A carton recycling initiative will be piloted in Ho Chi Minh City from August 2022 to March 2023, aiming to collect and fully recycle 3,000 tonnes of used beverage cartons into new products, such as paperboard and eco-friendly roofing materials.

The initiative will be carried out by the Packaging Recycling Organisation Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) in collaboration with Sweden-based food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak and Circular Action.

What makes this pilot programme different from its previous projects lies in its partnership with PRO Vietnam and the use of digital solutions from Circular Action to manage carton collection, according to Barcas.

It also intends to help improve income for informal waste collectors and accelerate the growth of circular economy in the country, Trai said.

It will raise awareness of the waste collectors and engage them in collecting cartons at source. They will not only gain profits from selling the used cartons to recyclers but also receive financial support from the programme based on the volume of the cartons they collect.

Storm Ma-on slams mainlands of Hai Phong, Quang Ninh

According to the latest weather news of the National Center for Hydrology Meteorology Forecasting, storm Ma-on slammed the mainland of Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province triggering heavy rain, gale-fore wind and lightning at 7 a.m. on August 25. 

In the waters around 450 kilometers east of Mong Cai, Quang Ninh Province, the gale-force wind near the eye of storm Ma-on strengthened into levels 10 to 11 (89-117km an hour).

Under the influence of the storm's circulation, the city of Hai Phong braced for thundery downpours badly submerging streets. Amid the bad situation, all vessels are required to anchor at the shore. 

According to information from the weather forecasting agency, Ma-on, which is the third storm of this year’s hurricane season hitting the East Sea, mainly moves west north-westward at a maximum speed of 30 kilometers.
 
From this afternoon, the area in the Gulf of Tonkin including Bach Long Vy and Co To island districts will face blustery winds of levels 6-10, big waves and rough sea. 

Severe rainfalls between 100 mm and 250 mm will be likely to pour down the Northern region and Thanh Hoa Province from this afternoon throughout the night of Friday. 

In the next 12-24 hours, it is predicted that Ma-on will continue to move west-northwestward at a speed of around 30 kilometers and then it will gradually weaken into a tropical depression and a low-pressure zone in the Northern mountainous area. 

Cambodia agrees to border casino inspections

Cambodia and Vietnam are co-operating on border casino inspections following the escape of 42 trafficked Vietnamese workers.

An Giang Province Police Department Director Dinh Van Noi said initial investigations into the escape of 42 Vietnamese workers from a Cambodian casino showed that they had been trafficked into Cambodia.

"We’ve so far found four human trafficking rings funneling people into Cambodia that are operating in certain localities," he said. "We've arrested and prosecuted two people for illegally sending workers to Cambodia in this case."

The official added that all 40 workers were released on August 23 after some days of staying at a centre to help the investigation.

"I've also worked with the director of Kandal Provincial Police Department in Cambodia on the trafficking of Vietnamese to Cambodia, and the ill-treatment of Vietnamese workers in Cambodian casinos," he said. "We've agreed on continued co-operation in the investigation into human trafficking cases between the two countries. We’ll also conduct checks into all casinos in Cambodia and discover how many Vietnamese without legal working permits are working there. The embassies of the two countries will then organise the return of all these workers to Vietnam."

There are several casinos in the Cambodian provinces of Kandal and Takeo which lie next door to Vietnam's An Giang Province.

VN player cruises into quarter-finals of Bangkok Open Challenger ATP 50

Vietnamese representative Ly Hoang Nam progressed to the quarter-finals of the Bangkok Open Challenger ATP 50 after recording a hard-fought win over eighth seed Illya Marchenko on August 24 in Thailand.

The Ukrainian player went on to dominate the first set and easily beat Nam who is in 308th place 6-4. However, the Ho Chi Minh City-born athlete edged out Marchenko to win 6-1 in the second set.

The third set saw 25-year-old Nam sustain his physical strength to overwhelm his Ukrainian rival 7-5. The match concluded after two hours and 34 minutes, sending Nam to the quarter-finals. 

Nam earned an additional nine points after the game and got closer to the world’s top 300.

Moving into the quarter-final round, the Vietnamese player is set to face No. 1 seed Gray Alastair of the UK, who currently ranks No. 256 in the world.

Bangkok Open Challenger ATP 50 is taking place in Thailand from August 22 to August 27, with total prizes of up to US$37,520 on offer.

Vietnamese tourism accompanies WWF in reducing demand for elephant ivory

The tourism promotion activities in Vietnam will be interwoven with the message of reducing demand for elephant ivory and raising public awareness of environmental and wildlife protection.

The statement was made by Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Ha Van Sieu while receiving and working with World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam) to discuss a project on reducing ivory demand through the enhancement of law enforcement and responsible tourism practices on August 23.

At the working session, Vuong Quoc Chien, the manager of the elephant ivory programme under the WWF-Vietnam, said that with the project, WWF-Vietnam is expected to make the most of its partners’ understanding of tourism to develop and tailor messages and raise public awareness of wildlife and elephant conservation, thereby contributing to reducing poaching of elephants by reducing the supply and demand for ivory in the Asian market.

Initially, the project will focus on 5 provinces and cities of Vietnam including Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Hanoi. It will be carried out over a three-year period.

Can Tho, Lao province look to boost comprehensive cooperation

Officials of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Champasak province of Laos discussed measures to strengthen bilateral comprehensive cooperation during their meeting in Can Tho on August 24.

Le Quang Manh, Secretary of the Can Tho Party Committee, said the city will enhance more comprehensive cooperation activities with Lao localities in the coming time, including promoting the re-signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation with Champasak in the fields of politics, human resource training, investment - economic development, friendship and social security.

Can Tho will develop relationships with Laos's diplomatic missions in Vietnam to coordinate in organising friendship meetings, seminars, forums, seminars and cultural exchange events, he noted.  

Regarding investment, the city will also further expand investment and trade bonds with Lao partners; and create all conditions for businesses of the two sides to exchange information, conduct market research, and foster business and investment cooperation.

Lack of booster shots for children's vaccine rollout recorded in localities

Many localities decided to inject Moderna Covid-19 vaccine shots into adults instead of priority for children from five to 11 years old as the plan.

The reason was that the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is valid for a maximum of 30 days after it is got out of the freezer. In addition, vaccination deployment in many localities has encountered many difficulties causing the current lack of booster doses for children's vaccine rollout.

In the dispatch of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the unit had reportedly received aid and distributed nearly 9.2 million Moderna vaccine doses to localities to cover the booster shots for children from 6 to under 12 years old.

As regulations, only leftover vaccines would be allowed to inject into adults; however, based on the above-mentioned reasons, many localities proactively used booster shots to perform vaccination for adults, leading to a shortage of 274,000 doses for children in the second dose.

Quang Binh hosts ASEAN Plus Youth Volunteer Forum

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Youth Volunteer Forum and ASEAN Plus Youth Volunteer Award opened on August 24 in the central province of Quang Binh.

The four-day event was jointly organised by the National Committee for Youth in Vietnam (NCYV) and the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) with the aim of bringing together 50 volunteers from ASEAN member states and Japan.

The occasion is designed to offer an opportunity for ASEAN Plus Youth to exchange ideas and experience in volunteerism, as well as offering a platform in which to introduce the culture and people of the nation, as well as the country’s socio-economic development to international friends.

Outstanding individuals and organisations from ASEAN plus countries were also honoured at the event.

Vietnamese, Thai associations help to boost people-to-people exchange

The 11th annual joint meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association (VTFA) and the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association (TVFA) was held in Bangkok on August 24.

The two associations reviewed cooperation achievements over the past time and set out specific action plans in the time ahead.

The two associations agreed to organise more activities to boost exchanges between Vietnamese and Thai people and localities, and connectivity between businesses of the two countries.

A delegation of the Thai association is scheduled to visit Vietnam in September, aiming to enhance cooperation with its Vietnamese counterpart./.

National Archives Centre III receives more than 100 photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap

The National Archives Centre III under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ State Records and Archives Department has received 111 photos of legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap.

They were handed over by journalist Tran Hong at a ceremony held by the centre on August 24 on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19), National Day (September 2) and the general’s 111st birthday (August 25, 1911-2022).

The photos feature the general’s activities from 1986 to 2013 which are associated with the daily life stories of the commander of the Vietnam People’s Army. They include the one in which the general stood next to the statue of President Ho Chi Minh; he returned to the command bunker of the Dien Bien Phu campaign in 2004 and a photo of the general speaking at the Vietnam News Agency;

Colonel Tran Hong was born in 1947 in the central province of Ha Tinh. He started working as a press photographer at the Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper in 1973 until his retirement in 2010. During his carrier, Hong took thousands of pictures depicting unforgettable moments of soldiers on the frontlines and images of mothers who sacrificed for national independence.

HCMC to commercialize results of scientific-technological tasks

Saigon Hi-tech Park Labs (SHTP Labs) and the Institute for Computational Science and Technology (ICST – member of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology) have just signed a collaboration agreement to fulfill scientific-technological tasks of the city.

Accordingly, both partners will work together in researching, designing, simulating, and then manufacturing micro-mechanical components; mano-structured materials to be used in industrial production.

Recently, SHTP Labs and ICST have effectively co-performed scientific-technological tasks of HCMC such as designing and calculating the spectrum for gold nanoparticles via the quantum chemistry calculation method and comparing it with experiment; creating bipyramidal gold nanoparticles via the microwave method to be applied as anti-bacterial agent and products for dermatitis treatment.

Recommendations to solve shortages of medicines, medical supplies should be assessed: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demanded Acting Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan to consult with experts on solutions to handle the current shortages of medicines and medical supplies, thus giving appropriate and timely directions for this issue at medical examination and treatment facilities.

According to Document No. 514/VPCP-KGVX dated August 24, 2022, PM Chinh requested the Acting Minister of Health to carefully assess recommendations of experts in order to direct the implementation of proper solutions.

Previously, the Government Portal hosted a seminar on measure to address the shortages of medicines and medical supplies, during which participants pointed out causes of the shortages of medicines and medical supplies, and proposed solutions to the issue.

They underlined the need to assess the extent and situation of drug shortages at all levels from central health establishments to local facilities, and determine the cause of medicine shortages at each unit.

A number of contents related to medicine prices in the Pharmacy Law, and provisions of the Law on Bidding need to be considered, they said.

Hanoi, Giap Bat train stations to be relocated for urban railway line

The railway infrastructure of Hà Nội and Giáp Bát train stations will be relocated to make room for the Yên Viên-Ngọc Hồi urban railway line, according to the Transport Ministry.

In a written reply to Hà Nội voters’ question on the construction pace of the Ngọc Hồi station complex, the ministry said the Hà Nội People’s Committee will be the main investor of the Yên Viên-Ngọc Hồi line and will be responsible for the depot area of the line.

The transport ministry has instructed the Railway Project Management Board to hand over documents on the Yên Viên-Ngọc Hồi project to Hà Nội authorities to speed up the project.

As the Hà Nội and Giáp Bát stations will change from being national railway terminals to metro stations, the ministry will cooperate with authorities to relocate the national railway infrastructure at the two stations to make room for the Yên Viên-Ngọc Hồi project.

The first stage of the Yên Viên-Ngọc Hồi project was approved to be implemented from 2007 to 2017.

In 2017, adjustments to the project were approved, under which it will be carried out from 2017 to 2024. The project has a total investment of over VNĐ81.5 trillion (US$3.48 billion). 

Gov’t to submit amended Law on Land next month

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked relevant ministries to collect comments from Cabinet members, experts, scientists and finalize and submit the draft land law to the Government in September.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presides over the Cabinet meeting on legal building, Ha Noi, August 24, 2022

The Government chief made the request on August 24 while presiding over  the Cabinet meeting on legal building.

The new law must remove difficulties, free resources for development, streamline administrative procedures and avoid troublesome for people, businesses and organizations, Pham emphasized.

In addition, the content of the Law must be easy to understand, easy to implement, easy to monitor and inspect, serve to promote digitalization and IT application in land management, prevent corruption and negative behaviors.

Regarding the content on land access by foreign-invested economic organizations, the Prime Minister suggested the new law needs to cover regulations on limitations and management of access to key areas which are sensitive to national defense and security.

National badminton star enters World Champs quarter-finals

Female Vietnamese badminton player Vu Thi Trang enjoyed an impressive second-round win on August 24 to progress to the quarter-finals of the ongoing World Badminton Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

The second round match saw the Ho Chi Minh City native face off against 15th top seed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark on August 24.

Trang edged out Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark) 21-18 in the first set before being outperformed by the opponent 21-16 in the second set.

The Vietnamese representative went on to put in an outstanding performance in the third set and stunned the world No 14 21-18.

The 2-1 win sent Trang to the quarter-final round where she is scheduled to face Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, other Vietnamese players Nguyen Tien Minh and Nguyen Thuy Linh failed to advance after enduring defeats in the first and second rounds, respectively.

The 2022 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships began on August 22 and is scheduled to last through to August 28. All games are being held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Vietnam’s tank team finish 4th in Army Games semifinals

The Vietnamese team came fourth behind strong rivals from China, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan in Group 2 of the “Tank Biathlon” semifinals at the ongoing Army Games 2022 on August 24 in Russia.

This was the first time the Vietnam People's Army tank team have advanced to the semifinals in the category.

Overall, the team ran 13 rounds in 2 hours 10 minutes and defeated 19/24 targets, becoming the squad with the most goals shot down in the race.

Measures discussed to better protect women, children

It is necessary to strengthen the legal and gender education for women and children, while organising training courses for officials taking charge of gender issues to prevent child abuse, heard a conference held by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee in Hanoi on August 24.

VWU Vice President Ton Ngoc Hanh said that in order to protect women and children, in recent years, the union has set up networks and consultation teams to support the settlement of cases and issues related to women and children, while working closely with relevant authorised agencies in the field.

Currently, 60 out of 63 localities nationwide have signed coordination programmes with procuration agencies in the localities to protect the legitimate rights and interests of women and children.

In the 2018-2021 period, authorised agencies raise voice for 108 cases in different ways to protect children and women in line with law.

Two Vietnamese resorts receive 2022 International Tourism Awards

Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat in Ba Vi district of Hanoi, and Wind Boutique Resort in the southern city of Vung Tau, have recently been presented with the 2022 International Tourism Awards.

Honoured in the category of Best Wellness Resort, Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat is located in the middle of Ba Vi National Park on the outskirts of Hanoi that features a combination of French and typical Vietnamese architecture found in the countryside.

Some of the favourite experiences of tourists here include cycling through beautiful curvy slopes under the quiet splendor of nearby mountains and lush streams, as well as going hiking to immerse oneself in the unspoiled nature of the National Park.

Meanwhile, Wind Boutique Resort in the southern city of Vung Tau was named in the Best Boutique Resort category. The resort is situated roughly 12 minutes from Vung Tau beach and some 70 km from Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Indeed, the site features two outdoor swimming pools which offer mountain views.

Insignia presented to UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga presented the insignia “For Peace, Friendship among Nations” to UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen in Hanoi on August 24.

Speaking at the event, Nga congratulated Wiesen on fulfilling mission during her tenure in Vietnam and expressed deep thanks to her contributions to Vietnam on its way to sustainable development.

She emphasised that over the past 45 years since Vietnam’s entry to the United Nations (UN), the UN and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in particular have made important contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and global integration, especially in poverty reduction, fulfillment of Millennial Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, and response to global challenges such as climate change and COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the helm of Wiesen, UNDP worked closely with Vietnamese agencies and partners to successfully carry out the Country Programme 2017-2021, build another for 2022-2026 in which strategic orientations for development cooperation between UNDP and Vietnamese agencies were laid out.

Wiesen also directed UNDP to assist Vietnam in its role as ASEAN Chair 2020 and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, promoted Vietnam’s participation in the UN peacekeeping mission, women empowerment, awareness-raising campaigns about the UN and Vietnam's significant contributions to the UN work among Vietnamese youths.

Nga expressed her gratitude for Wiesen’s contributions to Vietnam’s COVID-19 response and recovery via strengthening medical system, recovering green economy, social welfare and digital transformation.

She wished that UNDP would continue supporting Vietnam and contributing to maintaining peace and sustainable development in the world.

Water conservation programme for three river basins launched

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in cooperation with WWF-Viet Nam, HEINEKEN Vietnam and local partners, has launched a partnership programme for water conservation in the basins of the Hồng (Red), Đồng Nai and Tiền River.

WWF-Vietnam said the programme would strengthen water resources management in these critical areas.

The partnership programme for ‘Water conservation in Xuân Sơn National Park of the northern Phú Thọ Province; Đồng Nai Culture and Nature Reserve in the southern Đồng Nai Province and Đồng Tháp Mười (Plain of Reeds) Ecological Reserve in Tiền Giang Province’ will be conducted over four years, with funding of VNĐ30 billion (US$1.3 million) from HEINEKEN Vietnam.

According to the plan, the ecosystems in these river basins will be restored, and forests replanted to maintain and improve their ability to regulate and supply water to local communities and support agricultural activities downstream.

It also aims to restore the integrity of the ecosystem and the biodiversity in the basin of these rivers, which is high on WWF-Viet Nam’s agenda.

The Red, Đồng Nai, and Tiền River basins have high biodiversity and economic value to the local communities.

However, the overexploitation of water, forest and land, the ineffective management of waste sources, and the impact of climate change have reduced the amount and the quality of water in these regions.  

Quang Nam vows tackle illegal gold mining

The central province of Quang Nam has decided to spend VND20 billion (USD862,068) to crack down on violations at Bong Mieu Gold Mine.

People’s Committee Chairman Le Tri Thanh issued a decision that funding would be provided to remove illegal gold mining across 368 hectares at the mine.
 
This is aimed to protect untapped gold resources, prevent illegal gold mining, and maintain security and order as well as environmental protection in the area. The task would be carried out between 2022 and 2024.

During the process, local authorities would have to level the site, collect wastewater and mud discharged into the environment by illegal mining activities, and grow trees.

Bong Mieu is Vietnam’s largest gold mine. In 2005, the Bong Mieu Gold Mining Co., Ltd. was approved to exploit the mine until 2016. After that, Quang Nam asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to shut the mine, but it was not until May this year that the ministry finally agreed on this.

Many people have prospected at the site in recent years, badly affecting the environment. Illegal gold miners in the area have been continuously driven away by Quang Nam authorities.

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