The Department of Society and Culture under the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council yesterday had a working session to re-monitor implementation results on Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control and some typical policies serving for pandemic prevention and control and supporting people affected by Covid-19.

Reporting the working delegation, the Municipal Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs informed that the city has over 6.5 million people subject to receive financial support with a total amount of over VND6,523 billion (US$283 million) under the Resolution No.97/NQ-HDND of the HCMC People’s Council.

However, there are still three districts having low rates of spending financial support due to expense shortages including Cu Chi with 76 percent, Binh Tan with 56 percent and Binh Chanh with over 41 percent.

Deputy Director of the Municipal Department of Finance Tran Mai Phuong informed that the city had allocated the expense quotation for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control and had implemented the supported policy being applied to residents affected by the pandemic for departments, the People’s Committees of Thu Duc City and districts with a total amount of nearly VND18,370 billion (US$796 million).

Meanwhile, the actual demand is over VND32,400 billion (US$1.4 billion), therefore, the city needs around VND14,000 billion (US$606 million) to comprehensively implement the supported policy.

National high school graduation exam set for July 6-8: Education ministry

This year's high school graduation exam is set to take place on July 6, 7 and 8.

The ministry had worked with the education and training departments nationwide to agree on the organisation of the exam to fit with pandemic developments in each locality.

The system would allow students practising to register for the exam at around the end of April. The official registration will take place between April 28 and May 12.

The ministry posted sample exam questions on its website on March 31 for candidates to refer to and prepare for the exam.

The organisation of this year’s exam is the same as in recent years with three independent tests in Mathematics, Literature, and Foreign Languages and two combined tests of Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and Social Sciences (History, Geography, and Citizen Education).

The high school graduation exam is held nationwide, with about 900,000 to 1 million candidates each year.

The exam results are mainly used for high school graduation, with most universities and colleges also using the results for admission.

Buses now in service at Tan Son Nhat’s domestic terminal

Buses can now pick up and drop off passengers at the domestic terminal of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC from April 18, instead of just the international terminal as earlier.

According to the HCMC Management Center of Public Transport under the municipal Department of Transport, these buses belong to the subsidized route No 152 between the Trung Son Residential Area in Binh Chanh District and the airport and those of the non-subsidized route No. 72-1 between the airport and the Vung Tau Coach Station in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the local media reported.

Passengers can get on and get off buses along lane B of the domestic passenger terminal.

The HCMC Department of Transport has assigned the HCMC Management Center of Public Transport to coordinate with the authority of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport to arrange parking sites at the domestic terminal’s lane B for buses.

La Son-Tuy Loan expy project opened to traffic

The La Son-Hoa Lien section of the La Son-Tuy Loan expressway project was officially put into service late last week.

The 66-kilometer La Son-Hoa Lien section starts from the La Son intersection in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, to the Hoa Lien intersection in Hoa Vang District, Danang City.

The La Son-Tuy Loan expressway project got off the ground on December 22, 2013. With a total length of 77.5 kilometers, it links the La Son intersection with the Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway. The project costs nearly VND11.5 trillion in investment sourced from Japan’s bank loans and was developed under the build-transfer format.

Danang market offers free goods to poor students

Authorities in the central city of Danang have organised a market that offers free goods to poor students in the area.

The market, which has been held every Sunday over the past two months at the headquarters of the Thanh Binh Ward People's Committee in Hai Chau District, only serves students, especially those with difficult economic conditions.

The market mostly supplies fresh goods including fruits, vegetables, meat and fish.

Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Thanh Binh Ward, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong said that thanks to support from local businessmen and donors, they were now supplying between 250-300 packages of fresh food at the market every Sunday.

Hue museum displays sunken artifacts dating back thousands of years

A range of sunken artefacts made of pottery and dating back thousands of years are on display at a museum in Hue city of Thua Thien-Hue province, central Vietnam.

The museum, that opened to the public on April 17, are showcasing more than 2,500 artifacts that have been retrieved from the Huong (Perfume) River and collected by Vietnamese-born German Thai Kim Lan.

The exhibits themed The Perfume River – the Rendezvous of Cultures are divided into three groups belonging to the pre-Sa Huynh and Sa Huynh Culture, about between 3,000 and 2,500 years ago, the Champa Culture from the first millennium BC, and the Ly-Tran-Nguyen dynasties, from the 19th and 20th centuries.

It is the only museum nationwide which is currently displaying ceramics retrieved from from the Huong (Perfume) River in Thua Thien-Hue province.

Too many booths too close for comfort in southern VN

Many toll stations on roads built under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts in the southern region, including HCM City, are improperly located, frustrating the public, especially drivers.

This is evidenced by some road sections densely populated with toll booths and by some of them standing close to schools, causing great inconvenience.

Many southern localities like HCM City, Đồng Nai, Bình Phước and Bình Dương are developing transport infrastructure aimed at enhancing inter-regional connectivity and reducing traffic jams.

The project investors have placed booths on new roads for collecting toll and recovering their investment, but some of these are placed in such a manner that frustrates both local residents and drivers.

ASEAN, US to convene special summit in May

Cambodia, as the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022, announced that the bloc and the US are set to convene a special summit to celebrate the 45th anniversary of their dialogue relations in Washington D.C., on May 12 and 13.

This is the second special summit since 2016 and the first in-person engagement for ASEAN and US leaders since 2017, Cambodia said in a statement.

ASEAN leaders and President Joe Biden will discuss ways and means to intensify cooperation in various areas, including COVID-19 response and global health security, climate change, sustainable development, maritime cooperation, human capital development, education and people-to-people ties, as well as connectivity and economic engagement.

They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern.

During this historic meeting, the leaders of ASEAN and the US will chart the future direction of ASEAN-US relations and seek to further enhance the strategic partnership for mutual benefits of the people of ASEAN and the US.

Thu Duc should have provincial jurisdiction

HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai asked Thu Duc City to propose applying 70%-80% of the jurisdiction of a province as its special policies.

Thu Duc must be determined as a new driving force of HCMC and the entire country, so policies must be outstanding enough to meet its development needs, Mai said at a conference of the executive board of the Thu Duc City Party Committee on April 16, the local media reported.

Mai said the National Assembly had agreed that special policies for Thu Duc would be part of a resolution replacing Resolution 54 on a special mechanism for HCMC. However, the issuance of the new resolution will take time.

Therefore, Thu Duc should review and take the initiative in making policy recommendations.

National Assembly’s 3rd session slated for May 23

The 15th National Assembly (NA)’s third meeting will start on May 23, as heard at the ongoing 10th session of the NA Standing Committee on April 19.

Under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, participants commented on the preparations for the meeting . 

Following the Government's proposal to delay the submission of the draft revised Land Law, the withdrawal of the bill from the session’s agenda has been requested, he said.

Concluding the discussion, Hue said the NA Standing Committee agreed with the opening date of the meeting, but the closing date will depend on the arrangement of discussion time. 

At the end of the function in the morning of April 19, the NA Standing Committee voted to approve the number of members of the procuracy committee of the Supreme People's Procuracy at 15.

School attendance reaches 99.57 percent post-COVID-19

As of April 18, school attendance had reached 99.57 percent after all schools were reopened post-COVID-19, data from the Ministry of Education and Training shows.

All cities and provinces have developed scenarios and sufficiently prepared for the school reopening to ensure educational quality and the students’ safety.

The ministry has requested schools to flexibly offer catch-up lessons that fit each specific group of students and the local pandemic risk level.

Vietnam’s U23 draws 1-1 with U20 RoK in friendly

Vietnam’s U23 drew 1-1 with the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s U20 squad in a friendly held at Viet Tri Stadium of Phu Tho province on April 19, prior to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Hosting the game was to help the northern province revise its preparations for the upcoming Games.

Lee Young-jun of the RoK scored an opener in the 14th minute with a header, and captain Dang Van Toi converted a penalty to equalise for Vietnam three minutes later.

The teams are to face each other again at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium on April 22.

Vietnam, Denmark promote energy partnership

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang Giang and Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Højlund Christensen co-chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Vietnam-Denmark Energy Partnership Programme in the period of 2020-2025 (DEPP3 Programme).

Managed by the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department, the project has a total investment of about 8.96 million USD of non-refundable ODA from Denmark.

It aims to support Vietnam in building a roadmap to promote low carbon development in the industrial sector, which helps the country realise its nationally determined contribution (NDC) commitments following the Paris Agreement on climate change, raising NDC targets and strengthening relevant solutions in 2025.

In the future, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to coordinate with the Danish Energy Agency in the implementation of the newly-approved action plan for 2022.

Vietnam - Nepal friendship association established

A congress to announce the establishment of the Vietnam - Nepal Friendship Association  (VNFA) took place in Hanoi on April 19.

Former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan was elected as Chairman of the association for the 2022-2027 tenure. The VNFA's executive committee consists of 27 members.

During the tenure, the VNFA will coordinate with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) to strictly implement the foreign policy set by the 13th National Party Congress, focusing on building a comprehensive and modern diplomacy, mobilising external resources for national development, improving the country's position and prestige, and developing the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Nepal.

SEA Games 31: Local organising committees encouraged to give free tickets to spectators

Organising committees of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in localities have been encouraged to give free tickets to spectators during the event, thus spreading the sports spirit in line with the event's slogan “For a stronger Southeast Asia”.

According to a document on issuing invitations and tickets to competitions of SEA Games 31signed recently by Deputy Minister of culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, the national Organising Committee of the event will manage, issue and distribute all invitations to the opening and closing ceremonies of SEA Games 31, the men’s football final match and the match for bronze medal at My Dinh National Stadium.

The local organising committees have been allowed to decide on the plan to manage, and issue invitations or tickets to events they will host in accordance with the principle of priority.

"Light up Da Nang” to spotlight central city’s nightlife

Street art performances themed “Light up Da Nang” will be held at Bach Dang Square in the central city of Da Nang on April 22 and April 29 as part of activities to restore tourism development in the locality.

This is a pilot model to develop the nighttime economy in Da Nang, which is implemented within the framework of cooperation between the municipal People's Committee and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vietnam.

The event will bring together guests from all the three regions of the country in a series of activities for young people including Hiphop and Kpop Cover contests, a DJ show, and Flashmob dance.

The beauty of nature, culture and people of Da Nang and its nightlife will be spotlighted in a visual show using “Augmented Reality” technology.

Vietnam, Cuba share experience in raising position of women

The Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) and the Federation of Cuban Women (FCW) have reached a cooperation agreement for 2022-2027, under which they will further boost information sharing, delegation exchanges and coordination at international forums.

The agreement was signed by VWU President Ha Thi Nga and FCW Secretary General Teresa Amarelle Boué following their talks in Cuba on April 18.

Vietnam willing to deepen Comprehensive Partnership with Argentina

Vietnam always attaches importance to its relationship with Argentina and is willing to work with the country to develop their bilateral Comprehensive Partnership, established in 2010, in a deeper and more effective manner, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has affirmed.

Son held talks over the phone with his Argentinian counterpart Santiago Andrés Cafiero on April 18 to discuss measures to boost bilateral relations towards the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.

The two sides successfully organised the eighth political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level in May 2021 and the seventh meeting of the joint Government Committee on Economics, Trade and Investment in August 2021. Last year, two-way trade surpassed 4.5 billion USD, up 14.1 percent year-on-year. Argentina is currently Vietnam’s third largest trade partner in Latin America.

Book exhibition highlights Vietnam-Cuba friendship

Books highlighting the loyalty and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba are being displayed at the headquarters of the Truth National Political Publishing House in Hanoi on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of Cuba’s Giron victory (April 19).

The exhibition, which opened on April 19, is jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association and the publishing house.

The nearly 50 publications displayed also feature Cuban heroes, as well as the nation and culture of Vietnam and its foreign policy. They include two books by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on Vietnam’s national construction, which were published in Spanish.

Eighth National External Information Service Awards launched

The eighth National External Information Service Awards were launched at a press conference in Hanoi on April 19.

The annual awards aim to honour outstanding authors, books and publications in the field of external information and contribute to promoting the country’s development achievements in various areas.

Submissions can be in any language and must be published as an article in a print newspaper, online newspaper, or website (licensed by competent agencies), radio broadcast, TV broadcast, press photo, landscape photo, or book, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. They must be sent to Nhan Dan newspaper – the standing agency of this year’s awards, before August 1.

The winners will be announced in August 2022.

Cabinet meeting looks into obstacles to planning work

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 19 asked relevant ministries and agencies to complete reports, proposing the National Assembly to issue a resolution aimed at removing obstacles to the planning work.

Addressing a Cabinet meeting on the planning work after the Planning Law came into force on January 1, 2019, Chinh emphasised that the planning work plays a significant role in socio-economic development.

To enforce the Planning Law, the Government has issued many resolutions, decrees and directives, and organised meetings to review and speed up the work, he added.

The PM also ordered decentralisation of power in this regard, saying the tasks of approving, assessing and planning should be assigned to specific agencies and organisations.

He suggested that major planning schemes like those at the national and regional levels and in important sectors should be prioritised, with their progress, quality and feasibility ensured.

Over 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-12 allocated

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has decided to allocate an additional 1,382,400 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Australian government to provinces and centrally-run cities to vaccinate children aged from 5 to under 12 years old.

Together with 921,600 doses distributed on April 14, the institute has allocated more than 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate the target group.

Of the amount, Ho Chi Minh City will receive 193,800 doses and Hanoi will get 104,000 doses. The others will come to such provinces as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Quang Ninh.

As of April 18, a total of 19,526 doses had been administered to children of the age group. The injection of the second shots for the kids is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of this year.

Lao Cai to host largest rose festival in northwestern region

The 2022 Fansipan Rose Festival is scheduled to be held at Sun World Fansipan Legend Tourist Area in the northwestern province of Lao Cai from April 23 to May 23, with the event offering visitors a unique and fresh experience.

The festival will span a total area of 50,000 square metres inside Sun World Fansipan Legend Tourist Area of Sun Group.

Roughly 100 varieties of roses from many countries, including the UK, France, and Japan will be featured at the event.

During the festival, there will be a rose parade consisting of 48 flower cars controlled by artists wearing traditional costumes of the various ethnic groups which reside in Sa Pa town.

Elsewhere, a horse race will take place from April 29 to May 2, drawing the participation of 30 racers from the northwestern region.

VN photographer wins prizes at Spring Clicks 2022

Local photographer Bach Ngoc Tu claimed a number of prizes at Spring Clicks Circuit 2022, an international photography contest held in Montenegro.

The Spring Clicks Circuit was held this year to honour artistic works in four categories, namely nature, open colour, open monochrome, and people. It attracted a range of professional and amateur photographers from 65 countries from across the world.

Bach Ngoc Tu, a Vietnamese photographer born in Quang Ninh province, grabbed two golds, one silver, one bronze, two honorable mentions, as well as two certificates of exhibitions on nature and people.

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 10 in Montenegro.

Hundreds of Covid-infected children have MIS-C in HCM City

Hundreds of Covid-infected children in HCM City have been found to have Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) after recovering.

According to the HCM City Department of Health, as many as 315 children have been treated for MIS-C at local hospitals over the past nine months. They all had some problems with their heart, lung, kidney, eye, skin, and digestive system after 2-6 weeks recovering from Covid-19.

"Reports from local hospitals showed that between June 2021 and March 2022, some 315 among over 71,000 Covid-19 infected children had MIS-C," the department said. "The problem was mostly found in smaller children with those below five years old making up 47.3 percent and those of between 5-12 making up 46 percent. They often showed symptoms including high fevers, stomachaches, diarrhoea, and vomiting."

The department said that most of the children had recovered after being treated at hospital, adding that they may face serious problems with their cardiac system if not being properly treated.

MIS-C was first announced in the US and the UK in April 2020. Reports said that some 0.6 percent of Covid-19-infected children experienced the problem in the US.

Quang Tri forest suffers illegal logging

More than 10 hectares of forest in the central province of Quang Tri’s Dakrong District have been destroyed.

Many trees, including those with diameters of up to 70 cm have been cut down at Dakrong Commune’s Cat Village. The trees have been cut into timber for transportation out of the forest.
 
According to Dakrong Commune People’s Committee, the forest was handed over to the community in Lang Cat to be managed in 2018.

Dakrong Commune People’s Committee Chairman Ho Thanh said local authorities had sent a task force to the forest for the check. Local people have been requested not to go into the forest without permission.

Tran Dai Duc, head of the Dakrong Forest Protection Board, said the damage to the forest was discovered on April 12 due to the large number of trees cut down.

Dak Rong People’s Committee Vice-Chairman Le Dai Loi said local authorities had instructed the relevant agencies to investigate the case.

Hue Imperial Citadel to open night street zone from April 22

A night street zone around Hue Imperial Citadel City, a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage, is set to be officially launched on April 22 at Ngo Mon Square, according to the Hue City People's Committee and the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre.

Following several postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the night street zone will open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday.

The local government will provide free admission to the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities at No 3 Le Truc street in Hue City from April 17 to the end of May 17.

Throughout the year visitors will be exempt from entrance fees to tourist attractions at the Hue ancient citadel relic complex during the Lunar New Year, Thua Thien-Hue liberation day on March 26 and National Day on September 2.

Da Nang offers wide range of activities for coming holiday

The central coastal city of Da Nang has announced a number of attractive entertainment programmes aimed at drawing both local and international tourists to the city for the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1).

Most notably, the central city is set to host "The Rap Show", which is widely considered as the most anticipated event during the holiday. The show will attract the participation of a range of prestigious rappers, including Binz, Wowy, De Choat, and Ricky Star.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy beer at B’estival 2022 due to take place at Sun World Ba Na Hills, whilst holidaymakers can also enjoy dining stores to sample delicious food at the festival as they try cold German beer.

Moreover, Asia Park is anticipated to welcome tourists back after a period of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Currently, Da Nang is also offering free entry to many tourist sites such as Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) landscape, Cham Sculpture Museum, and Da Nang Museum, along with 20% off for tickets on high-speed boats from Da Nang to Ly Son island in Quang Ngai.

Art exhibition to celebrate the opening of new pedestrian zone in Hanoi

Artworks by 40 renowned artists will be displayed at an exhibition in Son Tay old fortress citadel in Hanoi's Son Tay Town from April 22 to May 3.

The exhibition, entitled Hạnh Phúc Xanh (Green Happiness), will present 80 artworks by artists from different regions across the country. The works are diverse in content and styles, on various materials such as oil, lacquer, dó (poonah) paper or wood.

ASEAN Para Games delayed by a week

Hosts Indonesia have announced a one week delay of the 11th ASEAN Para Games, although preparations are going well.

The regional sports tournament for athletes with disabilities will be rescheduled from July 30 to August 6 in Surakarta City in Java.

The ASEAN Para Sports Federation's secretary-general Senior Colonel Wandee Tosuwan said the Games organisers were racing against time to ensure smooth delivery of the Games with almost 100 days to go.

However, the new dates of the Para Games may create trouble for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, who are set to send athletes to the 2022 Commonwealth Games from July 28 to August 8. 

Flights and trains fully booked for Reunification Day and May Day holiday

Many domestic flights have been fully booked for the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holiday.

On some Vietnam Airlines online booking sites, tickets for the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route on April 29 are being sold from VND 4.1 million (USD 178) for economy class and nearly VND 7 million for Business class. Tickets for the Phu Quoc-Hanoi route on May 2 and May 5 have the same prices.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air has run out of tickets for business class on that route, while other classes have prices ranging from VND 3.2-3.5 million per ticket. Bamboo Airways has also announced that they have nearly sold out tickets for the Phu Quoc-Hanoi route around the holiday.

Many flights to other tourist destinations including Quy Nhon, Danang, Nha Trang, and Con Dao have also been sold out while others now have few choices for this time.

A representative from Vietnam Airlines Group said that they have arranged 450,000 seats during seven days between April 28 and May 4, which is an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period of 2019.

Bamboo Airways said that they have decided to increase flights on some key routes connecting Hanoi to Danang, Quy Nhon, Cam Ranh, and Phu Quoc and arrange more flights at late nights between April 28 and May 3 to serve the rising number of customers.

Customers are advised to buy tickets at the airlines' online channels and offices to avoid fake tickets.

Aday folk singing of Khmer people honoured as national cultural heritage

The art of Aday folk singing of the Khmer ethnic group in Xa Phen commune, Long My district, Hau Giang province has been honoured as a national intangible cultural heritage, announced by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 19.

Aday singing is unique folklore performing art form dating from a long time ago. It is a kind of duet singing between Khmer men and women in the Southern region and is often staged at community festivals and family ceremonies.

Accompanied by musical instruments, the performers deliver songs praising love, nature, and the good.

180,000 tourists expected to visit Dalat during upcoming national holiday

The resort city of Da Lat is expected to attract nearly 180,000 visitors during the four-day national holiday for Vietnam Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1).

Among these visitors, nearly 140,000 will stay at hotels and other lodging facilities, skyrocketing 135% year-on-year, Le Anh Kiet, head of the Da Lat Information and Culture Division, said today, April 20.

Between April 30 and May 2, many tourist sites in the city would be overwhelmed with visitors.

Junior, senior high schoolers issued citizen ID cards for sitting examination

Today, the Ho Chi Minh City Police said that, in order to facilitate students who will participate in the upcoming junior high and high school graduation examinations, police officers will quickly issue chip-based citizen identification cards and electronic identification for the groups.

Ho Chi Minh City police said that all city dwellers will be issued chip-based citizen ID cards. Priority is given to students whose birth year is from 2004 to 2007 who have not yet made a chip-based citizen ID card with an electronic chip.

The issue of chip-based citizen ID cards is from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily at the administrative management team for social order and police of districts and Thu Duc city in Ho Chi Minh City.

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