Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang attended the opening of the second Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day, themed  "Books: Awareness - Innovation - Creativity", in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on April 21.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy PM Quang said over the past years, ministries, agencies, localities, publishers, libraries, businesses and individuals have actively joined the activity, contributing to spreading book reading and gifting movement across the country.

He asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to spread reading culture and bring books to the community via honouring authors and bright examples.

The activity will last till May 1 with various events like a book exhibition, a book festival, a workshop on digital transformation in publication, introduction of authors and works about Hue, and seminars on socio-cultural and historical topics, as well as development trends of the publishing sector and music performances featuring Hue royal cultural heritages.

Eleven books kept by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will also be introduced to the public.

At the event, the Ministry of Information and Communications announced a communication programme for reading encouragement which aims to build columns introducing books, under a cooperation agreement with eight press agencies.

On the occasion, the provincial People’s Committee handed over 770 copies of the "Hue Bookcase" to 49 libraries throughout the province.

President Vo Van Thuong hosts Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala

The Vietnamese State and people always value and wish to promote traditional friendship lasting over 70 years with the Czech Republic in all areas, said President Vo Van Thuong.

During a reception in Hanoi on April 21 for Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, who is on Vietnam visit from April 20-22, President Thuong thanked the Czech Republic’s Government and people for providing invaluable support for Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and reunification and the current national development.

He hailed mutual support that the two countries offered to each other in the fight against COVID-19.

Fiala, for his part, affirmed that the Czech Republic always values the development of ties with Vietnam, its most important partner in ASEAN.

Speaking highly of the outcomes of talks between the two PMs, Thuong suggested both sides work closely together to carry out agreements reached during the visit, fully tap existing potential and opportunities to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the new period. This could be achieved through facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels, promoting economic-trade and investment cooperation, leveraging the tradition of collaboration in education-training, and stepping up tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Agreeing with the President’s proposals, Fiala affirmed that the two governments will continue creating favourable conditions for the two countries’ firms to expand operations.

He proposed bolstering coordination in politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, and people-to-people exchange through the early opening of a direct air route between the two countries and the inauguration of a Czech cultural centre in Vietnam.

Both sides agreed to continue working closely together and supporting each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially at the United Nations, ASEM and within the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework, for the sake of peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

About security issue, including the East Sea issue, the two leaders underscored the need to settle disputes through peaceful measures, including diplomatic and legal processes in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

President Thuong suggested the Czech Government continue offering all possible support to the Vietnamese community to settle down their lives. He believed that the Vietnamese community will continue upholding their active role as a bridge promoting economic and tourism cooperation and cultural exchange, contributing to bilateral friendly cooperation across the board.

He took this occasion to ask PM Fiala to convey his invitation to President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam at a convenient time.

Vietnam ready to take protection measures for its citizens in Sudan

Amid the escalating conflict in Sudan, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Sudan to continue closely monitoring the situation, and stay ready to deploy necessary protection measures to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens.

According to the latest information from the Embassy, 16 crewmembers on a ship docking at a port in Sudan have left the country. At present, only one citizen holding Vietnamese and Australian nationality is living in the capital city of Khartoum.

A report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 21 said that the clashes in Sudan since last weekend have resulted in over 400 deaths and more than 3,500 injured.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over the risk of many children falling victims in the conflicts as the WHO report indicated that at least nine children have died and over 50 others injured among the mentioned casualties.

Vietnam-China Friendship Association in Hai Phong holds Congress

The Vietnam-China Friendship Association of the northern port city of Hai Phong held its Congress for the 2023-2028 tenure on April 21.

The Congress elected a 27-strong executive board led by head of the municipal Party Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Dao Khanh Ha.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Hoang Minh Cuong stressed that the Congress takes place on the occasion of the association’s 30th founding anniversary.

Hai Phong now has cooperative ties with eight Chinese cities and provinces, including Nanning, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Guizhou, Ziyang, Henan, and Tianjin, especially cooperation with Yunnan province within the framework of economic corridor cooperation between five cities and provinces of Vietnam and China. In Hai Phong, foreign direct investment from China accounts for 24% of the total FDI into the city with 158 projects, mostly in electricity, electronics, commerce, logistics and industrial infrastructure.

During this tenure, the association will actively popularise the city’s history and culture, step up friendly exchange targeting youths and students in Chinese localities.

At the same time, it will continue suggesting measures to strengthen solidarity and fine neighbourliness between the two countries, taking effective and practical actions to contribute to Vietnam-China strategic cooperative partnership.

Seminars and workshops connecting Hai Phong with Chinese partners to do business and perform other tasks will be also planned.

Health Partnership Group meeting held in Hanoi

Health Minister Dao Hong Lan, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong and WHO Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt co-chaired the Health Partnership Group meeting in Hanoi on April 21.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Lan stressed the significance of the meeting in the context that countries around the world, including Vietnam, are overcoming consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to develop.

The Vietnamese health sector has received a lot of support and cooperation from international partners and friends, contributing to the success of disease control and and protecting the health of the Vietnamese people, she said, expressing her hope that such partnerships and cooperation will further deepen and become even more sustainable.

She said last year, the sector met 13 out of 16 targets assigned by the Vietnamese National Assembly and Government.

Amid common difficulties faced by the world after the pandemic, she said the Vietnamese health sector will strive towards the common goal of developing a fair, quality, efficient and sustainable health care system and effectively controlling COVID-19 and other emerging diseases.

The sector will focus on fine-tuning mechanisms and laws, improving hospital management capacity and the quality of health services, and gradually streamlining the health care system to be more effective and efficient. It will also propose policies to improve the welfare of medical staff, she said.

According to Lan, priority will be given to administrative reform in combination with the application of information technology and digital transformation.

Based on the overall goal, the sector will specify priorities for specific areas to implement in 2023 towards fulfilling its five-year plan.

Delegates at the event debated issues related to the health sector, including the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other diseases, aging population, grassroots health care and vaccination.

Dutch national day marked in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations on April 20 held a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands (April 9, 1973-April 9 2023) and the Netherlands' King's Day - the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Vietnam-Netherlands Friendship Association in HCM City (VNFAH) Tran Trong Dung said that people-to-people ties between the two countries date back over 420 years, through trade exchange activities of Dutch traders in Hoi An port in central Vietnam. 

Over the past five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have made great strides with cooperation spanning various sectors from politics-diplomacy to trade-investment, bringing practical benefits to both nations, he said.

Stressing that people-to-people diplomacy is an important driving force to promote friendship and cooperative relations between countries, Dung said the establishment of VNFAH aims to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Daniel Coenraad Stork, Consul General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the Netherlands and Vietnam are constantly upgrading their relationship, and are working together to address important global challenges such as climate change, sustainable agriculture, and water resource management.

The Netherlands and Vietnam have deep cultural connections and mutual trust, he said, adding that the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM City wishes to continue to maintain and further promote cooperation with the city's Union of Friendship Organisations.

50th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties celebrated in Paris

The Vietnamese Embassy in France, in coordination with the Vietnamese Culture Centre in the country, organised a ceremony on April 20 to celebrate the 50th founding  anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang reviewed development steps of the Vietnam-France relations, saying the two countries have enhanced their cooperation and dialogue amid global uncertainties.

The diplomat highlighted meetings and contacts between the two sides in all spheres and at all levels, including the meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and then Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the APEC Leaders' Meeting in November 2022, the phone talks between the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of the two countries in October 2022, and the recent visits to Vietnam by delegations of the French government and localities within the framework of the 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference.

Pointing out both risks and opportunities ahead, he suggested the two countries establish a long-term partnership, for the sake of their people, and cooperate comprehensively.

Cooperation for peace, stability, dialogue and multilateralism in the world and Indo-Pacific in particular remains an important task shared by the two countries, he continued.

The ambassador also stressed the need to invest in youngsters, and promote collaboration in education and training in order to consolidate mutual understanding and bring new vitality to the close relationship.

He urged Vietnamese and French partners to step up cooperation in key areas such as green, sustainable growth, to which both countries have made strong commitments.

Benoit Guidée, Asia and Oceania Director at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, also emphasised the close ties and mutual understanding between the two countries, as reflected through not only high-level visits by their leaders but also the diverse relations between associations and localities.

He affirmed that the French people always have strong sentiments for Vietnam, saying the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties has created new momentum for the relationship in all fields.

Vietnam, Cuba strengthen cooperation in cadre training

Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and Chairman of the Central Theory Council, on April 21 received Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation contents between the HCMA and Cuban partners in the coming time, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the training of cadres, especially those are or will hold leading positions at the strategic level.

HCMA Director Thang emphasised that the academy is carrying out the training effectively, and is ready to provide training for strategic-level cadres for Cuba.

Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen shared experiences on topics that the two sides are mutually interested in such as socialism building, socio-economic development, Party building, and theoretical research.

The two sides also exchanged views on the content of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the academy and the Nico Lopez Party School of the Cuban Communist Party; the signing of the extended MoU on the occasion of the upcoming visit to Vietnam by Roberto Morales Ojeda, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee. The extended MoU will promote the training of senior officials for the Communist Party of Cuba and the exchange of theoretical research and practical issues of mutual interest.

HCM City aids Cuba in overcoming aftermath of oil storage blaze in Matanzas

An official from Ho Chi Minh City has handed over a grant of 250,000 USD to the Cuban side to aid the country in tackling the aftermath of an oil storage facility fire in Matanzas province in August last year.

While accompanying Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on his ongoing visit to Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc on April 20 (local time) presented the aid to Raul Rodriguez Carricate, head of the department of international cooperation under the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment.

The sum was a gift from the municipal Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee.

As scheduled, Duc will also present a statue of President Ho Chi Minh to the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina, and sign letters of intent on cooperation between HCM City and Buenos Aires of Argentina as well as between the city and Montevideo of Uruguay.

Activities to develop reading culture sustainably held across Vietnam

On these days, various activities have been held across Vietnam in response to the second Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day (April 21), helping develop the reading culture sustainably.

This year, main activities will take place from April 21 to April 25 at the Thua Thien - Hue History Museum in the central province of the same name. The programme is organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) in collaboration with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the provincial People's Committee.

In Hanoi capital, right from the beginning of April, its districts and Son Tay town have organised a wide range of response activities, including book exhibitions, talk shows, and book introduction and granting events.

The highlight was the opening ceremony of the second Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day at the Hanoi Library on April 20 with the theme of "Books: Awareness - Innovation - Creativity". Within the framework of the event, participants heard a thematic talk on "Reading culture in the 4.0 period" and activities in response to the second Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day.

In Ho Chi Minh City, more than 100 activities are expected to be held in its districts from April 19-23 to honour those working in book-related fields, and promote reading culture.

Hot topics such as ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence chatbot trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response) with the writing of literature and books of today's youths, how to form a reading habit for children in the digital age, and e-books are being discussed and receiving great attention from the public.

In addition to provinces and centrally-run cities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Public Security have also held a lot of events to respond to the Day.

Director of the MIC Authority of Publication, Printing and Distribution Nguyen Nguyen said that this year’s Day carries two major messages of “Books: Awareness - Innovation - Creativity” and “Books for me, for you”.

The Prime Minister's Decision No.1862/QD-TTg on the organising of the annual Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day on the national scale was signed in 2021.

The day is expected to encourage and develop the reading movement among the community, contributing to building a learning society. In addition, it aims to honour readers, authors, publishers, printers and libraries that make efforts to preserve, collect and promote books.

Last year, the Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day was held in both in-person and online format amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children’s bilingual picture books on Trường Sa published

A set of two bilingual picture books on the beauty of the Trường Sa (Spratly) Archipelago for children has just been released at the HCM City Book Pedestrian Street.

The books, titled Phong Ba Nơi Đầu Sóng (Phong Ba at Rough Sea) and Biển Ấy Là Của Mình (Our Beloved Seas), are written by author Bùi Tiểu Quyên and illustrated by painter Thanh Phan.

The works are published by Lion Books, a book distributor in Hà Nội who releases many popular publications for children.

They depict an adventure had by a dog named Phong Ba living in Sinh Tồn Island of the Spratlys.

Phong Ba and his friends travel across the archipelago to learn about history, beauty and a life full of joy and hopes in the place where he was born.

He also shows his admiration to soldiers stationed on the archipelago who dedicate their life to protecting the nation’s sovereignty.

Author Quyên told local media that “the books contain simple stories with lovely illustrations which are easily understandable to young readers.”

She encouraged parents to read the books together with their children and answering their questions. It helps them learn about the protection of the nation’s sovereignty in the seas and islands, and nurtures their love for the country.

Quyên visited the Trường Sa Archipelago in April 2019.

She said, “the trip left a very deep impression on me and inspired me to write new books, especially works for children.”

The author wrote her first book on Trường Sa titled Cà Nóng Chu Du Trường Sa (Cà Nóng Travels to Trường Sa) published by the Kim Đồng Publishing House in 2021.

The book features a trip by a camera named Cà Nóng, who has an opportunity to visit Trường Sa with its owner, a young journalist.

The work helped Quyên win a C prize at the 2022 National Book Awards.

She also won an award for Best Children’s Book given by the HCM City Writers’ Association in 2021, and the Mai Vàng (Golden Ochna) Awards for Best Literary Work given by the Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper in 2022.

The books Phong Ba Nơi Đầu Sóng and Biển Ấy Là Của Mình are available at bookstores nationwide and on e-commercial platforms.

A series of workshops called “Lớp Học Bác Ba Phi” (Uncle Ba Phi’s Classes) will also be held at schools in Hà Nội, HCM City and the provinces of Đồng Nai and Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu.

The programmes will include painting exhibitions on Trường Sa, storytelling and postcard making to help students learn more about Việt Nam’s seas and islands. 

Entries open for prestigious literature awards

The search is on to find the best writers across Việt Nam.

An annual competition has been launched looking for the best works for children and written by children.

Entries are now open for The 4th Dế Mèn (Cricket) Award 2023.

This award is named after the character in the Vietnamese famous literary work "Diary of a Cricket" by writer Tô Hoài.

Entries can be literature, art or entertainment such as movies, music, photography, comics and traditional or electronic games.

The award is intended for compositions that are innovative in content, form, and style and are well received by children.

Over three seasons, one "Cricket Knight" award was given to writer Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, and 14 "Cricket Desire" awards were given to domestic and international writers and artists. Four of the award winners are children's authors.

According to the organiser, people whose works or manuscripts were completed or published in 2022 and 2023 have the right to participate.

The deadline for registration is 12pm on April 20. This year's ceremony is scheduled to coincide with International Children's Day (June 1st).

Drafts can be sent to giathuongdemen@thethaovanhoa.vn.

Hard copies (printed books, tapes, etc.) should be sent to Thể thao Văn hóa (Sports & Culture) newspaper, 11 Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội. 

Delayed implementation of education projects results in shortage of classrooms

According to the education sector’s report, the implementation of 117 education projects citywide has been delayed due to many reasons resulting shortage of imminent classrooms.

One of them is that the locality has not focused on investing in school construction projects. Many projects have had problems with compensation and site clearance, leading to delayed implementation.

This morning, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training held a conference to report the results of the implementation of the target of 300 classrooms per 10,000 population of school age in Ho Chi Minh City in the period 2021- 2025. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Duong Anh Duc was attending.

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training Le Hoai Nam said that by December 2022, the city had a ratio of 294 classrooms per 10,000 population of school age. Amongst them, 12/22 districts and Thu Duc City reached the target of 300 classrooms per 10,000 people.

Districts 4, 8, 12, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Binh Tan, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon have not built enough classrooms as required.

Especially, District 4 has had 286 classrooms, District 8 with 292 classrooms, District 12 with 235 classrooms, Binh Thanh District with 297 classrooms, Go Vap District 205 classrooms, Tan Binh District 288 classrooms, Tan Phu District 255 classrooms, Binh Tan District 288 classrooms, Binh Chanh District 260 classrooms and Hoc Mon District 211 classrooms.

Vice Chairman of the District 4 People's Committee Vo Thanh Dung informed that it is expected that by 2025, it is difficult for the locality to fulfill the target of 300 classrooms per 10,000 residents because so many school construction projects have been carried out simultaneously, which must adjust the planning. Subsequently, the project implementation period lasted so long.

Similarly, Vice Chairman of Go Vap District People's Committee Dao Thi My Thu expressed that in order to meet the target of 300 classrooms over 10,000 residents, the locality needs to add 1,300 classrooms.

As a result, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City proposed that districts and districts prioritize the allocation of budget capital to speed up the implementation of investment projects on the construction of schools according to land use plans and the approved plan is in accordance with the development requirements and reality of each district.

In particular, authorities in Districts 7, 9, 12, Binh Tan District, Go Vap, Thu Duc and Binh Chanh with high mechanical population growth or industrial parks and export processing zones should pay attention to building schools to meet students’ study needs.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Duong Anh Duc affirmed that the target of 300 classrooms over 10,000 population in school age is one of the important goals that the city is determined to implement during the tenth-tenure Party Congress of Ho Chi Minh City.

Generally, the city has so far reached the rate of 294 classrooms per 10,000 population, which has approached the target. But in fact, this ratio is not uneven between districts and levels.

Mr. Duong Anh Duc asked localities to focus on resolving the problem of building schools; if they have bumped into hiccup along the way, they should send reports to related departments in particular and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City in general proposing assistance for the goal.

Community makes concerted efforts to limit decline, extinction of wildlife species

State management and law enforcement agencies, and non-governmental organisations have taken actions to limit the decline and extinction of wildlife species in Vietnam.

On June 17, 2022, the last captive bear in the southern province of Binh Phuoc was handed over to a bear rescue centre of Cat Tien National Park.

Last year, the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Ha Nam became the next localities in Vietnam to officially put an end to bear bile farming. Notably, Ho Chi Minh City, which was previously the second largest hotspot of bear bile farming in the country, now only has 13 bears in private facilities.

As of October 2022, the capital city of Hanoi still recorded the highest number of bears in captivity nationwide, with 140 bears in private facilities, accounting for 54.5% of the total number of bears in captivity across the country.

Bui Thi Ha, Deputy Director of Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), hoped that in the near future, Hanoi's authorities would take more decisive actions to step up the elimination of bear captivity activities in Hanoi and Phuc Tho outlying district in particular. She also expected that by 2025, Vietnam will successfully end the situation thanks to the efforts of the municipal authorities.

Also last year, ENV recorded 399 tiger-related violation cases, over 88% of them were discovered on the cyber space.

With the support of ENV, competent agencies confiscated or received the transfer of 2,101 live wild animals, including 97 monkeys, 22 bears, 12 tigers, 295 tortoises of different species and many others.

Do Quang Tung, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Endangered Wildlife Conservation Project, said the current legal framework for controlling the exploitation and trading of wildlife is basically complete, comprehensive, and appropriate for practical requirements, such as the 2017 Forestry Law and related legal documents.

He added that the dissemination of legal regulations and coordination among the stakeholders in legal enforcement and settlement of violations have been carried out concertedly, resulting in strict punishments for a number of violations and a significant reduction in demand of wildlife and their products for food, medicine, and jewelry.

According to ENV’s 2022 report, up to 1,247 online advertisements for the sale of wild animals were successfully removed.

Since early 2022, a total of 92 online groups specialised in wildlife trading with 243,336 members have been disabled.

Ha added that 71% of the total 1,509 violations detected and reported to the authorities via ENV’s hotline have been successfully dealt with.

New policy might eliminate mandatory mechanic inspections for new cars

Starting July 1 of this year, newly acquired vehicles might no longer be required a mandatory mechanic examination during registration for road use under a new policy being mulled.

According to Vietnam Register, new vehicle owners would need only present the vehicle registration certificate to a local registration centre to obtain the necessary registration stamp and purchase the road maintenance fee.

The motivation behind this policy shift is to streamline the registration process and provide greater convenience for individuals and businesses.

By eliminating the need to bring new cars to registration centres physically, significant time and cost savings are expected to be realised.

The agency said that cars under nine seats are exempt from the first registration fee for 30 months, while trucks are exempt for 24 months.

According to the agency's calculation, each vehicle owner will save from 250,000-570,000 VND (10.50-24 USD), depending on the type of vehicle, if they are exempt from the first registration fee.

Previously, the agency submitted an amendment draft to Circular 16/2021/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport on the verification of technical safety, and environmental protection and speeding up the completion of regulations on the first-time registration exemption for new vehicles.

In addition, the agency will continue to build a more comprehensive management system through the registration application, where people can book a verification appointment and pay all fees online.

The National Traffic Safety Committee statistics show that about 548,000 new cars were registered nationwide last year.

If the proposal had been applied since last year, hundreds of billions of VND could have been saved.

Currently, many vehicle registration centres have been closed down amid a widening investigation into systemic corruption case taking place at Vietnam Register.

As of March 1, 2023, there are 281 registration centres across the nation with 489 evaluation systems. 59 centres have been suspended, mostly in Hanoi and HCM City, leading to serious backlog of vehicles waiting for their turns.

About 1,500 vehicle inspectors are currently working, while there need to be at least about 2,000 inspectors to meet the public demands, according to authorities.

Directive aims to raise aviation security capacity

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive asking ministries, agencies and localities to raise their capacity to ensure aviation security and safety in the new situation.

According to Directive No. 06/CT-TTg, dated February 24, ministries, agencies and localities need to observe rules in aviation security, and ensure aviation security in line with the international security situation.

The PM also spoke of expanding international cooperation in aviation security, and building modern infrastructure to serve the work.

The National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC) should reform its operations to help the PM instruct and coordinate activities among stakeholders in this regard.

People’s Committees of cities and provinces where airports are located need to follow the four on-site principles on response plans, workforce, equipment, and logistics, according to the document.

Ministries, agencies and localities were also asked to consolidate legal documents and standards on aviation security, especially the report reviewing the implementation of the Law on Vietnam Civil Aviation.

Specifically, the Ministry of Transport will review and perfect its organisation and aviation security personnel in line with legal regulations, develop a contingent of advisors and supervisors, and step up IT applications in the work.

It was also tasked with instructing the communication work to raise public awareness of aviation security and safety, as well as the exercise work on cyber safety at airports.

The Ministry of Public Security will perform the tasks of protecting national security, ensuring social order and safety and fighting crimes that threaten aviation security and safety.

It will coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of National Defence in rolling out aviation security measures in accordance with relevant laws and legal documents.

The directive also mentioned building a plan in response to unmanned and ultralight aircraft that illegally interfere in civil aviation activities, and defined responsibility of ministries, agencies and localities in this regard. The plan should be submitted to the PM for approval.

Cities and provinces were urged to tighten supervision over the operations of taxis at airports and increase bus services between airports and urban and tourism areas.

The directive stressed the need for concerned businesses to review specific regulations on health, knowledge, political qualities and morality for aviation security forces.

Vietnam takes drastic action to hunt down wildlife trafficking

Aware of wildlife trafficking and its threat to biodiversity preservation, Vietnam has taken drastic action to fight the use of wildlife and their products, such as fine-tuning laws, raising public awareness, strengthening legal enforcement, and strict punishment for violations.

Aware of wildlife trafficking and its threat to biodiversity preservation, Vietnam has taken drastic action to fight the use of wildlife and their products, such as fine-tuning laws, raising public awareness, strengthening legal enforcement, and strict punishment for violations.

Do Quang Tung, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Endangered Wildlife Conservation project, said the current legal framework for controlling the exploitation and trading of wildlife is basically complete, comprehensive, and appropriate for practical requirements, such as the 2017 Forestry Law and related legal documents.

He added that the dissemination of legal regulations and coordination among the stakeholders in legal enforcement and settlement of violations have been carried out concertedly, resulting in strict punishment for a number of violations and a significant reduction in demand of wildlife and their products for food, medicine, and jewelry.

Statistics from the Forest Protection Department showed that the number of violations related to wildlife nationwide decreased by 147 cases on average per year from 2018-2022 compared to the 2013-2017 period. However, illegal trading, transportation, and consumption of wildlife still occurs with much more sophisticated tricks to evade law enforcement, notably the case of 17 captured tigers in the central province of Nghe An in 2021.

Tung admitted that the illegal trade of wild animals across the border remains a complex issue, requiring increased coordination and cooperation at the national, regional, and global levels. Prevention also involves the improved capacity of law enforcement agencies and higher awareness among the consumers.

Last year, the MARD and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a project to protect endangered wildlife species over a span of five years.

The project will coordinate with the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) to effectively adopt measures to prevent content related to wildlife trafficking crimes on social media platforms, advertising websites, and actions that encourage wildlife consumption. 

It will also help raise awareness among the public and businesses on the risks associated with illegal wildlife trade, assist enterprises in building technical barriers, and take specific actions on each platform and website.

Surging accommodation prices in Hà Nội force students into uncomfortable living arrangements

Many students in Hà Nội have found themselves searching for roommates to cope with an unexpected surge in accommodation prices.

To save money, students live with two or three roommates, sometimes even four. However, cohabitating with strangers has led to unanticipated challenges.

Hostel owners in Hà Nội have attributed the sudden price increase to a rise in demand from students and workers needing housing. Some landlords have taken advantage of the situation to raise prices.

Depending on location and room size, the monthly rent for a fully-furnished studio with a bed, wardrobe, kitchen, and air-conditioner ranges from VNĐ3 million (US$127) to VNĐ5 million ($211).

Accommodations located near major universities in areas such as Cầu Giấy, Hồ Tùng Mậu, Hoàng Quốc Việt, Đê La Thành, Nguyễn Chí Thanh, Chùa Láng, and Nguyễn Trãi command higher rents.

Students typically spend between VNĐ3 million and VNĐ4 million per month for a room with an area of ​​20sq.m to 25sq.m. Mini apartments range from VNĐ4 million to VNĐ6 million per month.

Because students cannot bear such a high monthly rent, they are forced to find strangers to share with.

Dương Mạnh Chiến, a student of Hà Nội University of Civil Engineering, was forced to find a roommate after finding a satisfactory room but with a rent of up to VNĐ4 million per month in Ba Đình District.

Through social networking sites, he became acquainted with another guy from the Hà Nội University who was also looking for a room to share.

However, conflicts occurred after living together for a few weeks because their lifestyles were opposite.

“The roommate regularly smokes, and the floor is littered with cigarette butts,” Chiến said. “He often goes out late, and there are days when he wakes me up at 1am to open the door, causing me to lose sleep.

Phương Trinh, a student who rented a hostel in Đống Đa District with a rent of VNĐ3.8 million per month, was in a similar situation.

Trinh's roommate was a colleague from her part-time job shop, and conflicts in the workplace led to arguments in the hostel room. The climax was when Trinh discovered that her roommate secretly used her personal belongings.

The constant conflict made the two friends not want to spend any time with each other. They signed up to work at home at different times to avoid meeting at home. They didn't cook together, didn't communicate, and limit face-to-face contact at work and at home.

They are in a difficult situation because if they move to another place, they will lose the deposit and staying together is uncomfortable. Both are trying to stay to end the contract for a while, and then one of them will move to another place. 

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