security for electronically stored documents is crucial, they said, adding that the amendment drafting committee should clarify what "being lost" means for digital documents, since it is difficult to confirm how digital documents could be lost, and whose responsibility it would be. 

Assoc Prof Dr Trần Hoàng Ngân said many private organisations are archiving for humane purposes such as documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic for guidance in future.

Such private archiving needs to be facilitated by the law, he said.

Mai Thanh Hùng, deputy head of the city Department of Home Affairs’ records and archives office, said that agencies, individuals and families who have submitted their records to the archive should be able to access them for professional work for free.

Trần Thanh Xuân from the Department of Justice said the amendments do not clearly spell out the criteria for archival value.

The amendments will be tabled at the National Assembly in May. 

Central city calls for co-operation and investment from EU

The central city has called for deeper co-operation and investment from the European Union in key industries and services, including semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-quality human resources training, sea port and tourism.

Deputy Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Trần Chí Cường said in a working session with EU delegation led by Julien Guerrier, the Ambassador of European Union to Việt Nam, head of the delegation from European Union (EU).

He urged partners from European countries coming to Đà Nẵng to seek investment opportunities, co-operation and support as the city has offered favourable conditions for investors building it into a key ‘smart’ and ‘green’ urban area in central Việt Nam.

Cường said Đà Nẵng had inked co-operation programmes with EU partners – Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgium); Boras (Sweden); Salo and Turku (Finland); Timisoara (Romania); Varna (Bulgaria) and Kosice (Slovakia) in the past decades, and it has been speeding up the Master Plan for 2030-45.

EU Ambassador to Việt Nam Julien Guerrier said Đà Nẵng is seen as a potential partner in the semiconductor industry, and EU members have been seeking investment and market expansion in Đà Nẵng.

He committed to keep supporting to Việt Nam and Đà Nẵng in helping the country achieve prosperous and sustainable development.

EU will also focus on education and high-tech industry human resources, tourism and hospitality in Đà Nẵng in the coming time.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and partners from EU provided total funding of VNĐ26 billion for 37 programmes and projects in Đà Nẵng in 2023.

Đà Nẵng earned an export turnover with the EU of $283 million last year.

EU also funded a biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability project in Đà Nẵng City in 2020-23, with a total 650,000 euros.

Sweden's Boras City supported Đà Nẵng in waste management and recycling facilities, while Turku and Salo cities, Finland, boosted co-operation of sea port development, logistics, public transport and smart traffic, computer cloud, big data, bio technology, hi-tech farming and human resources training.

Đà Nẵng and Timisoara, Romania, agreed in investment, trade, tourism, high-tech, information technology, culture and education

The University of Đà Nẵng and University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) (Francophone University Association) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of scientific research, education and student exchange, technology transfer, communications, business management, water management and embedded software systems.

Đà Nẵng University, which is one of the top 50 universities in ASEAN, and a key human resource centre for the central and Central Highlands regions, has been seeking comprehensive cooperation with Ulysseus European University member universities of Côte d’Azur (France), Sevilla (Spain), Genova (Italy), Kosice (Slovakia), MCI (Austria), Haaga-Helia (Finland), Zitet Crne Gore (Mongtenegro) and Munster (Germany).

The two partners agreed to set up an international technology hub – the Đà Nẵng International Institute of Technology at Đà Nẵng University – for future co-operation. 

Gene editing helps crops cope with climate changes

Việt Nam has now completed the orientations and legal basis for the application of biotechnology crops that are considered an important solution in sustainable agricultural development, said Prof. Phạm Văn Toản, deputy director of the Việt Nam Agricultural Science Institute.

However, up to now, Việt Nam still does not have specific legal guidelines for the evaluation and management of gene-edited crops, the professor said in the two-day Việt Nam International Conference on Advances in Plant Biology from Gene Editing to Sustainable Development, held in Bình Định Province, that ended on April 12.

The conference focused on the latest breakthroughs in the genome editing field and its applications in agriculture, especially in addressing climate change challenges.

According to Toản, since the 1980s, Việt Nam’s agricultural productivity has grown rapidly, contributing significantly to national food security and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market.

However, the country is still facing many challenges related to climate change and the environment, he said.

The World Bank has ranked Việt Nam as one of the five countries most at risk of being affected by global warming in the future.

In recent years, the field of plant biology has witnessed remarkable advancements that deepen people's understanding and offer transformative solutions to global challenges, such as food security and climate change.

Among the game-changing technologies, genome editing stands out as a powerful tool, providing unprecedented precision and efficiency in manipulating plant genomes.

Genome editing techniques has opened up exciting possibilities as researchers worldwide explore ways to engineer crop varieties with enhanced nutritional content and develop climate-resilient plants capable of thriving under changing environmental conditions.

As this technology continues to advance, it holds immense promise of transforming agriculture and ensuring sustainability for future generations.

In Việt Nam, scientists are currently researching and initially succeeding in creating rice variety that is drought-resistant.

The conference gathered esteemed speakers who are at the forefront of their respective fields sharing their expertise and insights, offering valuable perspectives on the latest breakthroughs and the transformative potential of genome editing.

The conference was also a venue to update legal regulations and approaches to managing gene-edited crops in the world today. 

Barge collision damages Dong Nai Bridge

A barge collided with Dong Nai Bridge in the southern province of Dong Nai, damaging some parts of the bridge.

At around 8 am on Friday, when moving to Binh Duong Port, the strong currents caused the Phuoc Long 72’s mooring lines to be broken. The barge transporting many containers drifted, hitting into Dong Nai Bridge and was stuck under the bridge.

Firefighting and Rescue Police and the traffic police in Dong Nai deployed two vessels to the scene following the incident.

After about 30 minutes, the Phuoc Long 72 was detached from the Dong Nai road bridge and then docked at the Binh Duong Port. Luckily, there were no casualties.

However, some parts of Dong Nai Bridge were damaged.

Cross-linked steel beams were bent and load-bearing vertical beams were broken on two spans.

The Road Management Zone IV proposed that Dong Nai authorities temporarily detain the barge to verify the cause of the collision.

Landslides hit North-South railway

Two landslides have happened at a tunnel on the North-South railway route, disrupting services.

The first landslide occurred at around 1 pm on Friday at Bai Gio Tunnel at Deo Ca Pass running through Dai Lanh Commune in the southern central province of Khanh Hoa. Around 100 cubic metres of soil and stone fell onto the tunnel, blocking its entrance.

Train SE8, which was transporting 300 passengers from Hanoi to HCM City, had to stop at Tuy Hoa Station in Phu Yen Province. The Vietnam Railway Corporation had to provide vehicles to transport the passengers to train SE5 to continue the trip.

The tunnel was cleared at around 4 am on Saturday, but just 30 minutes later, another landslide was reported at the tunnel. Workers are focusing on dealing with the incident.

It is unsure when the tunnel repairs will be completed.

Public Security Ministry helps Tra Vinh build 1,290 houses for poor, near-poor families

Representatives from the Ministry of Public Security on April 12 handed over funding to the southern province of Tra Vinh to build 1,290 houses for local poor and near-poor families.

Each house with an area of about 40 sq.m costs 65 million VND ( 2,600 USD), of which the ministry gives 50 million VND and the province covers the remaining fund.

It is expected that the houses will be handed over to beneficiaries on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - 2024) and the 79th anniversary of the National Day (September 2, 1945 - 2024).

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Binh Phu commune, Cang Long district on April 12, Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said that for years, the ministry has offered housing support for disadvantaged people across the country.

It has supported the construction of more than 15,000 houses, and many boarding schools in localities such as Son La, Dien Bien, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Thanh Hoa, Lang Son, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Soc Trang, Bac Kan, and Dak Lak.

According to Secretary of the Tra Vinh provincial Party Committee Ngo Chi Cuong, in the last two years, with its Social Security Fund and Fund for the Poor, Tra Vinh spent nearly 64 billion VND supporting 1,527 poor and near-poor households to build houses, each with 40-50 million VND.

Currently, the province has 3,416 poor households, accounting for 1.19% of its population and 6,773 near-poor households, 2.35%./.

Vietnamese Association in Czech Republic fosters connectivity

The Executive Board of the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic on April 11 convened the 10th congress to review its performance in the past year and set forth orientations for their operation in the time to come.

Last year, the board continued activities which aimed to connect the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, supported their integration into host society, such as coordinating with the Vietnamese Association in Brno and South Moravia to organise a Czech - Vietnamese cultural exchange in Brno city, Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration. They also supported the opening of Vietnamese language classes for the second and third generations of Vietnamese people. Leaders of the association also attached importance to contributing to Czech society, including the launch of a campaign to raise nearly 300,000 CZK (12,610 USD) to aid victims of the shooting in Prague last December.

At the event, the board agreed to strengthen association activities in the coming time, towards the 25th anniversary of the association.

They will coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic to set up projects promoting Vietnamese culture to Czech people as well as organise thematic seminars and information dissemination about legal knowledge of the host country, thereby supporting overseas Vietnamese's integration process.

In his remarks, Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam spoke highly of the efforts of leaders of Vietnamese associations in the Czech Republic in connecting the community. He hoped that the Vietnamese association would organise practical and effective activities, both serving the community and contributing to the development of Vietnam - Czech relations.

On this occasion, the association also presented awards to Vietnamese students with outstanding academic and research achievements in the past year./.

ASEAN Graphic Arts Competition and Exhibition 2024 to promote friendship

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will collaborate with relevant agencies to organise the ASEAN Graphic Arts Competition and Exhibition 2024.

The event is expected to contribute to expanding relations and promoting cultural exchange and international cooperation in the field of fine arts, and tightening the friendship among ASEAN member countries, the ministry said.

It also offers a chance for Vietnamese artists and those from other ASEAN countries to share experience and new techniques in creating artwork, and introduce their works on the people and land of each country.

The artworks are required to be created between 2020 and 2024, encompassing woodcut, metal engraving, gypsum engraving, rubber engraving, on-stone print, and unique print, and other forms of graphic art. The themes of the entries should focus on various aspects of life, humans, natural landscapes, country, peace, solidarity, cooperation, friendship, and contemporary issues.

The organisation board will select approximately 200 graphic artworks for the exhibition. Among them, 21 pieces will receive awards.

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in December this year./.

Vietnam Book Day promotes reading culture value

The Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day opened in Bac Ninh city of the northern province of the same name on April 12.

Director of the provincial Information and Communications department Nguyen Trung Hieu emphasized that the event, under theme “Good books need readers”, honours the value of books and aims to develop a substantial reading movement in the community. Besides, it is a rendezvous for book publishers and readers to meet and exchange ideas in the field of publishing and distribution.

The three-day event attracts the participation of 40 booths with 100,000 book titles and nearly 2 million copies registered to display at the event.

Event-goers will also have a chance to take part in several activities such as book giving, talks, book exchanges with famous speakers, art performances, and folk games.

On the same day, the Bac Ninh Book and Reading Culture Day was also launched./.

Contest seeks innovative solutions to recycle plastic

The innovative solution contest 2024 was launched in Hanoi on April 12, aiming to seek solutions in the plastic circular value chain, especially new and creative solutions in improving the capacity to collect, process and recycle plastic packaging.

The contest, jointly held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Unilever Vietnam, the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam, the Startup Vietnam Foundation, the British Embassy in Vietnam and the Standard Chartered Bank, is expected to encourage, promote and invest in new initiatives and solutions on collecting, sorting and recycling plastic packaging waste suitable for the Vietnamese market.

Its further goal is to promote the circular economic model in plastic waste management, supporting the implementation of regulations on product and packaging recycling responsibilities of manufacturers and importers.

Taking place from April to August, the contest is for individuals and organisations with products, services or technology in the field of plastic waste collection and recycling. Within the framework of the contest a discussion on unlocking the plastic circular economy through innovation will be held.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien emphasised that Vietnam faces many risks from plastic waste. The volume of plastic waste and plastic packaging is increasing rapidly, coupled with socioeconomic development and consumption activities.

The contest is a practical action to seek, honour and invest in innovative and creative initiatives in sorting, collecting and recycling plastic packaging waste, especially soft, low-value plastics in Vietnam, he said.

The Deputy Minister called on organisations, individuals and businesses, especially startups to join the contest, and asked for investment and support from financial institutions for initiatives and solutions found through the contest to be deployed and replicated in Vietnam.

A report released by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank showed that every year in Vietnam, about 2.62 million tonnes of plastic waste is not recycled, leading to a loss of 75% of the material value of plastic, equivalent to 2.2 - 2.9 billion USD per year. The recycling industry in Vietnam has rich raw material sources but has not yet developed, with the plastic recycling rate only reaching 33%. The cost of recycled products is about 25-30% higher than conventional plastic products, it said./.

Ha Tinh police bust large drug trafficking ring from Laos

Border guard force operating in the central province of Ha Tinh on April 12 arrested two Laotian men who were smuggling a huge amount of drugs from Laos into Vietnam.

The suspects were identified as Yia Song, 31, and Keo Song, 25, both residing in Thoong Pe village of Khamkeuth district in Borikhamxay province in the neighbouring country.

According to initial information, at 11:30 a.m. on April 11 the border guards stopped a suspicious car travelling on National Highway 8A.

After searching their car registered in Laos, they found and seized 44 cakes of heroin, 60,000 amphetamine pills, 10 kg of meth, and 10kg of ketamine.

Once at the police station, Yia Song admitted that he was hired to transport the drug from Laos to Vinh city in the central province of Nghe An for VND300 million, equal to US$12,000. The suspect then invited Keo Song to join and agreed to pay him about VND50 million to VND75 million, between US$2,000 and US$3,000.

The case is currently under further investigation.

Vietnam’s U16s defeat African rivals 5-0 in UEFA’s friendlies

The Vietnamese U16 women’s national team trounced Botswana 5-0 in their opening match of the eight-team UEFA friendship tournament on April 11 in Turkey.

The national team led by Japanese head coach Akira Ijiri dominated the game and opened the scoring after just a few minutes.

The Vietnamese team, placed 37th in the world rankings, put plenty of pressure on Botswana’s U16 women’s team, who are ranked 153rd globally.

The local footballers gained three points with their 5-0 victory over their African rivals. Moving forward, Vietnam will face the United States and host nation Turkey on April 13 and April 16, respectively.

The event will run from April 9 to April 19 and features a total of eight teams divided into two groups. Vietnam are in Group A with the US, Botswana, and hosts Turkey. Group B includes Uganda, China, Wales, and Paraguay.

The UEFA women’s U16 tournament is not just a competition, is a platform for young talents to learn, grow, and showcase their abilities, according to the organisers UEFA.

It serves as a testament to UEFA’s dedication to fostering young talent across the globe, thereby ensuring that the future of women’s football is both bright and competitive.

Lotus Village Festival 2024 to mark birthday of President Ho Chi Minh

The central province of Nghe An is scheduled to hold a wide range of activities this May as part of the Làng Sen (Lotus Village) Festival, which will celebrate President Ho Chi Minh’s 134th birthday on May 19.

Two music galas will be held at Ho Chi Minh Square in Vinh City on the evenings of May 11 and May 19 in order to mark the opening and closing of the festival. They will feature many songs which illustrate the life and revolutionary career of President Ho.

Local authorities will make floral tributes in front of President Ho’s Monument at Ho Chi Minh Square, as well as offering incense at Kim Lien relic site and Chung Son Temple in Kim Lien commune of Nam Dan district – the hometown of the late President.

The festival will also consist of many cultural activities, including a singing competition, a culinary contest on dishes made from lotus flowers, as well as painting and photo exhibitions showcasing the life and revolutionary career of President Ho, a hero of national liberation, a world cultural celebrity, and a historical figure known worldwide.

Volleyball and traditional martial arts tournaments will also get underway as part of the occasion.

Furthermore, a marathon gathering around 3,000 runners from across the country will be organised, with the total prize money on offer worth up to VND500 million.

It has been held annually in Nghe An province since 1981, allowing people from all walks of life to come and show their love and respect for President Ho. It was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming again in 2022.

Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee convenes 41st session

The 41st session of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee opened in the capital La Habana with a view to expanding and diversifying bilateral economic relations to match the two nations’ traditional political relations.

In his opening address at the event, Vietnamese Minister of Construction and Co-Chairman of the Committee Nguyen Thanh Nghi affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam always remember and are respectfully grateful for the special sentiments and strong support and impartial help both materially and spiritually that the Party, State, and People of Cuba gave to Vietnam during the fierce war period. This is along with the support shown during the current process of national construction and development.

Responding to Cuba's special feelings and valuable support offered in recent years, the nation has always been interested in supporting and promoting co-operation with the Cuban side in a multitude of fields, such as politics, diplomacy, trade, and investment, as well as supporting projects in the agricultural sector to help the Caribbean nation gradually become self-sufficient in food such as developing rice, corn, beans, coffee, and seafood.

This is along with annually maintaining a stable rice supply for Cuba, stepping up information exchanges, sharing state management experience in the areas of finance and banking, foreign investment attraction, information and communication, construction, and justice.

According to Minister Nghi, both sides always maintain close ties and have achieved some positive results. Indeed, within the framework of the 39th Havana International Fair (FIHAV 2023) held in November 2023 in Cuba, businesses from the two countries signed commercial contracts worth nearly US$1 million.

Currently, there are six investment projects run by Vietnamese enterprises in Cuba that have come into operation, providing a number of essential goods to the Cuban market such as napkins, washing powder, tiles, porcelain. Sanitation, and solar power, all while helping Cuba reduce the amount of imported goods and create more jobs for workers.

The two countries held a joint investment working group meeting to jointly review, evaluate, and discuss appropriate and feasible solutions to remove difficulties faced by firms to ensure maintenance of production and supply of goods to the market and improve business investment efficiency.

In the field of agriculture, the country is in the process of implementing three projects to support Cuba in developing rice, high-yield corn, and aquaculture. Regarding biotechnology and medical links, Vietnamese enterprises are importing some vaccines and biotechnology products from Cuba.

Firms from both sides are exchanging the possibility of co-operating in producing vaccines and biological products in Vietnam to supply the domestic and export markets. Cuban doctors are also working at a number of Vietnamese hospitals such as the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Quang Binh, the Quang Ngai Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, and Vinmec Hanoi Hospital.

The Cuban side is bolstering collaboration in the field of biotechnology and health with Vietnamese localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. In addition, the two sides are strengthening co-operation in exchanging information and sharing state management experience in finance, customs, banking, foreign investment, information technology, construction, and science and technology.

With a desire to ramp up ties in a focused, key, practical, effective, and sustainable manner, Minister Nghi proposed finding specific solutions to remove difficulties faced by Vietnamese businesses to maintain productions, as well as ensuring business investment efficiency, and creating more motivation and confidence to expand investment. This effort will also help to attract more new investors to Cuba.

For his part, Cuban Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Committee Co-Chairman Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz highlighted the importance of economic, financial, trade, and bilateral co-operation relationships.

Vietnam currently represents one of Cuba's major Asian investors, with a very active presence in the Mariel Special Development Zone. The nation is also an important rice supplier to the Cuban market, he added.

The Cuban Deputy PM especially thanked the Party and Government of Vietnam for understanding and supporting the Caribbean island in recent years, when Havana faced a complicated economic and financial situation. He affirmed that those precious sincere feelings are an expression of brotherhood, friendship, and solidarity that binds the two peoples together.

At the opening session, the two sides agreed to augment bilateral co-operation in areas such as tourism, energy, biotechnology, agricultural, and food production, while continuing to speed up business agreements for domestic and export markets.

As planned, the 41st session of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee will last until April 15.

200 drones to light up Thầy Pagoda Festival

Thầy Pagoda Festival, organised alongside the ceremony to receive the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Thầy Pagoda will take place tonight at the pagoda area until April 16.

A Drone Light performance with 200 drones will be enjoyed by spectators for the first time in the Hanoi suburbs. The artistic light display will feature the Quốc Oai District map and characteristic images of the region's cultural legacies.

On this occasion, the People's Committee of Quốc Oai District also organised the Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week of Quốc Oai District in 2024. In the Thầy Pagoda area, the Organising Committee arranged 150 booths to introduce and promote cultural products, cuisine, craft products and OCOP products.

In addition, the committee also organises art performances, sports, experiential entertainment, folk games, wrestling, culinary events and viewing of real-life performances named "Northern quintessence".

Thầy Pagoda was built more than 1,000 years ago, having gone through historical changes and several restorations and embellishments, the pagoda still retains its unique artistic architecture with a typical system of statues.

Thầy Pagoda is also a landscape and a tourist attraction. The pagoda still preserves many precious antiques, such as the lotus stone pedestal of the Lý Dynasty, the back of the throne of the 16th century, the incense altar of the Lê Dynasty, the bronze bell of the Tây Sơn period, Buddha statues and others. 

Green tourism key to biodiversity preservation, livelihood improvement and economic growth: official

The green transition in tourism will help preserve biodiversity, enhance tourism-dependent communities' livelihood and drive economic growth.

That was the remark by Hà Văn Siêu, Deputy Director of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, at the Vietnam Tourism Forum: Green Transformation for Sustainable Development on Friday.

He said Việt Nam’s tourism industry had emerged as a crucial economic driver, projected to contribute over 6.4 per cent to the country's GDP this year.

He expects green tourism to continue gaining traction and become increasingly popular across the industry.

"Green in this context transcends just the colour of leaves: it encompasses a green mindset, habits, lifestyle, conduct and an overarching green culture," said Siêu.

Vũ Thế Bình, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said Việt Nam's Government had charted a clear roadmap toward green tourism by enacting several crucial pieces of legislation.

He took Decision 82 on the national action plan for green growth between 2021 and 2030 as an example, in which green tourism and green tourism products had become the top priorities of the industry.

He added that the Government had requested tourism authorities to formulate and implement the Action Plan for Green Tourism between 2023 and 2025.

"The Association is urging enterprises to embrace the green transition to transform the industry into a green one characterised by environmental-friendly products and services," said Bình.

Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Việt Nam, believes Việt Nam needs to focus on effective destination management, plastic-free travel and nature-based sustainable tourism.

He said the country has much to do to enhance destination management, which requires the involvement and cooperation of local authorities, local communities and the private sector to ensure all stakeholders' voices are heard and reflected in tourism policy.

He also said some provinces and cities in Việt Nam had begun to reduce plastic waste in tourism, such as Hội An and Cô Tô.

He underlined the role of green transportation in promoting green tourism, adding that it will provide tourists with more flexible and environmentally friendly options to reach destinations.

Siêu said he believed that green tourism has taken centre stage since the world came out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Green tourism continues to be a top choice for tourists. Service providers need to align their efforts with this growing demand," said Siêu.

Given the detrimental effects of climate change and environmental population on tourism, green tourism is no longer an option but an imperative for the country. 

Deputy PM urges coastal urban development and maritime infrastructure investment

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà called upon ministries, sectors and local administrations to invest in the development and modernisation of coastal urban systems, enhancing comprehensive transportation infrastructure and bolstering connectivity for the maritime economy throughout regions.

He was speaking during a hybrid conference on Friday on implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for Việt Nam's maritime economy by 2030, with a vision to 2045. Representatives from 28 coastal localities participated in the event.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment presented a report assessing the results of the five years (2018-2022) in implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for Việt Nam's maritime economy by 2030, with a vision to 2045.

In 2022, the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of the 28 coastal cities and provinces reached VNĐ4.78 trillion (US$191 million), accounting for 49.8 per cent of the national gross domestic product (GDP). The contribution of the GRDP of these localities to the total national GDP in 2022 reached 50.07 per cent.

Regarding the development of the coastal and near-coastal economy, the tourism sector has witnessed rapid growth, reshaping the appearance of coastal urban areas. Modern coastal tourism centres have been established with diverse marine tourism products such as resort tourism, beach bathing, sightseeing tours, and ecotourism.

The maritime economy has achieved many successes, with transport capacity steadily improving to meet transportation needs. As of the end of 2022, Việt Nam's total fleet comprised 1,477 vessels with a total deadweight tonnage of 11.6 million DWT and a total capacity of approximately 7 million GT.

In recent years, the country has constructed several large gas-fired power plants using modern technology and domestically extracted gas resources. By the end of 2022, the oil and gas industry had extracted over 425 million tonnes of oil and condensate, along with over 173 billion cubic metres of gas. Despite global and domestic economic challenges, the oil and gas sector contributed approximately 10 per cent to the total State budget revenue.

The seafood industry has played a crucial role in socio-economic development, generating significant production value, with many products achieving export turnover exceeding $1 billion. Aquaculture and seafood exploitation have gradually increased over the years, with over 3.85 million tonnes of seafood caught and 5.14 million tons of aquaculture production in 2022, representing a 6.4 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

In terms of renewable energy sources for electricity production, in 2022, renewable energy, including hydroelectric, wind, solar, and biomass power reached approximately 130 billion kWh, accounting for nearly 48 per cent of Việt Nam's total electricity output.

There are 19 coastal economic zones in the approved planning with a total area of approximately 871,500ha. By the end of 2022, these coastal economic zones had attracted 553 foreign-invested projects with a total registered investment capital of $54.36 billion.

At the conference, experts and leaders from ministries, sectors, and localities outlined the challenges and existing issues hindering the economic exploitation of many coastal areas.

They also proposed suggestions for sustainable development of the maritime economy, such as refining decrees on coastal zoning, marine spatial planning, and enhancing the State's management role in coastal and island areas.

In his directive at the conference, Deputy PM Hà urged continued investment in developing and modernising coastal urban systems, upgrading comprehensive and modern transportation infrastructure, and fostering connectivity for the maritime economy across regions and localities.

He emphasised the importance of efficiently utilising coastal landscapes, expanding the range of tourism offerings, and advancing modern, interconnected tourism infrastructure to maximise the sector's potential.

He also encouraged the establishment of renewable energy centres to serve production, and daily activities as well as ensuring national defence and security.

Hà stated that ministries, sectors, and localities should invest in storm shelter areas and coastal and island infrastructure projects, as well as developing comprehensive infrastructure for aquaculture development to support farming, fishing and processing, with a focus on investing in modern technology and techniques for offshore aquaculture.

There is an urgent need to develop plans for implementing the national marine spatial planning, he said, adding that it is crucial to promote policies for maritime economic development, strengthen the construction of resource and environmental databases, and establish a national marine information database.

HCM City says needs standards for charging stations

HCM City needs to have planning and clear standards for electric charging stations, according to its Department of Transport.

HCM City is making investment plans for buses that are compatible with fuel supply infrastructure, prioritising vehicles that use clean and environment-friendly fuels, including EVs, said the department director Bùi Hòa An told a workshop on standards for electric vehicle charging stations on Thursday.

It is implementing a programme approved by the Government for green energy conversion and reducing carbon and methane emissions, he said.

Its objectives are to enhance energy efficiency, promote the use of electric vehicles and integrate green energy into transportation by 2030, he said.

By 2050 it is to ensure all vehicles, equipment and transport infrastructure use green energy, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero, he said.

The growth rate of EVs in the city is exceeding expectations, he added.

In the event, the lack of EV charging stations and standards for them are a hurdle, he said.

The city is collaborating with the UNDP for developing green transportation.

It includes developing technical requirements for investing in charging stations for various types of electric buses.

Prof Vũ Anh Tuấn, director of the Vietnamese-Germany Transport Research Centre at the Vietnamese German University, said there are two obstacles to drafting technical standards for bus charging stations: cost and space.

Therefore, the city needs to identify which bus technologies to develop in future to ensure efficiency and that they cater to all of them, he said.

Patrick Haverman, deputy resident representative of the UNDP, said in HCM City personal vehicles account for 90 per cent, causing high emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

Việt Nam has set a goal of 100 per cent of vehicles using electricity and other green energy, with HCM City playing a leading role in realising these objectives, he added. 

NZ embassy sponsors water playground for kids with developmental disabilities

Tân Bình District Support Centre for Inclusive Education has received a therapeutic water playground designed for children with learning disabilities sponsored by the New Zealand embassy in Việt Nam and other donors.

During the handover of the playground on Friday, Hà Thanh Vân, director of the centre, told Việt Nam News: “This is indescribable joy for us. Our centre is really small with limited facilities, but today we received an incredible gift, a therapeutic water playground for children to play, learn and get treatment.”

In February Think Playgrounds, a social enterprise that builds playgrounds for children, undertook the work, which was also funded by 14,723 donations on the MoMo e-wallet crowdfunding platform.

The water playground, meant for 140 children, measures 72.5m2 and has water jets and shower heads that spray a fine mist, and a 20cm deep wading pool.

Besides play activities it will also enable teachers to provide physical therapy for students.

Water therapy through play is thought to provide various benefits to children's physical and mental health, especially for those with disabilities.

Vân said: “Many of our students can get hyperactive, and through water therapy they can be calmer, less stressed, less hyperactive, and be more co-operative with teachers in their studies.”

Scott James, the Consul General of New Zealand in HCM City, said: “New Zealand is very passionate about helping develop children, particularly children with disabilities and neurodivergent children.”

It would also be open to neurodivergent students from other inclusive education centres nearby, he said.

He hoped the experience drawn from this project could be used to bring more play-learning models for children with disabilities.

Vũ Khánh Tuyết Trinh, mother of a nine-year-old student at the centre, said after a month of trying out the new playground, her son is very happy to go to school and love to check it out first before entering classes.

As part of the inaugural ceremony, the New Zealand embassy also gave gifts of its country’s milk and apples to children.

The students at the centre range from five to 19 years of age, and have developmental disabilities. 

Two cultural elements in Điện Biên Province added to National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently inscribed the decorative art on costumes of the Lào ethnic group and the making of khẩu xén and chí chọp cakes by the White Thái ethnic group on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

With these additions, Điện Biên Province now has 20 cultural elements on the list.

The Lào ethnic people reside primarily across 23 villages in Điện Biên and Điện Biên Đông districts. Their intricate handwoven textiles have long been part of their daily life, symbolising cultural resilience and economic empowerment for the local women.

The White Thái people, meanwhile, celebrate their culinary legacy through two iconic dishes: khẩu xén and chí cọp cakes. The former is a delightful treat that combines rice, sesame seeds, chicken eggs and a touch of sweetness, and the latter, rice, sweet gourd and some specific leaves.

The recognition of cultural practices has played a significant role in preserving and promoting the cultural values of the ethnic groups in the province. 

Sóc Trăng Khmer people celebrate Chôl Chnăm Thmây

The Khmer people in Sóc Trăng Province are preparing to celebrate the traditional Chôl Chnăm Thmây, an important festival for the ethnic minority group in Việt Nam.

Sóc Trăng has a large number of Khmer ethnics, accounting for more than 30 per cent of its population. In mid-April every year, the Khmers here celebrate Chôl Chnăm Thmây, which falls on April 13 to April 16 this year.

In the days leading up to festival, Khmer Buddhist followers clean and decorate their houses, while monks at pagodas clean and hang banners, flags, flowers, and other decorations, and prepare rituals for the festival.

The joy of welcoming this year's Chôl Chnăm Thmây has been accentuated by successful harvests in the province.

Lâm Văn Nám said his family cultivated a 13-hectare rice field during the recent Winter-Spring season. They successfully harvested the crop, yielding nine tonnes of rice per hectare.

After deducting expenses, his family earned nearly VNĐ700 million (US$27,900) in profit, an increase of VNĐ200 million compared to the previous season.

He also said that the recent Winter-Spring season brought joy not only to his family but also to many Khmer households in the village. With successful harvests and favorable prices, the lives of the villagers have become more prosperous, enabling them to celebrate the event with greater abundance than before.

Over the years, the lives of the Khmer ethnics in Sóc Trăng have seen great improvements, thanks to the efforts of the local authorities and the State.

Hồ Thị Cẩm Đào, deputy secretary of the Provincial Communist Party Committee of Sóc Trăng, said that the number of impoverished households among the Khmer community has decreased to 3,937 households, accounting for 3.86 per cent of the total.

Local authorities have effectively implemented social security policies, ensuring timely provision of both material and spiritual support to the Khmer community.

Khmer households in the area have access to electricity, communes and towns have roads accessible by vehicles, and all hamlets have rural roads constructed with concrete.

The Chôl Chnăm Thmây, also known as the Khmer New Year, is the biggest festival of the year for over 1.3 million Khmer people in Việt Nam.

The origin of the festival is explained by a legend related to the transition of religion from Brahmanism to Buddhism, revolving around a contest of wits between the Great Brahma (Kabul Maha Prum) and Thom Ma Bal, a previous incarnation of the Buddha.

It is also celebrated in other countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Thailand.

In Cần Thơ City local officials visited the Khmer residents on April 12 and offered best wishes, as well as giving gifts to monks.

Meanwhile, Bạc Liêu Province officials visited several pagodas, giving monks their best wishes and gifts on April 11.

These regions have been creating favourable conditions for the local Khmer people to develop, improve their livelihoods, practice their religion, as well as preserving their traditional culture.

Saigon Co.op ties up with Winrock International for waste circulation

Saigon Co.op signed a memorandum of understanding with non-profit Winrock International in HCM City on April 12 to reduce environmental pollution by developing a waste circulation model, enhancing waste separation at source and raising the extended producer responsibility.

Within the framework of the programme, Saigon Co.op also signed agreements with the Tân Bình Culture JSC (ALTA Group) and Green Connect JSC to implement it at its stores.

The partnership is part of the Pollution Reducing Project funded by USAID, which the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Winrock International are managing.

Saigon Co.op will apply the waste circulation process through a plastic waste recycling station and an organic waste circulation model.

Under the former, Saigon Co.op and ALTA Group will instal plastic bottle/aluminum can collection machines at Co.opmart supermarkets in HCM City.

The AI-based machines will automatically identify, classify and collect the bottles and cans.

For each a user puts into the machine, they will receive a certain number of points that will be converted into vouchers for shopping on e-commerce platforms.

The programme will be piloted in HCM City from April 2024 to January 2025 before being deployed across the supermarket network.

Saigon Co.op will collaborate with Green Connect for the organic waste classification, collection and treatment at its supermarkets in the city from April 2024 to January 2025.

Based on results, the programme will be widely deployed. 

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