Nearly 1 million Vietnamese guest workers had been sent to over 40 countries and territories worldwide in the 2013-2021 period

The number of companies licensed to bring laborers to work overseas has increased remarkably to over 500 from only 15 in 1990, said Director of the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

Each year, there are additional 100,000 guest workers who work in around 30 career fields and send home over US$ 3billion in remittance. 

Up to 90 percent of the guest workers are low-skilled laborers who gravely work through limitations of expertise and foreign language barriers. The remainder of less than ten percent are high-level technical workers and experts, said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Lanh, Deputy General Director of Esuhai Company.

Another 28,000 ampoules of Protamine sulfate imported to Vietnam

The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health said that another 28,000 tubes of Protamine sulfate have arrived in Vietnam and have been delivered to hospitals for treatment of patients.

According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Protamine sulfate is a drug on the list of rare drugs that should be given priority in the issuance of a circulation registration certificate.

The drug is usually administered to reverse the large dose of heparin administered during certain surgeries, especially heart surgery where anti-coagulation is necessary to prevent clot formation within the cardiopulmonary bypass pump apparatus; therefore, the manufacturer usually only produces after receiving orders.

While Vietnamese importing establishments, after receiving estimates from hospitals and being licensed by the Ministry of Health to import, place orders with foreign drug suppliers. Thus, if hospitals do not promptly place orders with drug importers, this may lead to a temporary shortage of drugs.

Medical workers perform successful surgery for 8-year-old girl without anus

Obstetrics and Children's Hospital of the Central Province of Quang Ngai yesterday successfully operated on an 8-year-old girl without an anus at birth.

The anorectal malformation is quite rare with an incidence rate of about 1:5000 births. These people with anorectal malformation should undertake an operation as soon as they are detected because long-term treatment will cause great difficulties in daily hygiene. Moreover, it will make the baby's large intestine easily inflamed, leading to loss of bowel function over time.

The eight-year-old girl from Quang Ngai Province’s Tra Bong District suffered anorectal malformation since birth but because of her difficult family condition, the family did not take her to medical centers. For eight years, the little girl could not live normally, she could urinate but did not have an anus to defecate; therefore she defecate through the vagina.

According to doctors, the girl was born with an imperforate anus, a congenital (present from birth) defect in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked.

Right after that, the doctors performed an hour of emergency surgery to create an anus for the baby successfully. The baby's health is now stable. 

Czech writer wins Vietnamese national information service award

Karel Sys, President of the Czech Writers' Association, has been awarded a consolation prize at the 7th National External Information Service Awards in recognition of his contribution to popularising Vietnamese culture in the Czech Republic as well as promoting cultural exchange between the two countries.

The collection of Czech-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Czech poems are edited by Sys and writer and translator Do Ngoc Viet Dung (Do.honza).

The 762-page bilingual book, which includes works of many famous poets namely To Huu, Xuan Dieu and Jaroslav Seifert, was honoured at the 7th National Foreign Press Award. It was published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Embassy held a ceremony on August 17 to present the award to the Czech writer.

Early winter forecasted in Vietnam this year

A colder and earlier winter has been forecasted to affect the northern region of Vietnam this year.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Vietnam would see the La Nina phenomenon until the beginning of 2023.

Between now and February next year, the East Sea would face between 8-10 storms and low tropical pressures, including 3-5 that would hit Vietnam. Between October and November this year, the central and southern regions of Vietnam would see torrential rains with rainfall higher than in many years.

The southern region would witness unseasonal downpours in the first months of 2023.

The temperature of northern and central localities from September to October would be 0.5 degrees centigrade higher than usual. Meanwhile, the temperature between November and December would be 0.5-1 degrees centigrade lower than usual. During the January-February period of 2023, the temperature in the two regions would be equal to previous years.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting forecasted that the northern region would be colder and experience winter earlier than usual.

Vietnamese trawler collides with Liberian cargo vessel off Binh Dinh coast

The Quang Nam Provincial Border Guard confirmed that a fishing trawler of Quang Nam Province carrying 43 laborers sank after colliding with Liberian cargo vessel CETUS63601823 in the sea off Binh Dinh Province. 

The initial report said that on July 14, the fishing boat QNa-91568TS operated by 51 year old Dang Van Hoi from Tam Giang Commune, Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province with 43 fishermen on board departed from An Hoa Border Guard Station under the border guard station of Ky Ha Border Gate for a squid fishing journey.

At 3a.m August 17, the boat collided with a Liberian cargo vessel and sank at the location of 173 nautical miles east off the coast of Binh Dinh Province.

By 8 a.m on the same day, all crew members of the Vietnamese fishing boat were rescued by other trawlers working nearby the incident site.

The foreign ship left the Vietnamese fishing boat after the collision and continued its journey to Singapore. 

VN attends 10th Moscow Conference on International Security

A delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) led by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the VPA Sen. Lieut. Gen. Ngô Minh Tiến attended the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS-10) that opened in Russia on Tuesday (local time).

Defence Minister General Phan Văn Giang also sent a pre-recorded speech to the second session of the conference, calling the MCIS an important multilateral forum for countries to exchange views on strategic issues directly relating to regional and international security, thus helping promote dialogue and enhance cooperation between countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world as well.

MCIS-10 brought together 700 delegates from 70 countries and six international organisations.

Transport Ministry requests strict traffic law observation from passenger driver

Facing an increasing rate of traffic accidents compared to last year, the Ministry of Transport has urgently asked transport businesses and passenger drivers to obey the traffic laws more seriously.

In July, traffic accidents nationwide killed four people due to the sleepiness or carelessness of vehicle drivers.

Statistics from the National Traffic Safety Committee reveal that in the first 7 months this year, the number of traffic fatalities rose by 7 percent compared to last year. The most common reasons for these accidents are drunk drivers, lack of observation, speeding and recklessness, sleepiness, and overloading.

In order to reduce traffic accidents, firstly, transport companies must try to raise the awareness of their drivers while actively supervising their routes to timely detect law violations and correct these activities. Also, the Transport Departments of all localities are asked to more strictly monitor the implementation of safety maintenance measures among local transport businesses.

Besides requesting a high quality of passenger and freight transport, the Dispatch asks patrol teams to strictly handle any law violation cases. A hotline for traffic safety and order must be introduced so that the public and report any law-breaking activities, especially during this national holiday.

Goalkeeper Lam officially signs contract with Binh Dinh

Goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm has signed a three-year contract with Bình Định FC and is expected to play his first match for his new team in the V.League 1 this weekend.

Although the transfer value and salary were not disclosed, it was reported that the goalkeeper, whose father is Vietnamese and mother is Russian, will be one of the highest earners in Vietnamese football.

It is thought the 28-year-old will be paid around US$17,000 per month before tax. On top of this, he will receive bonuses and sponsorship deals.

Lâm was born in Moscow. He began his career with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and was a key part of Park Hang-seo’s national team squad.

He made significant contributions to Việt Nam’s triumph in the AFF Cup 2018, qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup quarter-finals, and in the 2022 World Cup AFC qualifiers. So far, Lâm has had more than 20 caps for the Vietnamese national team. 

Construction works encroach Phu Quoc marine protected area

Many large-scale construction works have been illegally built inside the Phu Quoc marine protected area in the southern province of Kien Giang.

Leaders of Phu Quoc City arrived to inspect various construction works built inside Phu Quoc marine protected area in the two communes of Bai Thom, Ham Ninh, and An Thoi Ward on August 16. The delegation found a bridge and some floating restaurants illegally built here and asked the investors to immediately remove them. Besides, they also asked three facilities which were providing snorkeling and coral reefs watching tours without having licenses to stop operation.

Local authorities in these localities have been asked to monitor the removal of the illegally-built works in their areas.

Five die in Lao Cai boat accident

Five people including three small children died after their boat capsized on the Chay River in Si Ma Cai District in the northern province of Lao Cai.

Si Ma Cai District People's Committee announced that rescue forces on Wednesday morning had found three bodies in the tragic boat accident that occurred two days ago in Ban Me Village.

Two other bodies were recovered the same day when the boat sank on August 15.

According to a report from the committee, the five victims include two women Giang Thi Do, 44, and Sung Thi Sua, 53. They went on a boat trip carrying three children aged between 1-4 to visit their relatives. Giang Thi Do rowed the boat herself. While travelling through a rough current, the boat capsized and they all went missing.

Local authorities had sent rescue forces of nearly 100 members to search for the victims. They found the bodies of Sung Thi Sua and a child later that day.

On Wednesday morning, Vice chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, Hoang Quoc Khanh, visited the families of the victims and stressed the danger of some routes on the Chay River.

13 projects win ticket to final round of short film contest on environment

Thirteen projects were selected for the final round of the Green Screen short film contest on the environment.

The contest, initiated by the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), has attracted a large number of both professional and young filmmakers.

The jury selected 21 projects to proceed to the presentation round, with nine projects receiving support for a part of production costs.

The awards ceremony for the contest is scheduled for August 26-28 in the northern province of Quang Ninh. The first prize winner will be rewarded 100 million VND.

Opening ceremony for new school year scheduled for September 5

More than 51 provinces and cities nationwide have announced the timeline for the 2022-2023 academic year with a specific back-to-school and opening ceremony schedule.

This year, the opening ceremony for the new school year will take place simultaneously in all localities on September 5.

Regarding the back-to-school date, most provinces and cities are allowing students to return to school from August 22 (for grade 1) and from August 25 to September 5 for students of other grades.

August 22 will be the back-to-school date for grade 1 students in Hanoi, Hung Yen, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Kon Tum, Kien Giang, Gia Lai, Quang Tri, Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu and Dong Nai while students of the remaining grades will return to school on August 29.

In Son La Province, preschool students will return to school from August 25 to 31 while students of the remaining grades will begin the school year on August 22.

Dien Bien Province has also announced its back-to-school schedule with first-grade students returning to school on August 29 and students of the remaining classes returning to school on September 1.

In Ho Chi Minh City, preschool students will start school on August 31 while students of the remaining grades will return to school on August 22.

Students of all levels in An Giang Province will commence the school year from August 29 to 31.

Art programme in memory of noted late poet Xuan Quynh

An art programme entitled ‘Hoa Cuc Xanh’ (Green Daisy) will be held at the Hanoi Opera House on October 5 and 6 to celebrate the 80th birth anniversary of noted poet Nguyen Thi Xuan Quynh (1942-2022), as announced at a press conference on August 17.

It will be arranged in four parts, named after four popular poems by Xuan Quynh, including ‘Bau Troi Trong Qua Trung’ (Sky seen from the Eggshell), ‘Tu Hat’ (Self singing), ‘Song’ (Wave), and ‘Hoa Cuc Xanh’ (Green Daisy).

The audience at the programme will be entertained with songs, poetry recitals, short documents on the life and career of Xuan Quynh and her husband – talented playwright Luu Quang Vu (1948-1988).

The programme will also feature a stage play inspired by Quynh’s poem ‘Hoa Cuc Xanh’ and Vu’s play ‘Hoa Cuc Xanh Tren Dam Lay’ (A Green Daisy on the Swamp).

Xuan Quynh (1942-1988) is considered one of the most distinguished poets of the 20th century in Vietnam, her poems are full of emotions and reflect the deep feelings of an emotional woman and mother. She was posthumously presented with the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts, the highest ranking award in this field, in 2017.

Le Loi Blvd in downtown HCMC reopened to traffic after 8-year shutdown

Le Loi Boulevard in District 1, HCMC has been reopened to traffic after eight years of closure for the construction of the city’s first metro line, which links Ben Thanh Market and Suoi Tien Park in Thu Duc City.

All barricades on the street, with a length of some 800 meters from an intersection with the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street to Ben Thanh Market, were removed last weekend.

Sidewalk tiling for the final sections of the street will be completed before September 2, the local media reported.

In early 2021, the construction of the first metro line on Le Loi was resumed after the fourth wave of the Covid pandemic. Eight years ago, the street was closed to serve the work on the Opera House underground station, affecting traffic and many business households.

HCMC-Moc Bai Expressway’s investment procedures begin

The HCMC government has assigned the Management Board for Transportation Works Construction and Investment Projects (TCIP) to beef up the investment procedures for the HCMC-Moc Bai Expressway project under the public-private partnership (PPP) format.

With a total length of around 50 kilometers, the HCMC-Moc Bai Expressway with four lanes will run from a section of Beltway No.3 in HCMC’s Cu Chi District to Moc Bai Bordergate in Tay Ninh Province.

The total investment capital for this expressway project is estimated at VND15,900 billion. Of the total site clearance cost of around VND7,433 billion, HCMC will bear VND5,901 billion, or some 80%, while Tay Ninh the balance of VND1,532 billion.

National Highway 22, the main route connecting HCMC and Tay Ninh, has now become overloaded. The HCMC-Moc Bai Expressway would help ease the traffic congestion on the highway after completion.

Another body found from Manchester blaze

Another body was found on August 16 from the devastating fire in Oldham, Manchester, reported the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK.

Local police affirmed they will continue the search to make sure that no victims are left at the scene.

To date, four victims have been detected in the blaze and one identified as a Vietnamese citizen. On August 13, 2022, the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted and sent condolences to the bereaved family. Authorities of the two countries are actively coordinating together to quickly identify the remaining victims.

The scene examination and identification of other victims are still underway.

HCMC warns of dengue fever outbreaks

At least 18 people have died and 1,777 have been hospitalized for treatment, with 147 of them in critical condition, following an outbreak of dengue fever in different wards and districts across HCMC.

The HCMC Department of Health in its latest report said the city recorded 550 new dengue cases in a single day on August 15, raising the total number of cases to 43,591 in the year to date in the whole city.

Among 1,777 infections under treatment in hospitals, 1,111 are adults, 666 are children, 20 are pregnant women, 147 are in serious condition, 17 are on ventilators, and four are under blood purification.

Letter calls for donations to Cuban people

The Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association (VCFA) on August 17 sent out a letter calling for donations to Cuban people to help them overcome current difficulties.

The letter said the fraternal Cuban country and people are struggling against countless difficulties and challenges as they continue to be under a strict embargo amid COVID-19 pandemic, especially a recent oil storage facility fire incident at an industrial zone near Matanzas that seriously hit lives of the Cuban people.

The VCFA will receive donations till August 31.

The VCFA’s Club of Vietnamese Alumni in Cuba also launched a fundraising campaign on August 8, and has so far raised nearly 1 billion VND (43,400 USD) in support of the Cuban people.

Hanoi hosts int’l dental exhibition and congress

The Vietnam International Dental Exhibition and Congress 2022 - VIDEC 2022 themed “Dentistry in the New Era” kicked off in Hanoi on August 17, bringing together 200 domestic and international delegates.

Nearly 100 scientific reports of Vietnamese scientists and those from over 10 countries around the world have presented dental issues.

Advanced and modern dental products of the leading dental manufacturers from  the US, Australia, Switzerland, Thailand, France, Japan, Italy, Germany, the Republic of Korea, India, and China are being exhibited in more than 300 booths at the event.

Related forums, which attracted reports by young scientists from universities and dental institutions across the country, are being held within the framework of the three-day event.

SOL Student Fashion Tour 2022 begins

The Hanoi Students’ Association and SOL Network will hold the SOL Student Fashion Tour 2022 between now and the end of this year for fashion-loving students in the city.

Accordingly, four fashion shows are planned at the National Economics University (NEU) in August, Hanoi University in September, Hanoi National University of Education in October and Thang Long University in November with tens of unique and stylish collections.

They will also gather hundreds of models as students from universities and colleges.

Thua Thien - Hue, ADB sign MoU for inclusive, sustainable economic development

The People's Committee of Thua Thien - Hue province and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam on August 17 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on promoting a strategic partnership for inclusive and sustainable economic development.

This is a framework cooperation oriented-agreement, aiming to assist Thua Thien-Hue to achieve socio-economic development goals for the 2021-2025 period, thus addressing challenges facing of the local economy by digital technology, and speeding up digital economy and digital society.

Under the MoU, the ADB will give periodic consultations to the local authorities within the framework of the national programme between the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries and sectors.

The ADB will help Thua Thien - Hue effectively implement projects using the bank’s capital; and identify potential projects on urban transport infrastructure, climate change adaptation, contributing to further improving living conditions; and promoting low carbon growth, development of private sectors in the locality.

Vietnam keen on Israel’s experience in fields of strength

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said that Vietnam wants to cooperate with Israel in fields of its strength such as innovation, sci-tech and renewable energy.

During a reception for former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak in Hanoi on August 17, Phuc said as a partner with friendship and comprehensive partnership, including in national defence-security, Israel has become an important partner of Vietnam.

Vietnam wishes to learn from Israel’s experience in choosing and training talents to build a strong country, he said.

He suggested the two countries regularly maintain high-level visits and offer mutual support at international forums and organisations. With two-way trade of 1.14 billion USD in the first half of this year, up 55 percent, the two countries need to further work on this field, he said.

UNESCO experts re-verify Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark title

A group of experts from the UNESCO led by Artur Sá, UNESCO senior expert and Chairman of the European Global Geopark Network, had a meeting with leaders of the northern province of Cao Bang on August 17 on the re-verification of the title of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark.

The team collected documents about and made field studies of Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark, and gave a number of recommendations to the locality on measures to further develop the site.

They advised the province to strengthen educational activities on the geopark, particularly among students, mobilise the community’s engagement in developing the site, add explanations about the park in local ethnic languages on information boards erected in the park, and pay greater attention to the protection of biodiversity in the area.

They also asked for Cao Bang’s coordination in preparing documents to apply for hosting the Asia-Pacific Geopark Network Symposium in 2024.

Earlier, the UNESCO working group made field trips to districts in the east, north and west of Cao Bang.

Binh Thuan plans various activities for Visit Vietnam Year 2023

As host of the Visit Vietnam Year 2023, Binh Thuan is planning to hold a wide range of activities to attract more domestic and foreign visitors to the south-central province as well as the country.

A series of cultural, sports and tourism activities are set to take place next year, including six international events, namely an international music band festival, a world performing arts festival, an international sports festival, a summer camp, an international food festival, and a street culture week.

There will be 12 national-level events, including a tourism week, a farm market, a traditional boat racing tournament, and a golf championship.

Besides, eight inter-provincial and 10 provincial-level events will also be held.

Documentary on Agent Orange to be screened in Japan

A documentary entitled “Long Time Passing” featuring a victim of Agent Orange (AO) living in Vietnam will be available in theatres in Tokyo from August 20.

The film by Japanese director Masako Sakata  depicts the daily life of Tran Thi Hoan, a young woman born without legs and one of her hands as her mother had been exposed to the toxic chemical in a field during her pregnancy. It also features the difficulty of many other AO victims and a court battle in France by a former journalist against US chemical firms that manufactured AO used in the war.

Sakata went to Vietnam in 2004 to learn about the consequences of the toxic chemical and made the first film on the matter. Her husband died nearly two decades ago as a result of his exposure to the AO during military service in Vietnam. Sakata has made two documentaries on AO, My Personal Requiem in 2007 and Living the Silent Spring in 2011, which have been shown in many countries such as the US, France, Japan, and Canada. 

Living the Silent Spring is about the dangers chemical agents pose to humanity. In it, children of war veterans and their struggles with disability are explored, according to The Mainichi newspaper.

Sakata established the "Seeds of Hope" project to provide hundreds of scholarships to Vietnamese high school and university students who are AO victims.

In 2017, she received a Friendship Order from the President in recognition of her contribution to the movement “Action for the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam”.

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