HCM City will host a series of cultural activities to mark the Hùng Kings Commemoration and the 49th anniversary of South Việt Nam's Liberation and Reunification Day (April 30).

A ceremony to commemorate the Hùng Kings, known as the country’s founders, will be held on April 18 (the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar) at the Hùng Kings memorial area located in the Park of Culture and National History in Thủ Đức City. 

The event will include a series of martial arts performances, dragon dances, and traditional art shows on April 17 and 18.

In addition, the city will host a special programme called “Ngày Hội Non Sông Thống Nhất” (National Reunification Day) to mark the 49th anniversary of South Việt Nam's Liberation and Reunification Day.

The programme will include a music and dance gala introducing songs praising the country, its islands and seas, President Hồ Chí Minh, and the city on April 29, featuring popular singers such as Tạ Minh Tâm, Võ Hạ Trâm and Nguyễn Phi Hùng.

Many music and art performances will also be held to serve people and workers at industrial parks and export processing zones in outlying districts and Thủ Đức city on April 30 and May 1.

A photo exhibition highlighting the country and the city’s development and achievements will be open to the public downtown in late April.

The city will also offer a fireworks display on April 30 from 9 - 9:15pm.

French food festival 2024 opens in Hanoi

The French food festival 2024 named “Balade En France” was opened in Hanoi on April 5 under the auspices of the French embassy in Vietnam and the municipal People’s Committee.

Taking place to April 7, the festival boasts nearly 80 pavilions, about 50% more than the last year’s edition, offering famous French food and demonstrations by chiefs.

French Ambassador Olivier Brochet affirmed the event honours the French food and creates a chance to emphasise the France-Vietnam cultural cooperation.

Within the framework of the festival, a space of 300sq.m. will be marked off into a sport village to popularise the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic. Besides, there will be a street dance event called “Balade En France - All in One 2024” to be performed by students of schools in the Francophone block in Hanoi.

First held in 2018, the festival drew 300,000 visits last year in its three days./.

Vietnamese, Indian coast guards conduct joint oil spill response exercise

The Coast Guard Region 3 Command under the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on April 5 jointly held a drill on emergency oil spill response, environmental pollution treatment, search and rescue, and firefighting at sea.

The exercise had the participation of VCG's vessel CSB 8005 and ICG's pollution control vessel Samudra Paheredar-ICG 202.

The exercise situation was an oil spill occurring in international waters, affecting the ecosystem and environment, with vessels CSB 8005 and Samudra Paheredar-ICG 202 mobilised to participate in handling the incident. Along with modern, specialised equipment on the ship, officers and sailors of the two sides coordinated and deployed technical work to handle oil spills according to scientific and strict procedures, while organising zoning, treatment, and thorough collection of the oil spilled into the sea to complete the set tasks.

During the process of responding to the oil spill, the vessels received an SOS signal from a ship on fire at sea. The two vessels approached the ship in distress and sprayed water to extinguish the fire.

In the firefighting process, the sailors of the ship in distress jumped into the sea. Detecting them floating in the sea, the vessels quickly determined the coordinates and quickly launched a speedboat to approach the victims and brought them aboard to conduct first aid, successfully completing the missions.

According to Colonel Nguyen Minh Khanh, Deputy Commander-Chief of Staff of Coast Guard Region 3 Command that this is a practical activity for the two countries' coast guard forces to exchange and learn from each other, enhancing their capacity in ensuring safety and security and responding to incidents at sea./.

Vietnam Festival opens in Tokyo

The Vietnam Festival was opened in Tokyo on April 6 under the theme of “Pray for Japan”.

Prominent among the participants were Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, Ambassador Pham Quan Hieu, Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura Masahiro, and former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda.

Hieu expressed deep sympathies to the victims of the recent earthquake in Ishikawa and his belief that the Vietnamese community in Ishikawa in particular and Japan in general will bring into full play their spirit of solidary to overcome their difficulties and stabilise their life.

Hang held that the two-day festival is a chance for the people of the two countries show their solidarity, and spoke highly of the efforts by the Vietnamese community in Japan over the recent past, not only to help those in the community but also locals in the difficult times.

Meanwhile, Komura Masahiro said he hopes that the Vietnam Festival will be held in many localities in Japan and said the popularity of the festival is a manifestation of Japanese people’s interest in Vietnam. He expressed his belief that through the cultural exchanges, the close relations between the two countries will further develop in the next 50 years.

The festival sees 17 pavilions offering Vietnam’s popular food and fruit. It expects to draw about 80,000 visits./.

Vietnam - Japan relations developing at the best stage: Deputy FM

The relationship between Vietnam and Japan is currently at the finest development stage, with a historical milestone being the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in November 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang told her Japanese counterpart Komura Masahiro during a meeting on April 5 in Tokyo. 

The Vietnamese official expressed sincere thanks to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for coordinating to organise visits and working sessions of high-level delegations of the two countries in recent times, and suggested the two sides continue to closely coordinate to ensure the success of visits by Vietnamese and Japanese high-ranking leaders in 2024.

She called on the Japanese side to continue providing official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam's development projects.

Deputy FM Hang expressed her gratitude to the Government of Japan for creating favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese (OVs) living, working, and studying in Japan, calling for further support for the Vietnamese community in the coming time, including simplifying visa application procedures.

She took the occasion to show her sympathies over the losses of lives and property that the Japanese government and people had to endure after the disastrous earthquake in the early days of 2024 in Ishikawa prefecture and surrounding areas of central Japan. Hang thanked Komura for attending the opening ceremony of the Ikebukuro Festival on April 6 to raise funds to support the victims, considering this a vivid testament to the sincere friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

For his part, Komura agreed to continue promoting cooperation between the two countries in various fields within the framework of  the comprehensive strategic partnership, and enhancing people-to-people exchanges, saying that these are important foundations of the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

He affirmed that he will closely coordinate to successfully organise high-level visits of the two countries' leaders in 2024, and expressed delight at the ODA projects funded by Japan that are contributing to Vietnam's socio-economic development, stating his personal commitment to continue to bring ODA projects to Vietnam. 

The two officials agreed to continue close coordination to address issues related to Vietnamese nationals' violation of Japanese laws, including enhancing education to ensure that the Vietnamese community in Japan strictly abide by local laws.

On the same day, Deputy FM Hang chaired a seminar with Vietnamese experts and intellectuals in Japan.

As part of her working visit to Japan, Hang also had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country, during which she highly valued efforts by the agency in implementing OV affairs, saying that this has contributed to strengthening the national solidarity bloc and fostering the good friendship between the peoples and the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan./.

PM breaks grounds, inaugurates, inspects infrastructure projects in Thua Thien-Hue

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 6 attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hue Vsico port and another to inaugurate Phu Son waste-to-power plant, and inspected a project to build Nguyen Hoang road and a bridge crossing Huong River in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

At the ceremony to launch the construction of Hue Vsico port (Ports No.4 and 5), PM Chinh presented gifts to investors and contractors.

The project is part of the Chan May port cluster which handled 4.5 million tonnes of cargo and 68,700 passengers in 2023.

The cluster is considered the closest and most convenient gateway to the East Sea for the East-West economic corridor, connecting Central Vietnam with Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, and linking with Asian countries and the world. Besides, it is also located in the centre of Vietnam, between the two largest cities in the central region - Hue and Da Nang.

The project to build Ports No.4 and 5 is invested by Vsico Maritime Joint Stock Company with a total capital of more than 1.67 trillion VND (66.89 million USD). It covers a total area of 20.4 hectares, with a total length of the two ports of 540m, capable of accommodating cargo ships of up to 70,000 tonnes and container ships of up to 4,000 TEUS.

The project is scheduled to complete in the second quarter of 2025 and put into operations in early 2026. It is designed to receive 5 million tonnes of goods each year. It is expected to handle container ships with 80,000 to 100,000 TEUS per year.

Meanwhile, the Phu Son waste-to-power plant in Phu Son commune of Huong Thuy township has a total area of 11,234 hectares, and an investment of about 74.55 million USD. Its operation duration is 25 years.

The plant is equipped with a mechanical furnace with a capacity of 500 tonnes per day and a 12MW high-pressure steam turbine generator set.

The project was launched in November 2021, with the testing operation period ending in December 2023. It received its operation licence on February 7, 2024, enabling it to switch to commercial operation.

Currently, the plant processes about 220,000 tonnes of household waste and can provide about 93 million kWh of green electricity per year.

The project to construct Nguyen Hoang road and a bridge crossing Huong River, which belong to Belt Road No.3 of Thua Thien-Hue, has a total investment of over 2.28 trillion VND from the central and local budgets.

Construction of the project started in late 2022 and is scheduled to finish in December 2025.

The bridge crossing Huong River is expected to open to traffic in December 2024.

PM Chinh hailed the efforts of relevant parties and contractors, especially workers at the site. He asked them to speed up the construction to ensure its progress, contributing to promoting the night-time economy of the province.

The same day, Chinh visited doctors, officials and patients at the Hue Central Hospital where an organ transplant operation was conducted within 48 hours, a new record of the hospital so far.

He asked the Ministry of Health and Thua Thien-Hue province to continue paying attention to the hospital's development, expressing his hope that the hospital will strengthen the application of high technologies for better performance, meeting the demands of patients.

Earlier the same day, PM Chinh attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Hue International Central Hospital No.2 under the Hue Central Hospital./.

Vietnamese people leave good impression after earthquake in Taiwan

Vietnamese labourers working in Taiwan (China) have left impressions on people of Hualien, Taipei, as they joined hands with local residents to rescue victims trapped in collapsed houses after the earthquake in the Taiwainese locality on April 3, the strongest in 25 years in the country.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 10 people and injured more than 1,100 others. 

There have been no information about casualties related to Vietnamese workers, according to the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei. 

The earthquake in Hualien also tested the adaptability of foreign nurses residents. On April 3, ftvnews.com.tw reported that a Vietnamese nurse in Miaoli county remained calm in the face of danger, immediately turned off the power system, and carefully helped her homeowners evacuate. She was praised for her professionalism. The quake in Miaoli County was recorded at a magnitude of 5.

Dinh Thu Nguong, an employee at the Nantou Labour  Office in Taiwan, said that labour offices in districts across Taiwan have established networks to share information about foreign workers, allowing Vietnamese labourers to quickly update information in the event that foreign workers encounter issues.

Tran Duc Cuong, general manager of foreign labourers at Ho-master labour brokerage Co., Ltd in Taipei, said agencies and factories in Taiwan regularly conduct earthquake prevention drills for foreign workers.

Currently, the morale of the Vietnamese community here has gradually returned to stability, he said. 

According to Le Quoc Dai, a second-year student at National Dong Hwa University in Hualien, said that the university is making every effort to arrange study activities of students, including Vietnamese, so that they can graduate on schedule./. 

Party, State leaders join Lao traditional festival

Vietnamese Party and State leaders joined the celebration of the Lao traditional festival Bunpimay held at the Lao embassy in Hanoi on April 6.

Prominent among them were Politburo member, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, and head of the committee’s Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai; Politburo member and Chairman of the Central Theory Council Nguyen Xuan Thang; Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang; and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders and the people of Vietnam, Thang extended the best wishes to the fraternal Party and State leaders and people of Laos; congratulated them on their achievements recorded over the recent years; and expressed belief on their further successes in their national building.

The official stressed the two countries enjoy special and unique relationship in the world, and that the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between them will continue to develop.

Now as before, the Party, State, and people are determined to join their Lao counterparts in maintaining and developing those relations, Thang said.

Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh stressed the Vietnamese delegation’s participation in the celebration manifests the comradeship, fraternity and special relations between the two countries.

Congratulating Vietnam on its recent achievements, the diplomat expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the fraternal Vietnamese people will reach their target of becoming a developed and high-income country by 2045.

He also expressed gratitude to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam to their Lao counterparts in its past national liberation and current national construction and defence.

The two Parties and Sates will continue tightening the Laos – Vietnam great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation despite the complex development of the world and regional situation in the recent past, the diplomat affirmed./.

Vietnam condemns attack on Iranian embassy in Syria

Vietnam condemns the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria. All the buildings of diplomatic representative and consular offices must be respected and protected according to international law.

So said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang on April 6 while answering journalists’ question on Vietnam’s reaction to the attack.

Vietnam calls on the sides concerned to practice restraint, refrain from the use of violence, settle differences by peaceful measures, avoid escalating tension in the region, and abide by international law, including the Vienna Convention 1961 on ensuring the life, security, and safety for the people, members of the representative offices and their families, the official stressed./.

Vietnam leaves deep impression at UNHRC's regular session

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son reaffirmed Vietnam's priorities when participating in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), including protecting vulnerable groups, promoting gender equality and digital transformation, and ensuring human rights, while delivering his opening statement at the 55th regular session of the council, which took place from February 26 to April 5. 

He emphasised that human rights can only be best ensured when peace, stability, and international law are maintained and respected, with states placing people at the centre of all policies and ensuring inclusive and sustainable development.

Son called on countries to support Vietnam's re-election as a member of the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term. 

The Vietnamese delegation led by FM Son actively joined many sessions, discussing specific rights such as the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; the right to food; cultural rights; rights of persons with disabilities; and rights of children.

Additionally, Vietnamese delegates also engaged, exchanged views, and consulted with delegations from other countries, co-sponsoring a number of initiatives in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation. They also fulfilled their duties as a member of the UNHRC by participating in consultations and voting on 32 draft resolutions and two decisions of the council.
 
Vietnam gave a joint statement on a topic of mutual interest shared by other ASEAN countries, focusing on fisheries exploitation and ensuring the right to food.

Vietnam also spoke on behalf of the core group of the resolution on human rights and climate change - including Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines - during a dialogue session related to the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of the right to food.

Representing  the inter-regional group, Vietnam delivered two joint statements with strong endorsement from partner countries, calling for the acceleration of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote gender equality and protect essential infrastructure for people in armed conflicts.

In these statements, Vietnam emphasised consistency, efforts, and achievements of the Southeast Asian nation in promoting and protecting human rights; reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to sustainable development for the benefit of its people; and highlighted the necessity to address inequality and protect vulnerable groups. 

Vietnam called for addressing global challenges such as climate change and protecting human rights in armed conflicts, while affirming its commitment to enhancing constructive cooperation with countries, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UNHRC and the council's mechanisms to promote and protect human rights for all based on respect for the UN Charter, international treaties on human rights, ensuring national sovereignty and principles of objectivity, fairness, constructive dialogue, and cooperation.

The UNHRC completed its 55th session with a heavy workload and record-long meeting times, in the context that humanity still faces many challenges such as strategic competition; the conflict in Ukraine; the Hamas-Israel conflict; climate change; food, energy, water insecurity; and many other social injustices.

The council reviewed and discussed about 80 reports, consulted and adopted 32 draft resolutions, adopted reports of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights of 14 countries, and approved decisions to postpone some activities of the UNHRC./.

Swimmers look for Olympic slots in Thailand event

Nguyễn Huy Hoàng and Trần Hưng Nguyên will seek their Olympic tickets at the Thailand Age Group Swimming Championships 2024 from April 6-11.

The event, held at the Assumption University Suvarnabhumi Campus, is a World Aquatics's (FINA) competition. Athletes who surpass A standards in the categories here will qualify for the Paris Games this summer.

Hoàng will take part in the men's 1,500m freestyle event with his best time of 15min 4.06sec. Time to beat is 15:00.99.

Nguyên will swim in the 400m individual medley with a registered time of 4:18.10. He needs to swim in 4:12.50 to qualify.

The duo won five golds for Việt Nam at the 32nd SEA Games last May and just won medals from the Asian Age Group Swimming Championship in early March in the Philippines.

“The opportunity to qualify for the Olympics is equally available to all athletes. The difficulty is how our swimmers can raise their abilities to achieve A standard," said Lê Thanh Huyền, official of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam. "We expect Hoàng and Nguyên will make it."

Việt Nam currently has one Olympic spot in swimming by Hoàng in the men's 800m freestyle, earned at the 19th Asian Games in 2022.

At the previous 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Việt Nam had two representatives Hoàng in 800m freestyle and 1500m, and Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên in women's 200m and 800m freestyle.

Teachers need higher salaries: experts

Teachers need higher salaries to improve their quality of life, experts said at a workshop titled 'Teacher regulation - International experience for Việt Nam' organised by HCM City National University on April 3.

The workshop featured more than 15 discussion panels related to the policies, positions, roles, rights and obligations of teachers.

VNU-HCM chancellor Vũ Hải Quân said that applicable regulations for teachers are rather inconsistent and incomprehensive, so it is essential to introduce specific laws for teachers for ease of management. 

For example, general conditions for teachers are mentioned in the Education Law, while professional standards for lecturers and teachers are regulated in three other circulars. Regulations on salary and working hours are also contained in many documents.

Policies regarding recruitment, treatment, utilisation, and management of teachers need to be improved to enhance the quality of education and training.

The current salary is not attractive enough to retain and engage young teachers in the profession, and timely adjustments to teachers’ incomes are needed.

In addition, teachers should receive fair and deserving benefits, and have equal opportunities for career development.

Sharing China's experience, Professor Guodong Yang, lecturer at the School of Administrative Law, Southwest University of Political Science, China, said that the Chinese Teachers' Law includes three main aspects: scope of application, rights and obligations of teachers, and standards and appointment of teachers.

According to Yang, teachers receive an average salary no lower than civil servants. The roadmap for promotion and salary increases is according to general provisions of the law.

In addition, they benefit from favourable policies for building, renting, and selling houses, as well as in medical care equivalent to civil servants in the same locality.

Phạm Ngọc Thưởng, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, said that in addition to the issue of income and remuneration, the working environment, honour and reputation of teachers are also very important and need to be discussed and commented on in the near future.

The Regulation on Teachers is expected to address five main issues: identifying teachers; determining standards and titles; recruitment, employment and working regimes; training, remuneration and honour; and State management of teachers.

The draft law is scheduled to be passed by the National Assembly this October.

"The purpose of the regulation on teachers is to honour teachers, give them a higher position in society, have better policies and institutional environments, and make teachers more passionate about their profession", Deputy Chairwoman of the Party Committee Committee for Culture and Education of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Mai Hoa said.

It also outlines fundamental issues related to professional standards, teaching titles as the basis for managing and utilising teachers, and ensuring equality among teachers in public and non-public educational institutions. 

It also defines the rights and obligations of teachers, enhances autonomy in teaching, the right to apply disciplinary measures in education, and intellectual property rights for creative and innovative educational content, as well as reinforces the duty of teachers in protecting and supporting students.

The Ministry of Education and Training issued the draft Law on Teachers according to Resolution 95-NQ/CP on July 7, 2023. 

Wrestlers Trang, Xuân look for Olympic slots in Kyrgyzstan

Wrestlers Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Trang and Nguyễn Thị Xuân will represent Việt Nam at an Olympic qualification event in Kyrgyzstan on April 19-21.

Trang is the 32nd SEA Games champion in the women's 57kg while Xuân is the winner of the women's 50kg. Both are currently on an intensive training camp in Kyrgyzstan.

General Secretary of the Việt Nam Wrestling Federation Tạ Tùng Đức said: "Athletes are selected based on their profession and improvement. We also sent them to practise in Kyrgyzstan as it will host the Asian zonal qualifier."

To win a spot at the Olympics, the duo will have to qualify for the final matches, facing very strong rivals,

Đức said in their latest competition in Asian Games, both Trang and Xuân were stopped in the first round matches. They would meet the Asian Games strongest athletes again in Bishkek.

After the Asian qualifier, unsuccessful athletes can find their last opportunities at the world qualification event in May in Turkey. 

Expressways must have at least four lanes with maximum speed of 120kph: Ministry

Highways must have at least four lanes with maximum speed of 120km per hour and must have rest stops, according to a new circular released by the Ministry of Transport.

The circular about national technical regulations on expressways will take effect from October 1 this year.

Also under the circular, expressways must include emergency stopping lanes.

Construction works associated with expressways include a centre for traffic management and operation, rest stop station, non-stop automatic toll collection system, vehicle weighing station and protective barrier.

Along expressways, different sections can have different maximum speeds, but two consecutive sections must not differ by more than 20km per hour.

Minimum lane width should be at least 3.50m.

As for emergency stopping lanes, the minimum width should be at least 2.5m.

The width of the safety strip is regulated to be at least 0.5m to 0.75m. 

Measures should be introduced to balance water supply and energy security: experts

While the national water supply is sufficient, experts believe that new measures should be put forward to optimise operations at hydropower plants and regulate flows for daily necessities and energy security, especially amid climate change impacts.

Forecasters warn that water levels at hydroelectric reservoirs will remain low this year, posing challenges to harnessing hydropower during summer.

Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has prepared to balance supply for a nine per cent increase in energy demand compared to 2023.

The company also proposed that the water storing process for the season begin earlier than usual for hydropower plants at river basins in the north. This is to ensure normal water levels in reservoirs.

More supply from thermal power plants has been put into use since the beginning of the year to reserve water for the hot season.

Not only playing an important role in the national electricity grid, hydropower plants also contribute to flood prevention and provide water for agriculture, industrial production and daily activities.

Việt Nam’s total hydropower capacity is 23,595MW according to statistics from 2023.

The flood prevention capacity of reservoirs across the country reaches 15.8 billion cubic metres, of which 15 billion cubic metres are in the north.

Hydropower also makes up 43.6 per cent of the power supply in the region, which means water shortage will directly affect the regional electricity grid.

According to Dr Nguyễn Huy Hoạch from Việt Nam Energy Association, the limited amount of water in hydroelectric reservoirs at the end of the dry season is the result of increasing climate change impacts. Intense heat also causes spikes in power demands.

A report from the National Load Dispatch Centre revealed that in 2023, the total amount of water stored in reservoirs equalled 12.96 billion kWh, which was 2.1 billion kWh lower than the average water level.

Meanwhile, the supply from thermal power plants is insufficient for stable operations.

Several coal-powered plants in the north are running behind schedule such as Na Dương 2, Nam Định 1, An Khánh-Bắc Giang, Vũng Áng 2, Quảng Trạch 1, Đức Giang and Công Thanh, while the Quỳnh Lập 1 power plant project was cancelled.

According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Việt Nam, from March 11 to 17, water flows into hydropower reservoirs are still lower than the yearly average.

Reservoirs in the north reported that water flow is currently between 25 and 96 per cent the average of previous years, while 19 out of 27 reservoirs in the central region recorded lower water levels than usual.

The same situation was reported in southern reservoirs, except for Đồng Nai 2, Hàm Thuận and Đa Nhim.

Hà Đăng Sơn, director of the Centre for Energy and Green Growth Research said that optimal operations of hydropower plants, saving water in the dry season and reducing excessive discharges in the rainy season, ensuring a stable power and water supply is the problem of balancing energy security and water sources.

According to Dr Hoạch from the Vietnam Energy Association, in order to ensure stable operations of hydropower plants, it is necessary to look into solutions for appropriate water distribution and regulation in addition to improving water supply forecasts in the near future.

Advanced technology must also be applied to address water shortage and to respond to the negative impacts of weather phenomena, he added.

There are currently multiple limitations in forecasting rainfall and water flows to the reservoirs due to technical constraints, which lead to challenges in saving water.

In the long run, research is necessary to control water flows and usage in accordance with plans on a seasonal, yearly or multi-year basis.

Monitoring systems should also be upgraded for better updates on hydrological data, water flows in rivers and basins, as well as water usage in upstream structures to balance supply for electricity, production and daily necessities.

Support needed to revamp community libraries in Hà Nội

Community-based libraries are considered crucial to building a rich reading culture among the people, but many of these facilities in Hà Nội are in need of transformation and support to attract readers and maintain their operations.

Bình Vọng Hamlet Library in Thường Tín District has more than 15,000 books of various genres, from socio-politics, education, lifestyle, culture and religion to science and technology.

A favourite destination among local residents, this library is considered a successful community facility in Hà Nội in multiple aspects, including mobilising resources, managing operations and community services.

Counting nearly 3,000 visits annually from readers within the area and from nearby neighbourhoods, the facility also welcomed various delegations to exchange knowledge and experience in library management, including one from the Swedish Royal Library.

Meanwhile, in the inner district of Tây Hồ, Hồ Khẩu Village Community Library is contributing to the abundant cultural activities in the city.

Initiating the reading space after her retirement, library manager Nguyễn Thị Tuyên worked with the district’s Centre for Culture, Information and Sports and people in the community to request support in management, operations and book contribution.

Hồ Khẩu Village Community Library now has nearly 7,000 books in its collection and is open two to three days a week.

It also regularly hosts displays of the spring edition of various newspapers, as well as book introduction events and other cultural activities.

The community library is running very well and attracts as many visitors as district-level libraries, according to librarian Nguyễn Thị Phương from Tây Hồ District’s Centre for Culture, Information and Sports.

Hà Nội counted 1,096 community libraries as of 2023, with most of these small-scale reading rooms situated in local cultural houses of villages, residential areas, apartment buildings, and several in traditional communal houses and pagodas.

Community libraries in suburban districts often take advantage of the spacious areas available for a common reading room. But, the lack of space in inner districts means readers can only borrow books but typically have no space for onsite reading.

Most of the funding for community libraries in Hà Nội comes from private resources, except for a small number financed by the local authorities for book purchases such as the library of Yên Vỹ Village in Mỹ Đức District.

Many of these reading spaces suffered from the impact of COVID-19, one of them being Giang Cao Hamlet Library in Bát Tràng Commune of Gia Lâm District.

In 2019 and the previous years, the library sometimes had more than 100 visits per day.

Its collection also grew from the initial 300 books donated from the National Library, Hà Nội Library and Gia Lâm District Library, to over 5,000 volumes.

However, the number of visitors plummeted in the pandemic, said librarian Đào Ngọc Thụy who has been working at the hamlet library for two decades.

Giang Cao Hamlet Library now only opens on Thursday and Sunday to sustain operations.

According to Hà Nội Library deputy director Vương Thị Lý, increasing public engagement in cultural and educational activities is among the key solutions stated in the nationwide project “Developing reading culture in the community by 2020, with a vision to 2030.”

In order to maintain and grow the network of community libraries in the near future, the capital city’s library and related departments plan to carry out awareness campaigns to attract investment from the public to improve these reading spaces.

In addition to policy advisory and community engagement in building a reading culture at the grassroots level, the city and district libraries will also contribute to the local book collections to respond to the needs of the people and improve community library operations, she said. 

Water puppet show to celebrate National Reunification

HCM City-based private Phương Nam Theatre is working on a water puppet show to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification on April 30.  

Trước Ngọn Sóng (Facing the Waves), a new production by director Trần Được, also celebrates the 80th anniversary of Việt Nam People’s Army on December 22.

The play portrays soldiers stationed on the Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands who have dedicated themselves to protecting the nation's sovereignty, demonstrating incredible bravery in the face of hardship.

The lives of people living on the islands are also featured.

“Our show will entertain and help children and young people learn about the country’s history and culture,” said the play’s director Được, who is also a puppet artist.

According to Được, after Trước Ngọn Sóng is performed, brief talks about Vietnamese water puppetry and its history are provided to help young audiences gain a greater understanding of national culture.

Được and his artists have faced challenges and made sacrifices to develop their art. They provide fans with new concepts and techniques in puppetry.

In Việt Nam, water puppetry has been performed on a stage with a pool of water for a thousand years. 

Colourful puppets are made of wood and controlled from the chamber next to the stage by strings and underwater nets. 

Trước Ngọn Sóng will be performed at the International Puppet Festival in Hà Nội in October.

It will be staged every weekend at the Hồ Chí Minh City Museum of History, 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Street in District 1, in April and May. Tickets are available at the theatre’s box office.

HCM City Tourism Stimulation Programme 2024 attracts 100 participants

Approximately 100 businesses have agreed to participate in the HCM City Tourism Stimulation Programme 2024.

The HCM City Tourism Stimulation Programme for 2024 is the first of its kind to bring together about 100 participants, which is double that of 2019.

This includes the participation of travel agencies, accommodation establishments, dining, entertainment, and health care services, along with partnerships from shopping centres, supermarkets, and other retail stores.

On the morning of April 3, the City Department of Tourism held a press conference to unveil the Tourism Stimulation Programme for 2024.

Businesses participating in the programme will jointly sign Memorandum of Understanding agreements for cooperation.

According to the department, 36 tourism programmes and over 200,000 accommodation, dining, shopping, and health care service vouchers with discounts ranging from 10 to 60 per cent, amounting to a total discount value of over VNĐ50 billion, will be offered under the programme.

Through this initiative, HCM City aims to extend the length of stay, increase the average spending of guests, boost revenue for the tourism industry, and effectively introduce tourism service products to the public.

Specific tourism stimulation products, curated by the participants, will be directly introduced and sold to tourists on Tourism Day 2024 at dedicated tourism booths.

These products will also be highlighted in letters to tourists during the second Water Festival at the end of May and the beginning of June this year.

The Department of Tourism urges businesses joining the programme to uphold commitments to service quality, expand their tourism-related services, and maintain the announced number of products.

It is crucial to affirm HCM City's position and branding, enhance the competitiveness of tourism in HCM City and contribute to the broader landscape of tourism in Việt Nam. 

Hanoi launches art photo contest to celebrate Liberation Day

The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports on April 2 launched an art photo contest to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day [October 10, 1954-2024].  

According to the department's Deputy Director Tran Thi Van Anh, the contest aims to find new photographic works with artistic values to illustrate Hanoi's important position and role. 

"The competition also aims to promote the image of Hanoi as a city of fine virtues with friendly and hospitable people, to highlight Hanoi's cultural and artistic values, and to awaken the revolutionary tradition, millennia of civilization, self-reliance and aspiration for Hanoi's development," Van Anh said.

She added that the contest aims to create a playing field for professional and non-professional photographers to exchange and share experiences in responding to the artistic demands of the public.

"This is also an opportunity to encourage people, especially Vietnamese youth, to preserve and strengthen Hanoi's cultural identity in the period of integration and development," Van Anh said.

The Hanoi Municipal People's Committee has asked the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports to take the lead and coordinate with district and city People's Committees nationwide to promote the competition to all professional and amateur photographers across the country, members of photography clubs and Vietnamese people living abroad.

The works must reflect and praise Hanoi as a heroic capital city, a City for Peace, and a Creative City where the quintessence of national culture converges and spreads throughout the country.

Each author can submit three works, which must be in line with Vietnamese national traditions and customs and must not have been submitted to other competitions.

Submissions will be accepted until August 1 and judged in September and October 2024.

The committee will award five first prizes, 10 second prizes, 20 third prizes and a number of additional prizes. Approximately 100 to 150 quality works will be selected for display and exhibition during the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital.

HCMC issues plan to attract outstanding students, highly qualified personnel

Ho Chi Minh City has just issued a plan to recruit civil servants and public employees from excellent graduates and highly qualified people.

Particularly, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued a plan to implement Resolution No.25/2023/NQ-HDND of the Municipal People’s Council regulating principles, standards, conditions, processes, income levels and remuneration policies to recruit civil servants and public employees from excellent graduates and highly qualified people to work in the agencies and units under the city's political system.

On the missions and solutions, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee required the good implementation of assessment, human resource planning, introduction and professional development for graduated students with their outstanding performances and highly qualified personnel.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Internal Affairs was assigned to chair and consult the municipal People’s Committee to review and complete the mechanisms and policies on organizations and staff work in association with improving the responsibility of the leader; creating breakthroughs in building policies to attract and promote high-quality human resources.

MoT replaces leadership positions

The Ministry of Transport this morning hosted a conference to announce the Prime Minister’s Decision and decisions of the Minister of Transport on personnel works.

Notably, the ministry replaced a series of leadership positions in its specialized agencies according to new appointments.

At the conference, Minister of Transport and Standing Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Nguyen Van Thang granted a decision to appoint Director of the Vietnam Expressway Department Le Kim Thanh to Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee starting from April 2.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung was appointed to Director of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute from March 25, 2024.

Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Transport Lam Van Hoang was appointed to the position of Director of the Vietnam Expressway Authority. Director of the Legal Department under the Ministry of Transport Trinh Thi Hang Nga was appointed to the position of Chief Inspector. Deputy Director of the Legal Department under the Ministry of Transport Tran Thi Minh Hien was appointed as the Acting Director of the Legal Department.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang said that in the upcoming time, the ministry would reorganize and perform job rotation of staff regularly and consistently. Therefore, Minister Thang required the leaders, directors, heads of the Ministry of Transport’s agencies, employees and staff to make more efforts to meet the expectations of the Party, State and people.

Vietnam breaks ground on first sabo dam

Vietnam has broken ground on its first sabo dam in Son La Province.

The dam in Pieng Village, Nam Pam Commune, Muong La District is a collaborative effort between the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Son La’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office.

The project aims to enhance the region’s capacity to mitigate and minimize the impact of flash floods and landslides in Vietnam’s northern upland.

The project, initiated in 2022, involves cooperation between the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority and JICA across 14 northern upland provinces.

The establishment of the sabo dam in Son La serves as a benchmark for the Government in establishing technical standards for sabo dam design in high-risk areas. This aligns with the Government’s vision outlined in the Disaster Prevention and Irrigation Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Many original documents about Dien Bien Phu Campaign unveiled

A number of original documents and records about the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and the 1954 Geneva Conference were made public for the first time and introduced to the media on April 5.

Tran Viet Hoa, Director of the Hanoi-based National Archives Centre No. 3 under the State Records and Archives Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the centre is preserving a large number of documents and records about the historical context, directions, and preparations for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, its developments, results, and significance, international opinions, the campaign’s logistics affairs, and the policies of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) towards war invalids and surrendered troops.

The archives reflect the sound leadership as well as sharp decisions and strategies of the Party, Government, and Vietnam People’s Army, the solidarity and unanimity of the entire people and army in the safeguarding of national independence, and the role of General Vo Nguyen Giap – Commander-in-Chief of the campaign.

Meanwhile, the archives about the 1954 Geneva Conference on restoring peace in Indochina include documents and photos about the historical context, developments, and results of the conference, the impacts and enforcement of the Geneva Accords of 1954, international opinions about this meeting, the stances and viewpoints of the parties concerned, and international friends’ support for Vietnam.

The nearly 200 documents made public on this occasion are just a small part of the archives being kept on 14km of shelves by the centre, Hoa said, noting that they form important evidence helping with scientific research about historical events, military, diplomacy, and history of Vietnam, as well as with patriotism education.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - 2024) and the signing of the Geneva Accords, the archives centre is coordinating with the Vietnam Military History Museum, the Department of Home Affairs of Bac Giang province, and the Department of Culture and Sports of Hanoi to hold exhibitions and publish books, she added.

The Dien Bien Phu Victory forced the French colonialists to sit down at the negotiation table to discuss and sign the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina in July 1954, putting an end to the prolonged French colonial rule and heralding a new stage for the revolution in Indochina. This was a great and extremely significant victory in the history of Vietnam.

Under the accords, for the first time, the French Government and each state participating in the Geneva Conference pledged to respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Vietnam and absolutely not to intervene in the country’s internal affairs. The French troops must withdraw while North Vietnam was completely liberated, embarked on the building of socialism, and became a large and firm rear for people in the South to push ahead with the struggle for national liberation and reunification./.

Hundreds of thousands to be screened for chronic diseases through AI platforms

Hundreds of thousands of people will be screened for cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases through AI platforms this year, and over 20,000 patients will be advised to undergo testing to assess chronic kidney disease.

This is the aim of the "CAREME" - Cardiovascular, Kidney, and Metabolic Health Care Programme, which was launched by the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association at the National Hospital of Endocrinology in Hanoi on April 5, to commemorate World Health Day (April 7) and World Kidney Day (March 14).

Ha Anh Duc, head of the Office of the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association (VYPA), said: “Among non-communicable diseases, chronic kidney disease is a progressive condition with a high prevalence rate, often undiagnosed and insufficiently addressed."

According to Duc, this imposed a burden on patients, families, society, as well as the national healthcare system.

However, the rate of missed diagnosis of chronic kidney disease remained very high, especially in the early stages due to atypical symptoms, with only about 4.5-15.5% of stage 3 chronic kidney disease patients being diagnosed.

The missed diagnosis rate was particularly high among high-risk groups such as those with hypertension and diabetes.

Thus, the "CAREME" programme aims to strengthen and sustain the system of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health care through early disease detection, improving quality standards in disease management, enhancing clinical outcomes, and reducing healthcare burdens in Vietnam.

The programme supported screening platforms and organised health check-ups and disease screening for 1,000 people at risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases at the event.

Additionally, it provided healthcare software installation and chronic disease management for hundreds of people.

The programme of the Young Vietnamese Physicians' Association and its partners will focus on mobilising community participation, specialised units, and organisations to collectively enhance diagnostic capabilities, improve treatment quality, and manage non-communicable chronic diseases through the deployment of digital tools.

It is estimated that there are over 8.7 million adults suffering from chronic kidney disease, accounting for 12.8% of the population in Vietnam.

Alongside this, the economic cost related to the treatment of chronic kidney disease could amount to billions of dollars each year, accounting for 2.4 - 7.5% of the nation's annual healthcare expenditure, with particularly high costs for dialysis.

In Vietnam, in 2019, the management costs of chronic kidney disease exceeded the average GDP per capita, with dialysis costs being four times the costs of treating early-stage chronic kidney disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease, as well as slowing down the progression of kidney function decline, will bring significant long-term economic benefits while also reducing the burden on the healthcare sector.

Currently, there are over 400 artificial kidney units in the country, providing dialysis services to around 30,000 end-stage kidney disease patients each year, yet only meeting 30% of the nationwide demand for dialysis services./.

Deputy Foreign Minister works with associations in Japan

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang had working sessions with the Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad and the Vietnamese Business Association in Japan (VJBA) in Tokyo on April 4.

Meeting with Hang, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV), President of the Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad Katsuyuki Tanaka said that there are currently 5 million Japanese expatriates worldwide and the association holds annual congresses to connect them.

The two sides exchanged experience in leveraging the resources and expertise of the overseas communities to contribute to the home countries.

Visiting and working with the VJBA, Hang praised its sense of responsibility and achievements in facilitating trade connections between the two nations.

VJBA President Tong Thi Kim Giao said that operating for 11 years, the association now comprises eight clubs focusing on various sectors such as restaurants, food, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, tourism, import-export, and entrepreneur incubation. Every year, the association organises numerous activities to connect domestic and international businesses.

The deputy minister suggested member firms leverage their deep understanding of the Japanese market and consumers to expand markets and connect businesses. It is also necessary to continue actively participating in activities held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the State Committee for OV.

On the same day, Hang and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu visited HONTO TV - a media channel of the Vietnamese community in Japan established in March 2022.

Its editor-in-chief Do Thi Minh Phuong stated that with the aim of creating a media channel with self-produced products about the OV in the East Asian nation, HONTO TV has participated in organising various cultural events such as the Hoi An Festival in Japan, the cherry blossom festival, and the Hello Saitama Programme.

Phuong took this occasion to express her hope to collaborate with Vietnamese media agencies.

The two diplomats affirmed that the HONTO TV model is necessary and beneficial for the community, stressing the need to continue efforts to uphold its role as a focal point of information in Japan./.

NA Chairman, Cambodian Senate President hold phone talks

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue congratulated Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Chairman of the Supreme Privy Council to the King, on his election as President of the fifth-tenure Senate during their phone talks on April 5.

Hue lauded the CPP's victory in the recent Senate election and expressed his hope for Cambodia's continued success under Hun Sen's leadership. He specifically mentioned achieving the goals outlined in the CPP's Political Platform for 2023-2028 and the Pentagonal Strategy Phase I, aiming to elevate Cambodia to a high middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.

Vietnam, Hue affirmed, views achievements of the CPP, State and people of Cambodia as a source of encouragement.

Informing Chairman Hue about Cambodia's socio-economic situation and national development strategies, Hun Sen reaffirmed Cambodia's consistent foreign policy of giving priority to relations with Vietnam, adding that both the NA and Senate of Cambodia are promoting ties with the Vietnamese NA, an effort to connect the two legislative bodies together.

He highlighted the thriving tourism cooperation between the countries, with Vietnamese tourists ranking second in Cambodia in the first quarter of this year.

On the occasion, Hun Sen briefed Chairman Hue about his speech before the Senate, affirming his commitment to contributing to cooperation between the two governments and legislatures. He stressed that amid uncertainties in the region and the world, the two Parties, Governments and legislatures need to step up all-around collaboration.

The two leaders agreed on the need to further strengthen traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries through the party, parliament, government and people-to-people exchanges, especially via high-level meetings between the two Parties, the 13th session of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Trade, Investment, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and the conference of border provinces.

They pledged to maintain effective coordination between relevant ministries, particularly those related to national defence, public security, and foreign affairs, to ensure a borderline of peace and development.

The leaders also promised to support Laos' chairmanship of ASEAN and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2024 and boost solidarity among member states.

Hue wished that Hun Sen would continue directing the committees of the Cambodian Senate to work closely with the Vietnamese NA's committees to further enhance the role of the legislative bodies in mechanism and law fine-tuning, create a legal framework conducive to bilateral cooperation in various fields, monitor the implementation of agreements signed between the governments and ministries of both countries, offer mutual support at parliamentary forums such as AIPA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF). Additionally, there was a shared commitment to accelerating the remaining 16% of land border demarcation between Vietnam and Cambodia as soon as possible.

Regarding legal papers of Cambodians of Vietnamese origin, Hue thanked Hun Sen and the Cambodian Prime Minister for their utmost attention to this matter. He wished for continued attention to this issue to create favourable conditions for their long-term well-being.

He expressed his desire that Hun Sen will support and direct the active and effective implementation of the cooperation agreement signed by the Cambodian Senate’s Secretariat and the Vietnamese NA Office in November 2022, further improve the effectiveness of exchange activities among young leaders, youths, female and friendship parliamentarians in order to uphold the tradition of solidarity, friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries and legislatures./.

Delegations extend greetings to Cambodia on Chol Chnam Thmey

Several Vietnamese delegations have visited and extended greetings to Cambodia ministries, sectors and localities on the occasion of traditional New Year Chol Chnam Thmey, which falls in mid-April.

On April 5, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang led a delegation to visit and extend greetings to Im Chhun Lim, President of the Constitutional Council of Cambodia (CCC), at the CCC headquarters in Phnom Penh.

Tang briefed the host about Vietnamese enterprises' investment and business activities in Cambodia in 2023, saying that 16 member units of the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) contributed significantly to creating jobs and developing Cambodia's rubber industry. These projects have positioned Cambodia as a major rubber producer globally.

Im Chhun Lim expressed his hope that the VRG’s member units investing in Cambodia will keep growing and achieve more positive results in their production and trade activities./.

Mongolia runs tourism roadshow in Ho Chi Minh City

The Go Mongolia Roadshow 2024 took place in Ho Chi Minh City on April 5 as part of the southern metropolis’ tourism festival, showcashing the Mongolian culture, people, and potential for cooperation with Vietnam.

Organised by Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Tourism Association, the programme featured representatives from over 10 Mongolian and approximately 40 Vietnamese travel companies.

Speaking at the event, Javzandulam Tumuruya, third secretary at the Mongolian Embassy, noted that during Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh’s state visit to Vietnam last November, the two governments signed a mutual visa exemption agreement, facilitating bilateral tourism cooperation.

She expressed her hope that through the roadshow, Vietnamese citizens will gain more information about the Mongolian history, culture, art, and tourism, and that cooperation between the sides’ tourism organisations will continue to thrive.

At the programme, representatives from Mongolian Airlines announced a plan to open an Ulaanbaatar-Ho Chi Minh City flight route in November. Vietnamese and Mongolian tourism enterprises, meanwhile, discussed opportunities for partnerships and the opening of tourism routes between the two countries.

The event also featured traditional music performances, cuisine and beverages of Mongolia.

According to Nguyen Xuan Hanh, Honorary Consul of Mongolia in the city, this year, the mutual visa exemption agreement came into effect, with the establishment of direct flights creating significant opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

As per the embassy, there were 1,500 Vietnamese tourists visiting Mongolia in 2002, rising to over 2,000 in 2023. The respective figures for the numbers of Mongolians coming to Vietnam in the years were over 2,000 and over 15,000./.

Australia pledges to accompany Vietnam in high-quality manpower training

Australia is committed to accompanying Vietnam in high-quality human resources training, especially through Australian training facilities in Vietnam and joint training programmes between the two countries’ universities and research institutes, head of the International Division under Australia’s Department of Education Karen Sandercock said on April 5.

At her meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam, Sandercock applauded the two countries' recent upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, describing this as a foundation for them to continue enhancing cooperation in education - training.

Australia will consider the cooperation with Vietnam in training human resources in such new fields as semiconductor manufacturing, digital transformation, and clean energy transition, to help guarantee supply chains and serve the Southeast Asian country’s socio-economic development and environmental protection, she remarked.

For his part, Ambassador Tam thanked Australian agencies, including its Education Department, for supporting the Vietnamese Embassy during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Australia in early March. 

He spoke highly the progress in educational cooperation as seen in the more than 32,000 Vietnamese students in Australia, which makes Vietnam the 6th largest  source of foreign students here. 

Tam called on the Australian side to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese students and discuss measures for further strengthening educational and training ties, especially in new fields like semiconductor manufacturing, digital transformation, and clean energy transition./.

AFC looks at highlight of Vietnam’s U23s ahead of 2024 U23 Asian Cup

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has taken a look at Vietnam’s U23 squad in the 2018 edition of the U23 Asian Cup that was played under challenging conditions in China ahead of the upcoming tournament which will be played in Qatar.

The tournament came as a new generation of Vietnamese stars were rising to prominence, going on to eliminate the likes of Australia, Iraq, and Qatar in a magnificent run to the final that saw tens of thousands of fans take to the streets in celebrations across the country, according to the AFC. 

Going into the final, opponents Uzbekistan were more accustomed to the snowy conditions in Changzhou, China, and went in front through Rustam Ashumatov’s early header, it wrote.

However, Quang Hai’s ‘Rainbow in the Snow’ free-kick reignited the Vietnamese flame as both sides were level before Andrey Sidorov volleyed home from close range with the game just seconds away from penalties to claim glory for the Central Asians, the AFC reported. 

Vietnam finished as the runner-up at the AFC U23 Asian Cup after losing 2-1 to Uzbekistan in the final played on January 27, 2018.

The Vietnamese players’ impressive performance inspired foreign media outlets and millions of fans both in Vietnam and around the world. 

At the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Qatar, Vietnam will play their opening match against Kuwait on April 17.

The team led by new head coach Hoang Anh Tuan will later face Malaysia and Uzbekistan on April 20 and April 23, respectively.

Uzbekistan are considered the strongest candidates, while Vietnam have to face fierce competition from Malaysia and Kuwait to qualify for the next round.

Dozens of students hospitalised after breakfast, a death reported

As many as 32 students from two schools in Vinh Truong ward of Nha Trang city, central Vietnam, were hospitalised on April 5 after a breakfast, with a student passing away in hospital.

The students from Vinh Truong Primary School and Tran Hung Dao Secondary School showed signs of vomiting and difficulty breathing after eating fast food at several small eateries in front of their schools.

Among the students admitted to the Khanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, a female fifth grader student died.

According to information provided by the provincial Department of Health, the student was suffering from an underlying heart disease.

The remaining students are in a stable health condition and currently under strict monitoring, said local authorities.

The administration of Nha Trang City has directed relevant units to investigate the cause of the case.

Cambodia prioritises strengthening cooperative relations with Vietnam

Cambodia gives top priority to strengthening cooperative relations with Vietnam, affirmed Cambodia Senate President Hun Sen during his phone call with Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on April 5.

The Cambodia Senate supports enhancing cooperation between the two countries, said Hun Sen.

During the phone call, the two leaders agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in all areas.

The two countries have maintained cooperation mechanisms between their ministries of national defense, home affairs, and foreign affairs, while coordinating closely in ramping up cooperation along the joint border.

The two sides vowed to help Laos to fulfil its role as ASEAN and AIPA chair in 2024 and consolidate solidarity among ASEAN countries.

They held that the legislative bodies increase visit exchanges to share experience in legislation and other issues, including monitoring the implementation of the signed agreements between the two sides.

Hue suggested that the Cambodian Senate encourage the government to accelerate the border demarcation and border marker planting between the two countries in order to build the common border of peace, cooperation and development.

He also asked the Cambodian side to facilitate the handling of legal documents for people of Vietnamese origin, helping them to stabilize their lives in their host country.

The two sides agreed to effectively implement the 2022 cooperation agreement, maintain regular visit exchanges, and increase people-to-people exchanges to promote the tradition of solidarity, friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries and the two legislative bodies.

Hue on this occasion respectfully invited Hun Sen to visit Vietnam in his new position as Senate President this year.

Hun Sen respectfully thanked Hue for the invitation and said he would make an official visit to Vietnam in an appropriate time.

Phú Quốc proposes to build waste treatment plant

The Phú Quốc City's People's Committee has submitted a proposal to the Kiên Giang Province's People's Committee asking for investment to build a waste treatment plant project with a capacity of 300 tonnes a day, with a total investment of about VNĐ300 billion (US$12 million).

Accordingly, this plant will treat waste using incineration technology combined with hygienic landfill technology, with a scale of 10-14ha.

After the project is completed, Phú Quốc City authorities will organise bidding for exploitation or assign its Urban Works Management Board to operate and exploit.

According to the City's People's Committee, daily household waste generated in the city is considered the most urgent problem among many risks causing environmental pollution, causing frustration for residents and tourists, negatively impacting economic and social development.

Meanwhile, this city currently has no operating waste treatment plants. Daily waste in this city is only collected and gathered in Cửa Dương Commune. 

Extreme heat increases health problems in HCM City

More elderly people and young children are seeking treatment from doctors due to hot weather, with many of them requiring hospitalisation.

The southern region, including HCM City, is going through the hottest heat wave this year due to abnormal weather patterns, with temperatures up to 38.5 degrees Celsius.

The hot weather puts everyone at risk of heat illnesses. The symptoms range from fatigue, dizziness, headache, and red face to confusion, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, increased heart rate, and possibly coma.

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control said people are prone to problems like sunstroke, heat stroke, dyspnea, and stroke in warm weather due to long exposure to hot conditions, not resting and hydrating and sudden temperature changes.

Seniors, children, women, and people with chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer are more vulnerable.

Workers, farmers, athletes, and others spending long period outdoors are also susceptible.

At Thống Nhất Hospital in HCM City, more seniors have come in for medical examinations due to hot weather.

Dr. Trương Quang Anh Vũ, Head of Medical Examination Department at Thống Nhất Hospital, said that the number of elderly people coming for medical examination in recent days has increased to 2,500 patients per day, an increase of 20 per cent.

Hospitalised patients mainly have pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic respiratory diseases related to infections such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma.

Children’s Hospital 2 has also seen an increase in patients.

According to doctors at Children’s Hospital 2, temperature changes make children susceptible to respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal diseases due to many factors.

To protect children's health during the hot season, doctor Nguyễn Thanh Hải of Children’s Hospital 2 recommends that parents give their children plenty of water and adequate nutrition to increase resistance.

In order to prevent heatstroke, doctors recommend that people drink enough water, wear light-coloured loose clothing, and limit outdoor work from 11:00am to 2:00pm.

When going out in the sun, people should be fully equipped with wide-brimmed hats, face masks, glasses, clothing, and work hats.

People should also avoid staying too long in the sun or in a hot environment and rest in a cool place after about an hour of work.

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