Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested relevant ministries and agencies to review and propose amendments and supplements to mechanisms and policies in the field of science and technology, work out and comprehensive and effective solutions to promote its development and innovative initiatives.

In a recent document, the PM ordered breakthrough and comprehensive policies, and effective solutions to deal with difficulties and obstacles  in a timely way and promote the development of science, technology, and innovation.

Attention must be paid to removing administrative barriers in managing scientific and technological activities; establishing legal frameworks for pilot and specific mechanisms for new economic models based on science, technology, and innovative initiatives; and forming an open, transparent, integrated, and sustainable science and technology market.

The Ministry of Finance has been tasked with working with the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant ministries and agencies to urgently study, amend, and supplement regulations related to finance, investment, and assets, especially capital allocation for scientific and technological activities in accordance with the fund mechanism; and improve the operational efficiency of science and technology development funds.

The document also underlined the need to remove obstacles and restrictions related to credit, capital, tax, land, and market access support.

The Government Office is responsible for coordinating with and urging ministries and agencies to report to the PM before August 30.

Localities strictly monitor vessels to fight IUU fishing

Vietnam has seen positive progress in its fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing more than five years after it received a “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood exports from the European Commission (EC).

Implementing the EC’s recommendations, the agricultural sector will continue coordinating with localities to tighten the management over fishing vessels to ensure that they operate in the right areas.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase) has been implemented in 31 localities.

Currently, 82.7% of the fishing vessels with a length of at least 6m have updated information on VNFishbase, while 97.7% of ships of 15m or more in length have been installed with vessel monitoring system (VMS).

According to Director of Fisheries Information Centre under the Directorate of Fisheries Ha Le, in the first seven months of this year, the numbers of vessels staying uncontacted at sea for more than 6 hours daily and for more than 10 days tend to decrease compared to those of the same period last year.

Localities have also been more active in handling administrative violations for ships that remain uncontacted for more than 10 days. However, the percentage of administrative punishments is still low, at about 5%.

Therefore, he suggested that localities step up communication, inspection and supervision, and strictly handle those violating regulations on VMS.

In order to closely monitor fishing vessels at sea, and to ensure effective preparations for the next visit of the fourth EC inspection delegation in October, Director of the Department of Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Nguyen Quang Hung proposed localities continue to strictly implement directives by the Prime Minister and the head of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention, and to arrange competent and responsible officials to perform the work.

Localities should take strong and resolute measures to prevent fishing vessels from illegally conducting fishing activities in foreign waters, strictly control those entering and leaving ports, monitor their output, and comply with product certification and traceability regulations.

Vietnam, UAE enjoy growing relations over three decades

The bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has flourished across fields, from politics and diplomacy to trade, investment, labour and tourism, over the last three decades since they set up diplomatic ties on August 1, 1993.

The UAE government and people have strongly supported Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and national construction.

Political trust and mutual understanding between the two countries have been continuously strengthened, clearly proven by the regular exchange of delegations at all levels between the two countries in recent times, which has contributed to deepening bilateral relations and opening up many cooperation opportunities between the two countries in many areas.

In April this year, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi signed a Ministerial Declaration on starting negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the two nations, marking a crucial milestone in bilateral cooperation and ushering in a new phase of strategic cooperation in many fields.

It is a basis for lifting Vietnam-UAE relations to a new development level, contributing to expanding the export market of Vietnamese goods and services to the UAE, and creating a premise for Vietnam to strengthen trade and service relations to the Middle East and African countries.

The deal also promotes the UAE’s investment in Vietnam and expands cooperation opportunities to other fields such as innovation, renewable energy, investment, logistics, technology, tourism, and agriculture.

The two countries have also strengthened coordination and mutual support at multilateral organisations and forums; improved the effectiveness of the political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries; and promoted the role of Vietnam and the UAE in the relationship between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Economic cooperation has always been an important pillar and bright spot in the bilateral cooperation. The UAE is now Vietnam's largest trading partner in the Middle East-North Africa region.

Statistics of the General Department of Customs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that two-way trade between Vietnam and the UAE in 2016-2020 stood at 5-5.5 billion USD per year. In 2021, the figure reached 5.3 billion USD, up 21% year-on-year. In the first three months of 2023, two-way trade hit 1.12 billion USD, surging by 22.14% compared to the same period last year.

Currently, Vietnamese goods account for about 2.2% of the import market share in the UAE, while the Middle East country marks up about 0.2% of Vietnam's import market share.

The two nations are striving to lift two-way trade to 10 billion USD and above in the near future.

Regarding investment cooperation, the UAE is one of the major investors in Vietnam with projects such as Hiep Phuoc Port and Halong Star Hotel, and tourism projects in central Da Nang city with a total investment capital of about 4 billion USD.

The potential for economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE still remains huge because the two economies have complementary strengths, especially when the CEPA is signed.

According to Luong Hoang Thai, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department, CEPA will help Vietnam not only export goods directly to the UAE, but also make inroads into the Middle East market through the "UAE gateway".

Experts said that CEPA will be a legal basis for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in oil and gas exploration and production, share technical expertise, and train high-quality human resources in this industry.

At present, there are about 3,500 Vietnamese labourers working legally in the UAE, mainly in construction, mechanical, shipbuilding, and service.

With the available cooperation potential and efforts of both sides, the friendship and economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE are expected to be developed fruitfully, for the benefit of their people.

First Meet Thailand bound for Quang Tri on August 3-4

The central province of Quang Tri is scheduled to host a conference on August 3-4 to boost trade cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand as well as between Quang Tri and Thai localities. 
      
Meet Thailand, the first of its kind, will bring together approximately 400 delegates representing the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, big commercial banks, and leading business groups of both Vietnam and Thailand. Representatives of five Thai localities (Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, and Khon Kaen) and 17 Vietnamese localities will also attend the event.

The conference aims to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation between localities and businesses of the two countries, as well as friendly exchanges between Thai and Vietnamese localities, including Quang Tri province.  

During the conference, there will be a display of business opportunities of participating localities, fact-finding tours of economic and cultural establishments in Quang Tri, and business-to-business match making sessions between Vietnamese and Thai businesses.

VAR will appear in match between Hanoi FC and Hai Phong

The match between Hà Nội FC and Hải Phòng in the V.League 1 on August 2 at Hàng Đẫy Stadium will have the participation of VAR.

This is the second match using VAR's in the V.League 1 2023. Previously, VAR appeared in the match between Viettel and Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh also held at Hàng Đẫy Stadium. This game lasted more than 100 minutes because the referee took a long time to consult the VAR.

Also according to the event’s organizing committee, VAR will be applied from three to five matches in the second leg of the national premiere league. This technology will be applied in matches without stress, affecting the championship race as well as the relegation battle.

VAR has not been applied to all matches in the V.League 1 because of limited manpower and VAR setups. This is considered a solution to limit the wrong decisions from the referees.

Earlier, in the match between Hà Nội Police and Hải Phòng in which Hà Nội Police Club lost to Hải Phòng 0-2, referee Nguyễn Đình Thái omitted a penalty after Văn Đạt of Hải Phòng let the ball touch his hand in the penalty area.

After the match, coach Flavio Da Silva Cruz of Hà Nội Police said "Football is really tough. We played well and created many chances to score, if we took advantage of the first situation the result could have been different.

"In the 85th minute, if there was VAR, the referees would have made a better decision. This situation was far from the referee's. If there is VAR, I think Hà Nội will have had a point and the referee will not make unfortunate mistakes."

Video contest featuring food in Cho Lon launched

HCM City’s District 5 is launching a video contest called “Ăn Ngon Quận 5” (Delicious Food in District 5) to introduce local outstanding dishes to the public and attract tourists.

The contest is open to Vietnamese residents and expats aged 15 and over, who are living and working in the city.

The length of the videos should be a minimum of one minute and a maximum of five minutes, highlighting the food, eateries, and culture of District 5. 

An essay about their choice of food and five photos describing the food should be included as well.

Contestants, who can be an individual or up to a group of five, must upload their videos to their own Facebook or TikTok pages before summiting them to the organisers at https://cholonfoodstory.com/anngonquan5/ by September 25.

The contest will be judged by Chử Hồng Minh, chairman of the Restaurant Association of Việt Nam, Đặng Thị Hồng Linh, vice chairwoman of the city’s Department of Culture and Sports, film producer and director Lý Minh Thắng, and other artists.

The judges will seek the 10 best videos for the final based on content, quality, and likes on social media.

The winners will be announced in mid-October, while winning videos will be used to promote the cuisine and tourism of the district.

The contest is part of the Chợ Lớn Food Story, a project implemented by the district’s People’s Committee in 2019, with the aim of enhancing the local culinary culture and promoting local tourism.

The project includes food fairs, a photo book, and a video contest.

Chợ Lớn (Big Market), known as a paradise for food lovers, is home to countless eateries that offer a bewildering range of foods bequeathed by the ancestors of local people.

In the photo book titled Chợ Lớn Food Story released in 2020, the ten most typical dishes in District 5 as voted by locals and culinary and culture experts were featured.

The dishes included dim sum, cơm gà Hải Nam (Hainanese chicken rice), hủ tiếu sa tế (satay noodle soup), hủ tiếu xào (stir-fried noodles), gà hấp muối (steamed chicken with salt), vịt quay Bắc Kinh (Peking duck), mì vịt tiềm (stewed duck noodle soup), sủi cảo (dumplings), and chè mè đen (black sesame sweet soup). 

VNU-HCM to set aside 10 hactares to resettle displaced families

The Prime Minister has given the green light to a proposal to use more than ten hectares of land in the Việt Nam National University - HCM City (VNU-HCM) Urban Area project as a resettlement area.

VNU-HCM on Monday organised a ceremony to officially announce the approved adjustments to the detailed planning of the project.

The Prime Minister signed a decision approving the adjustments on July 3.

Among the main adjustments, the 10.03ha area located in Linh Xuân Ward in Thủ Đức city was originally meant for educational use, particularly for the construction of a dormitory, a foreign language faculty, and an educational faculty. 

Once approved for the resettlement purpose, it is expected to be home to about 5,000 residents who have been relocated due to the implementation of the VNU-HCM project.

Other major adjustments include looking to increase the average housing floor area per student to 20sq.m from 15-18sq.m, and updating the technical infrastructure of some roads and works in the urban area.

Speaking at the ceremony, VNU-HCM chancellor Vũ Hải Quân said the adjustments create favourable conditions for on-site resettlement for households affected by the project and accelerate the implementation of the VNU-HCM Urban Area project.

The project has been carried out for many years but has not been completed due to problems in compensation and site clearance so far.

The adjustments have no impact on existing faculties and member universities of the VNU-HCM.        

The VNU-HCM Urban Area project covers a total area of 643.7ha in HCM City and Bình Dương Province.

The project was approved in 2014 and carried out by the VNU-HCM in collaboration with the people’s committees of HCM City and Bình Dương Province. 

It will be built according to a modern scientific urban model, including an operation centre, public service centre, member universities, scientific research centres and institutes, defense education centre, fitness centre, student dormitory, service house and science park.

The Ministry of Construction is in charge of ensuring the implementation process of the project complies with the laws, as well as appraisal and approved detailed planning of component projects. 

Dong Thap plans to grant more production codes for rice growing areas

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp is stepping up its plan of granting production codes for all rice growing areas by 2025.

It has 355 rice growing areas with a total of 48,963ha, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The code-granted areas account for 25 per cent of the province’s total rice growing area.

To get the code, the areas must grow rice to Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) or other equivalent standards. 

Most code-granted areas have switched from growing low-quality rice varieties to high quality ones such as the Đài Thơm 8, OM 18, OM 5451, OM 4900, and Long An IR 46-25 glutinous rice varieties.  

High quality rice varieties account for 70 per cent of the code-granted areas.

To meet the criteria of production codes, the province has focused on developing concentrated growing areas which are disease free and planted to high quality standards such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, or the standards of export markets.

It has developed rice growing areas which have linkages among stakeholders to develop value chains and brand names.

Tháp Mười is one of the province’s districts which has developed linkages and production codes well.

It grows more than 100,000ha of rice a year and 25,000ha have linkages among stakeholders.

It has 21 rice growing areas with a total of nearly 2,760ha granted production codes.

Ngô Thanh Bình in Tháp Mười’s Tân Kiều Commune and many local farmers have linked with a company to grow rice.

Previously, farmers here grew rice individually on a small scale so they had difficulties with cultivation processes and selling rice, he said.

After linking with a company to grow the Đài Thơm 8 rice variety, farmers are supported with seeds and farming techniques to grow clean rice, he said.

Participating in the programme, farmers get an average yield of more than 7 tonnes per hectare a crop, reduce the use of pesticides and have high production efficiency, he said.

Many farmers in the province have planted rice to international standards, such as Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP).

In Tam Nông District, six households are growing 50ha of Jasmine 85 rice to SRP standards under a linkage with a company.

Trần Thanh Nam, chairman of the Tam Nông People’s Committee, said households have their SRP standard rice purchased at a price of VNĐ800 a kilogramme higher than the market price.

They earn a profit of about VNĐ32 million (US$1,400) per hectare in the winter-spring crop and VNĐ22-25 million ($930-1,100) per hectare in the summer-autumn crop, he said.

Many farmers in the province have linked with companies to produce rice and glutinous rice seeds for cultivation and their seeds are purchased at a price of VNĐ 500-800 kilogramme higher than market prices.

Most localities to face high UV levels

Most of the localities nationwide will face ultraviolet (UV) levels of “high” and “very high” from August 2-4, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has announced.

Specifically, during the three days, the UV levels will be highly hazardous from 10am to 1pm in such cities as Ha Long (northern province of Quang Ninh), Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The southern city of Can Tho will be at the “high” level in all the three days, followed by Ca Mau province.

People are advised to take extra precautions such as wearing protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, as well as ensuring hydration for the body.

Hand, foot and mouth disease medicine shortage eased

More medicines for hand, foot and mouth disease treatment have been imported into Vietnam, helping ease the shortage at many local hospitals.

According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, the Central Pharmaceutical Company 1 JS Company has planned to import 3,000 additional Globulin bottles.  

The Central Pharmaceutical Company 1 JS Company has also been licensed to import Phenobarbital tubes. A batch of around 21,000 tubes has been imported into Vietnam.

Medical facilities have been asked to contact medicine importers for the medicine supply to meet the hand, foot and mouth disease treatment.

So far this year, Vietnam has recorded 34,847 hand, foot and mouth cases, including 15 deaths. The number of patients dropped by 9.7 percent on-year, however, the number of deaths increased by 12.

The Enterovirus Virus has been identified as the main cause of the disease in the city.

Vietnam trying to import more medications for HFMD

Because there was a drastic surge in cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), the Ministry of Health and pharmaceutical firms are making an effort to import medications for the disease treatment.

Amid increasing cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health and pharmaceutical businesses are making efforts to find a supply of medication for the treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease to make sure enough medicines.

After Duy Anh Pharmaceutical Trading Company successfully imported 6,000 bottles of Immune Globulin infusion in June, the CPC1 Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company will import 3,000 more bottles of Immunoglobulin infusion in a total of 15,000 bottles, that have been licensed for import, this week.

Previously, the Drug Administration of Vietnam had granted a license to CPC1 Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company to import 21,000 ampoules and these drugs have been brought to Vietnam.

According to the Ministry of Health, in the first 7 months of the year, the whole country recorded about 35,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, compared with the same period in 2022, the number of cases decreased by 9.7 percent. However, the number of deaths increased by 15 cases whereas there were three deaths in the same period last year.

There is no specific medical treatment for HFMD. Over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen or ibuprofen are used to relieve fever and pain caused by mouth sores.

Hundreds of tons of dead fish found in upstream Dong Nai River due to downpours

The Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue of Dong Nai Province has just issued a brief report on the damage in the locality owing to downpours and flooding.

As of 9 a.m. on July 31, the district of Tan Phu was flooded, damaging 565.5 hectares of crop and 58.3 tons of different fish varieties.

To reduce the hazards of early floods, this morning, farmers at Phu Dien Commune urgently cut paddy in the fields.

A heavy rain hit Dinh Quan District from the night of July 27 until the early morning of July 28 in addition to an influence of rains in the previous days triggered water level rise in the upstream Dong Nai River Basin which swallowed 38 floating fish farms with more than 300 tons of fish of residents in Thanh Son and Ngoc Dinh communes. The damage was estimated at around VND20 billion (US$842,841).

The People's Committees of Thanh Son and Ngoc Dinh communes and functional agencies promptly were at the sites to support people to overcome the damage and soon stabilize their lives.

The Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue of Dong Nai Province is coordinating with functional sectors of Dinh Quan and Tan Phu districts to keep a close eye on weather development, strengthen propaganda and issue latest weather forecast and warnings to help people deal with bad situations ahead.

Ho Chi Minh road construction to resume in Q4

Work on a 73-kilometer section of the Ho Chi Minh road will start in the fourth quarter of this year, thus resuming the construction of the almost-complete cross-country road.

This section will connect Bau Bang District, Binh Duong Province and Duc Hoa, Long An Province.

According to a Government report, 2,362 km of the 2,744-km Ho Chi Minh road had been completed by May 2022.

The Chon Thanh-Duc Hoa section will begin in Tru Van Tho Commune, Bau Bang District, Binh Duong Province, and end at the intersection with National Highway N2, Duc Hoa District, Long An Province.

The project, approved by the Ministry of Transport in 2017, was initially scheduled to commence construction in 2019 and be completed at the end of 2021. However, the project was put on hold then due to economic difficulties.

To proceed with the project at the request of the National Assembly via Resolution 63/2022, the Ministry of Transport has approved the Chon Thanh-Duc Hoa section and assigned the Ho Chi Minh Road Management Board to act as the project investor.

The project will be divided into two phases. The first phase will develop the first two lanes for vehicles with a width of 11 meters. The section will be widened to six lanes in the next phase.

The project needs a total of VND2,293 billion, with VND264 billion for compensation, site clearance and resettlement and VND1,667 billion for construction.

Stroll through the Lacquer Land of 10 renowned artists in Hanoi

The exhibition entitled Stroll through the Lacquer Land will be held in Hanoi, presenting nearly 30 works by 10 famous lacquer artists.

The exhibition featuring unique artistic perspectives and some opposite will run from August 2 to 8 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi.

Painter Phan Cam Thuong, whose artwork is on display in the exhibition, said he made the lacquer the way people made ancient Buddha statues.

Painter Ly Truc Son is a talented artist who discovered his painting skills early in life, at 12. He is the founder of the "Son Ta" (Wax Tree) group and is recognized by many colleagues around the world as the leading painter of contemporary lacquer art.

Painter Trieu Khac Tien is the only lacquer artist in Vietnam with a Ph.D. He defended his thesis at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts, Japan.

According to curator Van Vi, lacquer painting is honored as a miracle of Vietnamese fine arts. Comprehending the field of lacquer painting is like taking a gentle walk, leaving time to savor and capture the eclectic approaches of lacquer art amid its evolutionary process.

Vietnamese lacquer painting has existed for centuries, but it was not until the establishment of L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (the Indochina College of Fine Arts, now known as the Vietnam University of Fine Arts) in 1925 that artists began to transform lacquer from a craft to an artistic invention.

At first, Indochinese artists tried to paint lacquer using oil painting techniques taught by French professors, but their efforts were in vain. This realization sparked the need for a different approach to the new material.

Among the pioneer generation, one name most people knew was Nguyen Gia Tri, whose style followed expressionism.

Due to the influence of the second director of the Indochina College of Fine Arts, Evarite Jonchère, the fashion of the second-generation lacquer painters Le Quoc Loc, Hoang Tich Tru and Pham Hau was more of a decorative style to utilize the strengths of traditional Vietnamese art.

It's acknowledged that the third generation, especially painters Nguyen Sang and Nguyen Tu Nghiem, had redefined the concept of composing with lacquer paint.

Temple of Literature inspired paintings on display

Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) watercolors are displayed at EM Exhibition to help raise funds for poor children.

It's a project by young artist Phan Anh Thu, who is using 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings and her art book Thu thenh thang (Thu Timeless Travel) to raise VND600 million (US$25,000) to build a school for children in mountainous areas of the Central Highlands.

Thu said the Temple of Literature is a remarkable national monument with a unique architectural masterpiece called the Khue Van Pavilion. This structure was built during the Nguyen Dynasty and is considered a symbolic representation of Vietnamese literature and education.

According to painter Thu, though small, the Khue Van Pavilion exudes simplicity and elegance, reflecting on Thien Quang Tinh (Heavenly Clarity Well). It is surrounded by ancient trees, and in the distance is a square lotus pond. The Khue Star (Legs Mansion, one of the twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations) represents wisdom, scholarship, and literature.

Therefore, the Khue Van Pavilion, which embraces the beauty of the Khue Star, represents the apogee of intellectual achievement and emphasizes the timeless truth inscribed on the steles of Van Mieu: "Virtuous talents are the essential elements of a nation."

What makes up Khue Van's aesthetics are the round windows that vividly depict the sparkling image of the Khue Star in the sky, resembling the aura of virtuous talents that radiate the beauty of intellect and knowledge.

In addition to Van Mieu's paintings, the exhibition features about 50 works selected from more than 500 paintings by artist Phan Anh Thu. Each work tells its own story, depicting diverse scenes from urban to rural areas, spanning the length of the country, associated with places such as the Northwest, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The exhibition will run until August 6 at AMANAKI Hotel, 10 Nguyen Dang Giai, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City.

Green energy consumption promoted in community

Facing the impacts of climate change, raising people's awareness about recycling, and giving priority to environmentally friendly products using renewable energy must be prioritised by companies across Việt Nam.

This year, the El Nino phenomenon has returned, causing drought in many localities in the north of Việt Nam. Many areas across the country reported record-high temperatures and hydroelectric reservoirs dried up, posing a real risk of local power shortages.

The El Nino phenomenon is expected to last from the second half of the summer of 2023 and maintain until 2024 with a probability of about 70-80 per cent. A lack of electricity for daily life could become an ongoing issue.

This situation has put great pressure on the national electricity grid. The use of green and sustainable energy solutions will be the long-term key to solving the problem of power shortage for daily life and production. At the same time, the exploitation and application of renewable energy is also an important aspect of the National Strategy on Green Growth in the 2021-30 period promulgated by the Government.

Huỳnh Thị Lan Hương, Deputy Director of the Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change said: “Towards a net zero emission route, renewable energy including solar power, wind power and other sources must be developed.”

Mitigating climate change impacts is a goal that requires the cooperation of many parties. In particular, the organisation of programmes that raise people's awareness about the use of renewable energy plays a key role in realising the common goal of the country.

In 2022, in cooperation with the Committee of the HCM Communist Youth Union, the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (SABECO) officially announced the “Light Up the Countryside” community initiative to install 34 kilometres of solar-powered streetlights in 34 rural areas across 34 provinces. The project improves the lives of more than 210,000 households.

It is expected that by the end of 2023, all 63 provinces and cities across the country will have at least one kilometre of solar street lights, helping spread the application of renewable energy and raising awareness of a green lifestyle. The project also aims to support the National Strategy on Green Growth in the 2021-30 period, with a vision to 2050, and national programme targets for building new rural areas for the period of 2021-25.

Dak Nong households isolated by serious flooding

Dozens of households in the central highlands province of Dak Nong are isolated by serious flooding on July 31. Photo by LD

The Dak Nong Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue announced on July 31 that many areas have been flooded following prolonged heavy rains.

More than 90 houses have been flooded in Gia Nghia City, and two districts of Tuy Duc, and Dak Rlap, the committee reported.

In Dak Glong District, 25 houses have been isolated and local authorities had evacuated all residents here to safe areas on Monday.

The floods have also damaged over 150 hectares of crops. Many roads have also been damaged and blocked by landslides.

Two hydropower plants in Gia Nghia City, the Dak R’Tih and Dak Nong 2, also faced landslides in some areas. The Dak Nong 2 plant had to temporarily suspend operation for repair work.

Many localities in the southern and Central Highlands region have faced serious flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains following Storm Doksuri.

A serious landslide happened at a section of Bao Loc Pass, part of National Highway 20, in Lam Dong Province on July 30, burying a traffic police station with four people trapped inside. The bodies of three traffic police officers and one civilian have been found at the site.

Lam Dong authorities said that there were 163 sites that had suffered or were prone to landslides across the province at present. Authorities are working to evacuate residents in vulnerable areas.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, heavy rains would continue in the region this week with average rainfall of between 50-150 mm per day. 

Transnational drug ring busted in Dien Bien

Border guards operating in the northwestern border province of Dien Bien successfully busted a transnational drug trafficking ring, seizing 96,000 pills of synthetic drugs and 11 kg of methamphetamine in the process.

According to details given by police, at 20:00 p.m. on July 31 in Na Khoang village of Muong Nha commune in Dien Bien district, the locality’s border guards working in collaboration with the police division for drug crime investigations under the provincial police department discovered a suspicious man who was walking from the border area to Vietnamese side.

They subsequently stopped the man to be searched before finding a large quantity of drugs.

He was identified as Lau A Ly, born in 1994 and residing in Na Khoang village.

Ly admitted that he was hired by a Laotian man to transport the drugs and intended to deliver them to an unidentified person in Nua Ngam commune.

The case is now under further investigation.

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