Da Nang has planned to run its tourism-golf festival from August 29 to September 2, which entails the BRG Open Golf Championship Danang 2022 and a series of interesting sidelines events.

As a highlight of the festival, the championship, part of the Asian Development Tour, will gather 144 golfers, including 120 international professional ones invited by the organiser – the Asia Tour company, and 20 professional players from Vietnam. The remaining four amateur players are nominated by sponsors.

So far, 74 out of 120 international linksmen have registered to participate. They are from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, Australia, the UK, and Switzerland, among others.

The final round of the championship will see the competition of 50 players who vie for total rewards of 75,000 USD.

It will see the competition of 33 teams of 33 professional and 99 amateur golfers. Each team consists of one professional and three amateur players.

Official backs Vietnam’s priorities at UN

Newly-appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis expressed her support for priorities that Vietnam promotes at the UN, during a meeting with Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, on August 23.  

The UN official spoke highly of Vietnam's contributions to the UN activities, and proposed the Southeast Asian nation continue supporting the UN Development System (UNDS) reform.

Vietnam is a country that always upholds multilateralism and multilateral cooperation, and also a model in cooperation with the UN, she said, affirming that she will continue to actively participate in the process to develop policies and plans for Vietnam’s socio-economic in the coming time.

Two human skeletons found in Gia Lai forest

Police in Kbang District in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai are investigating the identification of two human bodies which have just been found fully decomposed in a local forest.

In an announcement released on August 24, the police said that while looking for bamboo sprouts in a forest in Dak Rong Commune on August 22, some local people found two decomposed bodies on a hammock and informed local authorities.

"The bodies were fully decomposed and totally skeletonised, and their clothes had rotted," the report said. "We found some objects including backpacks, flashlights, lighters, and some other personal belongings."

It is estimated that the victims had died between seven to eight months ago. Their genders have not been defined yet. Police said they probably weren’t local as there had been no reports about people missing in the area in recent months.

Kbang police are further investigating the case.

Storm causes heavy rains in northern region from August 25

Under the influence of Storm Ma-on, the third to enter the East Sea this year, the northern region and the north central province of Thanh Hoa will experience moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms from the evening of August 25 to August 27.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 4 am on August 24, the storm eye was at around 19.1 degrees north and 118.5 degrees east, with the strongest velocity of 89-102km per hour.

In the next 24 hours, it is forecast to move west-northwest at about 20-25km per hour. At 4am on August 25, its centre will be at about 190km to the south-southwest of Hong Kong (China) while the strongest winds will be 103-117km per hour.

At 4am on August 26, Ma-on will go northwest, traveling 25km per hour and weaken into a tropical depression.

The storm will abate into a low-pressure area in the following 24 hours, the centre said./.

Top legislator welcomes young Japanese parliamentarians

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ on Tuesday hosted a reception for a delegation from the Youth Division of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan led by Suzuki Norikaru, member of the House of Representatives and Sato Kei, member of the House of Councillors and Acting Head of the Youth Division.

Norikazu said that the delegation had worked with representatives of the Vietnamese NA's Young Parliamentarians Group and the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee to discuss measures to strengthen the relationship between young people and parliamentarians of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Kei emphasised the LDP’s Youth Division is very eager to promote cooperation between young parliamentarians and people of the two countries, and Vietnamese students in Japan.

He wished to continue receiving support of the top Vietnamese legislator so that the relationship between young parliamentarians and generations of the two countries will be strengthened, significantly contributing to developing the extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia between Japan and Việt Nam.

Agreeing with the proposals of the young parliamentarians, Chairman Huệ said Việt Nam wished to promote relations with Japan across all Party and State channels and people-to-people exchanges.

This is the fourth time the LDP has sent young parliamentarians to visit Việt Nam.

Later the same day,  Politburo member and Chairwoman of the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Trương Thị Mai received the young parliamentarians.

Hoang Nam gets off to a good start at Bangkok Open

Vietnam’s leading male tennis player Ly Hoang Nam secured an important win on August 23 in the men’s singles first round of the Bangkok Open tennis tournament.

Nam, world No.328, defeat Dayne Kelly with a score of 6-4 in the first set before his Australian opponent came back in the second set, forcing the Vietnamese player to struggle hard.

After one hour and 10 minutes, the two players went to a tie-break where Nam showed off his superior talent to enjoy a 7-4 win over Kelly.

The match concluded with a final score of 2-0 after two hours and five minutes.

Nam will next face off against No. 8 seed Illya Marchenko of Ukraine, who notably made it to world No. 49 in 2016.

The Bangkok Open is part of the ATP Challenger Tour and has a total cash prize of US$37,520.

Yen Bai to host ceremony receiving UNESCO certificate on Xoe Thai dance

Yen Bai has completed its preparation to host a ceremony to receive the UNESCO's certificate recognising the art of Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic people as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on September 24, according to Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Vu Thi Hien Hanh.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on channels of the Vietnam Television (VTV) and those of several localities.

On September 24, the Muong Lo Culture and Tourism Week and the Mu Cang Chai Terraced Field Festival will be kicked off.

The art was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 15, 2021.

Xoe is a unique type of traditional dance associated with and plays a significant role in the daily life of Thai communities in the northwest of Vietnam, especially in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai. It is performed in various community activities, from festivals to funeral rituals, as a symbol of hospitality.

Wild elephant appears near Nghe An tourist spot

A wild elephant has been seen seeking food near a tourist spot in the central province of Nghe An’s Con Cuong District.

Ngo Tuyet Linh, the owner of a restaurant near Khe Hem Waterfall in Luc Da Commune, said that he saw the animal search for bananas and bamboo sprouts to eat on Sunday evening.
 
Tran Xuan Cuong, director of Pu Mat National Park, said that the elephant lives in the national park’s area in Luc Da Commune near Khe Kem Waterfall. It has never attacked people and often comes near local houses.

Two elephants were previously seen in the Luc Da area, but one of them died. So, it is believed that this is the only elephant in the area at present.

Pu Mat National Park is home to 13 elephants, focused around Phuc Son, Anh Son, Tung Duong and Con Cuong districts.

Experiencing driving off-road ATVs in Mu Cang Chai

To meet the adventure tourism needs of visitors to mountainous Mu Cang Chai district in Yen Bai province, driving off-road ATVs, or all-terrain vehicles, is being trialled as a tourism offering.

ATVs are popular in many developed countries around the world. With a unique design and strong engine, they can conquer most obstacles on difficult terrain.

Thanks to their ability to adapt to conditions, ATVs have been popping up in mountainous areas in Vietnam and driving them has become a holiday experience for tourists, especially young people.

ATVs are suitable for the terrain around Mu Cang Chai, and perfect for tourists looking for adventure.

Most of the local roads are steep hills and narrow muddy roads. The introduction of ATVs as a tourism offering will also help create jobs for local people.

Bac Giang steps up cooperation with Lao localities

Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang led a delegation to visit the northern province of Bac Giang on August 23 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Vietnam - Laos diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962 -  2022) and 45 years since the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977 - 2022).

Last year, Bac Giang signed a cooperation agreement with Xaysomboun province in Laos towards 2025 involving delegation exchanges, experience sharing, agricultural support, healthcare, education-training, culture-sports and tourism, and investment and construction.

Bac Giang province has arranged practical activities to make the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Year 2022 more meaningful, especially activities to help Sayxomboun, he said.

Vietnamese Embassy works with Cambodian authorities on forced labour in casino

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia held a working session with the Immigration Management Department under the Cambodian Ministry of Home Affairs’ General Department of Immigration on August 22 following a case related to a group of 40 Vietnamese workers that fled a casino in Cambodia’s Kandal province on August 18 and other similar cases.

The same day, the embassy also interviewed and verified the identities of 24 Vietnamese citizens who are being detained at the department’s detention centre. Of them, 13 were rescued from other labour facilities in Kandal province and the remainder from Rich World casino in Kaoh Thom district, Kandal province.

During the working session, the Vietnamese Embassy asked the Cambodian authorities to ensure the living conditions of those detained, and promptly complete procedures to help the victims return home soon.

Earlier, immediately after the incident when Vietnamese labourers fled from the Rich World casino in Kandal on August 18, the embassy had worked with Cambodia authorities and requested that the case be investigated and the responsibility of relevant parties, especially employers at Rich World casino be clarified.

It suggested regular inspections of labour facilities and a crackdown on those illegally hired workers, while asking for Cambodia's assistance to citizen protection work, especially in forced labour cases. Vietnam also proposed the two countries coordinate to enhance entry-exit management at border areas.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang said it is a serious case in which the lives, legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese workers in Cambodia are affected. He affirmed that it must be dealt with promptly to prevent complications from arising and hurting bilateral relations. According to the ambassador, the Cambodian side took note of Vietnam’s proposals and pledged to report to competent agencies. Cambodia also wants to coordinate with Vietnam in settling related issues, he said.

Four suspected human trafficking rings identified: police officer

Police in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have identified four suspected human trafficking rings based on the testimony of 40 Vietnamese people who escaped from a Cambodian casino.

"These rings operate across many provinces and cities with accomplices in Cambodia to bring Vietnamese people across the border to illegally work in casinos," said Colonel Dinh Van Noi, Director of the provincial Department of Public Security.

An Giang police have sent a report to the Ministry of Public Security and the Criminal Police Department to coordinate with provinces and cities where these human trafficking rings operate and investigate the case.

“Cambodian authorities are also actively cooperating with us to investigate human trafficking cases which involve forcing Vietnamese labourers to work overtime, unpaid wages, and physical abuse,” he said.

On August 18, 40 Vietnamese nationals, including 35 males and five females, were arrested by An Giang border guards after swimming across Binh Di River to illegally enter Vietnam from Cambodia.

Poetry photographic book on General Giap debuts

A bilingual book of poems on legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap (1911 – 2013) made debut in Hanoi on August 23 on the occasion of the general’s 111st birthday (August 25, 1911 – 2022).

The poems are divided in three parts, with the first themed “Way to the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu” recreating the scenes of the military campaign under the command of Gen. Giap.

The 120-page book, in Vietnamese and English, was published by the Vietnam News Agency Publishing House.

Nguyen Thi Minh Dung was born Duc Tho district, the central province Ha Tinh, in 1939.

Vietnam attends China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week 2022

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son on August 23 joined remotely from Vietnam a roundtable for education ministers from ASEAN and China, held as part of the 15th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) underway in Guizhou, China.

The CACW is co-organised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of China, China-ASEAN Centre, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisations (SEAMEO).

A number of forums and symposiums on education are also scheduled during the week-long CACW which takes place until August 28.

Launched in 2008, the CAECW has played an important part in fostering education partnership and people-to-people exchange between China and ASEAN nations. It has contributed to the signing of nearly 2,000 agreements and memorandums of understanding and the launch of more than 400 projects and activities.

The CAECW has been incorporated into the 5-year action plan on Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (2018 – 2022) and the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership with a vision towards 2030.

NA delegation meets Finance Ministry to discuss thrift practice

A supervisory delegation of the National Assembly (NA) held a meeting with the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on August 23 to look into the implementation of policies and laws on thrift practice and wastefulness prevention during 2016 - 2021.

In the period, units of the MoF saved nearly 6.09 trillion VND (260 million USD) from the making, verification, and approval of State budget uses; scrapped ground-breaking or inauguration ceremonies; cancelled or suspended unnecessary or ineffective projects; reduced 1,166 personnel on the payroll; and cut the number of non-business public units to 26 from 36, according to the MoF’s report delivered by Minister Ho Duc Phoc.

The MoF also asked localities to save over 10% of their regular expenditure and 70% of trip- and conference-related expenses during 2020 - 2021.

Across the country, about 350 trillion VND in the State budget spending was saved and six district-level and 546 communal-level localities were cut. Up to 74,443 people were removed from the State payroll during 2015 - 2020.

Army Games 2022: Vietnam’s tank team to race in semifinals on August 24

The tank team of Vietnam will compete with rivals from China, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan in Group 2 of the “Tank Biathlon” semifinals at the ongoing Army Games 2022 on August 24.

Their competitions will begin at 11am (Moscow time) at the Alabino training ground in Russia’s Moscow region.

Meanwhile, the teams of Russia, Belarus, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan in Group 1 will compete at 11am (Moscow time) on August 23.

In the semifinals, each team will consist of three pools with three members each.

Association brings together Vietnamese youths, intellectuals in US

The 10th edition of a networking event marking its decade, hosted by the Association of Vietnamese Professionals and Students in the US, wrapped up on August 21.

Themed “10 years and beyond”, the three-day programme featured an array of activities, including a startup competition, a vocational workshop, football matches and art performances.  

At a recent gala, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung congratulated the association on its achievements, especially in connecting Vietnamese youths and intellectuals in the US together who have served as a bridge promoting Vietnam – US comprehensive partnership.

The association was founded on June 1, 2013, and became a registered non-profit organisation in Massachusetts state on March 3, 2014. It now groups more than 35,000 members throughout the US.

Vietnam backs increasing ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership: minister

Vietnam consistently supports the strengthening of the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership, affirmed Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam on August 22 at the 2nd ASEAN-Russia Consultations of the High Representatives for Security Issues.

At the virtual event, Lam stressed that given that the world's political-security landscape is undergoing profound changes, ASEAN continues to promote its central role in regional cooperation and is a responsible partner of the international community.

Over the past three decades, ASEAN and Russia have maintained a good relationship on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation for peace, stability and development, he noted.

To further strengthen such ties, the official suggested Russia actively participate in ASEAN-hosted forums, support the bloc’s centrality and efforts to promote dialogue, cooperation, and response to emerging challenges, particularly regarding maritime and aviation security and safety in the region.

He recommended Russia support ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea issue as well as its efforts to build an effective, efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in the waters in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Lam stressed the sides should step up collaboration in traditional security issues and new challenges such as terrorism, and organised, transnational, and high-tech crimes.

He said ASEAN and Russia should also study expanding the sharing of professional information between their law enforcement agencies, and build a mechanism to coordinate ASEAN-Russia relations at ministerial level in combating terrorism and transnational crime.

The minister added that it is necessary for the sides to boost consultations towards the signing of the Protocol to the Treaty on The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, and coordinate to effectively implement their statement on Cooperation against Illicit Drugs Trafficking and their dialogue mechanism on IT security issues.

Lam stated that Vietnam pledges to do its best to act together with ASEAN member countries and Russia in response to challenges for a region of peace, stability and sustainability and a drug-free ASEAN.

Health Ministry issues monkeypox monitoring guidance

The Ministry of Health on August 22 issued temporary guidelines for monitoring and preventing monkeypox amid complicated developments of the disease.

Accordingly, people have their temperatures checked at border gates to detect cases of monkeypox.

Monitoring measures at border gates also include supervising medical quarantine officers.

People with suspected symptoms should be placed into temporary isolation for further testing, and transferred to medical facilities for treatment where necessary or self-monitor their health over 21 days from the date of entry.

People who enter Vietnam from countries or regions with cases of the disease are also required to self-monitor for 21 days, and those displaying symptoms such as a rash, headache, fever, chills, sore throat, malaise, fatigue or swollen lymph nodes should attend a medical facility immediately.

The ministry also requested increased surveillance in the community and at health facilities to detect suspected cases.

To prevent monkeypox from spreading, it recommended avoiding close contact with people who have or are suspected of having the disease; and frequently wash hands with soap and clean water or hand sanitizer, among other measures.

Vietnamese students pocket medals from int'l astronomy-astrophysics olympiad

Vietnamese students won one silver, five bronze medals and one consolation prize at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), said the Hanoi Department of Education and Training on August 22.

Vietnam’s delegation to the competition comprised nine students from physics-specialised classes of the Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted in Hanoi.

The student who won the silver medal was Bui Gia Nhat Minh (grade 11). Five bronze medals, meanwhile, went to Do Quynh Anh (grade 10), Nguyen Duc Hiep (grade 11), Tran Quang Minh Duy (grade 10), Vu Hoang Quoc Bao (grade 10), and Nguyen An Loc (grade 10). Nguyen Manh Hung (grade 10) earned the consolation prize.

The 2022 International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics took place in Georgia from August 14-22 with the participation of students from 60 countries and territories.

It is an annual international science competition for high school students organised to honour the role of astronomy and astrophysics. This is also an opportunity for students from other countries and territories to enhance exchanges.

ASEAN Football Federation Cup 2022: Vietnam, Thailand top seeded

Vietnam and Thailand - the two most recent champions - have been freshly taken by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) as the top seeds of two separate groups for its 2022 Cup slated for December 23, 2022, to January 15, 2023.

Meanwhile, Indonesia and Malaysia are No.2 seeds, Singapore and the Philippines No.3, and Myanmar and Cambodia No.4.

The No.5 seed group will comprise Laos and Timor Leste or Brunei.

According to the AFF’s latest announcement, the draw ceremony will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on August 30.

Ten teams will be divided into two groups. In the qualifying round, each team will play two home and two away ones.

This year, AFF Cup has a new sponsor, and is renamed as AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022.

Hanoi contest seeks creative space, design initiatives

The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the University of Industrial Fine Arts on August 22 launched a contest to seek new and unique ideas in creative spaces, designs and products for Hanoi.

The contest is expected to create an impetus to form a creative economy, thus contributing to realising the target to turn Hanoi into an innovation hub in Southeast Asia, and the world's destination of knowledge and creativity.

In 2019, Hanoi became an official member of the UNESCO's Creative Cities Network in the field of design. The municipal authorities always create favourable conditions to raise the bar for the design and creativity fields, and promoting community engagement to gradually realise its creative initiatives.

Cheap plane, train tickets to tourist destinations offered on National Day

Prices of plane and train tickets to tourist destinations for coming National Day (September 2) holiday have cooled down, and many are still available.

With the four-day holiday (September 1-4) one week away, people still have chances to choose their favourite destinations.

Specifically, for flights on September 1 on Hanoi – Nha Trang route, Vietnam Airlines offers one-way tickets from 1.7 million VND (73 USD) while Vietjet Air sells at 1.5-2.4 million VND (inclusive of tax and fees) and Bamboo Airways over 2 million VND.

On Hanoi – Da Nang route, passengers could fly Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways or Vietjet two-way at prices of more or less than 2 million VND, inclusive of fees.

From September 2, many cheaper tickets will be available at below 1 million VND one-way.

During the holiday, Vietnam Airlines will offer over 400,000 seats on domestic routes, up over 50% from 2019.

The Vietnam Railways Corporation also plans to increase trains during the holiday at prices only 77-84 percent of those offered during peak time in summer.

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