The People’s Committee of Da Lat city, the Central Highlands of Lam Dong, opened a flower space around Xuan Huong Lake and the 2022 international flower Exhibition on December 17.

They are part of the ongoing Da Lat Flower Festival, said Nguyen Van Son, Vice Chairman of the Da Lat People’s Committee.

The flower space around Xuan Huong Lake shows more than 500,000 pots of nearly 100 kinds of flowers. Meanwhile, on the display of the 2022 international flower exhibition are works on flowers, ornamental and bonsai trees.

The flower space and flower exhibition will last until January 3, 2023.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to pay State visit to Indonesia

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled to lead a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam on a State visit to Indonesia from December 21 to 23.

The visit will be made at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister wraps up successful Europe trip

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Hanoi on December 16 afternoon, concluding a successful trip to Europe during which he attended a commemorative summit in celebration of ASEAN-EU relations, and paid official visits to Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium from December 9-15.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Hanoi on December 16 afternoon, concluding a successful trip to Europe during which he attended a commemorative summit in celebration of ASEAN-EU relations, and paid official visits to Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium from December 9-15.

In his tour, PM Chinh engaged in more than 60 bilateral, multilateral and community activities. In addition to talks and meetings with almost all senior leaders of Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, he held 14 meetings with leaders of the European Union, as well as ASEAN and EU member states.

He also attended business and investment forums, received leaders of leading European enterprises, and spent time meeting and talking to the Vietnamese communities in the three countries.

The Government leader’s activities have contributed to effectively implementing the Party's foreign policy on improving the efficiency of external affairs and international integration, and promoting multilateral diplomacy and economic diplomacy for the development of the country; as well as the policy on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new situation.

World Arabic Language Day marked in Hanoi

The University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi and the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 16 to celebrate the World Arabic Language Day (December 18).

A contest of eloquence in Arabic and an exhibition on the Arabic culture were also organised.

Speaking at the event, ULIS Rector Dr. Do Tuan Minh said known as one of the six languages spoken in the United Nations, Arabic is the language of the Koran and the official language of 25 countries and is spoken by more than 500 million people around the world.

The UNESCO’s designation of December 18 as the World Arabic Language Day in 2012 is the recognition of the role of the Arabic language in the formation and development of human culture, he said.

According to the Rector, ULIS has taught the Arabic language since 1996 and celebrated the Day since 2016. The ceremony and the contest provided lecturers, students and Vietnamese people with a chance to understand more about the Arabic culture in general as well as the country and culture of Saudi Arabia, the biggest economy in the Middle East.

In his speech, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlwy expressed his wish to enhance cooperation with Arabic language training establishments in Vietnam, especially ULIS – the first educational establishment in Vietnam to teach Arabic.

He was also delighted to announce the embassy’s aid to the ULIS’s Faculty of Arabic Culture and Language to compile and print the first Arabic-Vietnamese dictionary to serve students, teachers and Vietnamese people living and working in Arabian countries.

Sri Lanka Ambassador awarded with friendship insignia

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Vietnam Prasanna Gamage has been awarded with the insignia “For Peace, Friendship among Nations”, the most noble distinction of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), in recognition of his dedication to traditional friendship and solidarity between the two peoples.

During a ceremony held by VUFO in Hanoi on December 16, VUFO President Nguyen Phuong Nga said during his tenure of more than three years in Vietnam, ties between the two countries have been growing despite COVID-19. Two-way trade hit 460 million USD last year.

Vietnam backed Sri Lanka’s run for a seat at the Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026 tenure while Sri Lanka supported Vietnam’s candidacy as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure, she said.

Ambassador Gamage, for his part, actively joined activities held by VUFO and the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association such as a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and delivering Vietnamese people’s relief aid to Sri Lanka during its economic crisis.

In his speech, he pledged to continue popularising Vietnam’s images to international friends and believed that on the back of their past achievements, ties between the two nations will go from strength to strength in various spheres.

Front leader congratulates Xuan Loc Diocese on Christmas

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien on December 16 visited Xuan Loc Diocese in Long Khanh city of southern Dong Nai province to offer Christmas greetings to Catholic bishops, priests and followers in the locality.

The Front leader praised the contributions of local Catholic dignitaries and followers to the province's socio-economic development and the new-style rural area building movement, helping Dong Nai to become one of the leading localities in this field.

For his part, Bishop of the Xuan Loc Diocese Do Van Ngan vowed to call on over 1 million Catholic followers in the dicocese to work together to build a civilised and developed homeland and country.

Quang Ninh seeks to further beef up cooperation with Chinese city

The People's Committee of the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh and the administration of Fangchenggang city in the Chinese province of Guangxi held their first virtual meeting on December 16.

The meeting was part of an agreement signed between the two sides in February this year.

At the event, representatives of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province and the administration of Fangchenggang city discussed a number of issues, aiming to further promote the fruitful cooperation between Quang Ninh and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in general, and the city of Fangchenggang in particular.

The two sides presented a number of proposals to further promote external affairs, friendship and people-to-people exchanges; cooperation in the health sector, coordination in COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as building a flexible mechanism for controlling the pandemic at border gates.

Vietnamese writers honoured for understanding of Poland

Nine outstanding contestants of this year's Wikipedia writing contest have been recognised by the Polish Embassy in Hanoi for their efforts in boosting understanding of Poland.

The awards ceremony took place on December 15, and Dang Thu Trang, from Hanoi, won the first prize of 10 million VND for her 120 pieces about Poland and its people.

Tran Minh Duc received the second prize of 5 million VND for his 87 articles, and Nguyen Hong Nam received the third prize of 3 million VND for his 48 articles.

In addition, the Embassy gave out six consolation prizes, each worth 1 million VND.

Third Secretary of Economic Affairs of the Polish Embassy in Vietnam Alexander Nowakowski said: "Chopin, Marie Curie, the "Kazik" architect in Vietnam – all Poles – are well-known, yet many more Poles remain unnoticed. Thanks to the contest, more Poles are known, increasing the friendship between Poland and Vietnam."

Officials send Christmas greetings to Archdiocese of Hue

Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs on December 16 visited and congratulated the Archdiocese of Hue in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas season.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang presented gifts and wished Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh together with Catholic dignitaries, priests, and followers a warm and happy Christmas holiday.

Thang hailed the Catholic community for standing side-by-side with local authorities and people from all walks of life in socio-economic development as well as actively joining social welfare movements.

Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh said that in the coming time, the Archdiocese of Hue and the Catholic community will continue partnering with the provincial authorities and people for national development.

HCM City cracks down on illegal sand mining

The HCM City People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with relevant agencies and local authorities to strengthen patrols and resolutely deter illegal sand mining in the city.

The city’s economy had been on track to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, and infrastructure development and renovation of old apartments have led to high demand for sand for construction.

The city has even stopped greenlighting sand mining for the last 10 years. Meanwhile, sand exploitation permits are issued in a limited way in other provinces.

However, illegal sand mining along the city's rivers continues to increase, causing loss of natural resources and environmental pollution. In addition, many who see the large profits that can be earned from illegal sand mining are willing to ignore legal regulations.

Hot spots of illegal sand exploitation in the city are along the Đồng Nai, Tắc and Sài Gòn rivers in Củ Chi District, and the coastal areas in Cần Giờ District.

Illegal sand miners normally work in bordering areas between districts late at night, when rivers are deserted. They use large-capacity pumps to mine sand and quickly transfer this volume to smaller boats for distribution.

Programme aims to improve foreign language skills among children, youngsters

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has signed a decision approving a programme to improve foreign language skills among Vietnamese children and youngsters in the 2022-2030 period, with the aim of equipping them with the abilities necessary to promote international integration.

At least 10 million people aged 6-30 are expected to engage in and benefit from the programme by 2030.

Under the programme, chapters of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union at all levels nationwide should conduct at least one activity to raise public awareness about learning and practicing foreign languages, especially English, to promote international integration among young people.

By 2030, at least one foreign language and international integration club is planned for every university, college and high school, and at Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union committees at provincial and district levels.

Eight teams to vie for seven-a-side football title

The second Việt Nam Super Cup for seven-a-side football (VSC-S2) will be held on December 16-18 at Hà Nội's Hoàng Mai District Stadium.

Eight clubs have advanced to the final round after four qualifications held in the last two months.

They will play in a knock-out format to crown a champion.

After a draw on December 13, FC Mobi (Hà Nội) will play Olympic Gym (Khánh Hòa); VIB Sài Gòn (HCM City) will meet Tư Lửa Cửa Tùng (Quảng Trị); Anh Quyên FC (Đà Nẵng) will face FC Bảy Núi (An Giang); and Đắk Lắk Lottery will take on FC Du Lịch (Lào Cai).

The four winners will advance to the semi-finals.All matches will be live aired on VTVcab channels and platforms.

Quang Tri: 119kg wartime bomb successfully handled

The PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN), the first US NGO licensed to operate in the search and clearance of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in Vietnam, said it has successfully handled a 119kg MK81 bomb left from the war discovered in the central province of Quang Tri.  

The high-explosive, aircraft bomb was detected by Ho Van Thanh, a resident in Huong Hoa district, when doing farm works.

Informed of the explosive found at a depth of 15cm, a PTVN mobile mine clearance team quickly arrived at the scene. They then moved the bomb, with a diameter of 230mm and a length of 1.88m, to a place for detonation.

The PTVN operates in the central region to support communities and people severely affected by the consequences of war via humanitarian actions and development assistance. Between 1995 and now, the organisation has handled over 140,000 explosives, cleared over 2,200 hectares of land, educated over 180,000 people on mine accident prevention, built kindergartens, and aided victims and their families.

Front leader extends Christmas greetings to Phan Thiet Diocese

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien visited and sent Christmas greetings to the Episcopal Palace of Phan Thiet Diocese in Phan Thiet city, the central province of Binh Thuan, on December 16.

Chien, who is also Secretary of the Party Central Committee, wished Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung, priests, monks, nuns, and the entire Catholic community a merry Christmas, good health, and a new year full of good lucks and achievements.

He highly valued the enormous contributions by the Episcopal Palace of Phan Thiet Diocese, priests, and Catholic followers to the local socio-economic development and the great national solidarity bloc, including in the COVID-19 combat and environmental protection.

The official expressed his hope that the bishop, other dignitaries, and followers in the diocese will continue joining hands with the local administration, other religions, and people from all social strata to actively support patriotic emulation movements, thereby helping with the socio-economic development, political stability, and defence - security safeguarding.

At the meeting, Bishop Joseph Hung spoke highly of the Party, State, and authorities’ attention to Christmas – a major holiday of the Catholic community, noting that the Party, State, and all-level authorities have always created favourable conditions for the Episcopal Palace of Phan Thiet Diocese to perform duties and develop.

All illegal fishing activities to be punished strictly: deputy minister

Vietnam will investigate and handle all cases of the country’s fishing vessels being arrested by foreign countries, strictly punish all acts related to illegal fishing in the foreign waters and name them on the mass media, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Tien admitted the fact that there remain a small number of Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessels still illegally fishing in foreign waters.

To put an end to this phenomenon, the heads of local Party committees and authorities at all levels should uphold the sense of responsibility in leading and directing the combat against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Localities should quickly calculate the number of fishing vessels, complete the issuance of licenses as well as the installation of monitoring equipment, and the update of vessel data into the National Fisheries Database (Vnfishbase) as regulated to meet the requirement of information search and boat management.

Pandemic communications campaign reaches over 60 million people

A nine-month communications campaign launched by Vietnam’s Health Ministry, UNICEF, and WHO about  the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control has reached more than 60 people in the country.

The ‘Safe Journeys’ launched in March 2022 aims at strengthening the awareness of the importance for all in Vietnam to comply with preventive practices, including vaccination.

Speaking at the campaign finale celebration on December 16, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that the Government  has mobilised resources to speed up the vaccination - a decisive measure to realise the country’s policy of “safe adaptation, flexible and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

So far, more than 265 million doses of vaccines were administered safely in Vietnam, making it one of the countries with the highest vaccination coverage in the world.

Nearly 90% of the population aged 18 and more have received the fourth dose, more than 90% of children aged from five to under 12 the first,  and nearly 70% of the children the second.

Communications work greatly contributed to the positive results of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-outs, Huong said, calling the campaign a good example.

During the campaign, short videos and infographics were posted on the Facebook pages of the Health Ministry, UNICEF in Vietnam, WHO in Vietnam, and those with millions of followers.

“Looking Beyond” showcases amazing Earth artworks

The opening ceremony of the “Looking Beyond” exhibition, organised by the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with Hoa Sen University and Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC), was held in the southern metropolis on December 16.

The event witnessed the presence of Enrico Padula, consul general of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as delegates, experts, press agencies, and a large number of students and visitors.

“Looking Beyond” is promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy along with the Italian Space Agency and Telespazio/e-Geos to celebrate National Day of Space on December 16.

At the exhibition, visitors have the chance to admire a range of amazing artworks of the Earth captured by COSMO-SkyMed constelation. Indeed, these satellites are at the forefront of radar technology, providing the highest quality and precision images required for Earth observation, regardless of weather conditions.

Each artworks are impressive and captivating, capturing the life of a city, the activity of a volcano, the history of a lake or a glacier, a desertification process, and revealing to visitors the existence of “hidden” places.

The highlight of the exhibition are two remarkable photos of Hanoi and the Mekong Delta provided by the VNSC that illustrate the applications of satellite images in remote sensing and disaster preventions in the country.

The exhibition will be open to public from 09.00 a.m. to 21.00 p.m., including on Saturday and Sunday, from December 16 to January 7, 2023, at Hoa Sen Universtiy’s main campus and Thanh Thai Campus.

Safe Journeys campaign successfully concludes in Vietnam

UNICEF, the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly held a celebration for the Safe Journeys campaign to wrap up nine months of work to publicise the importance of COVID-19 preventive measures in Vietnam.

After nine months of implementation across the country, the Safe Journeys campaign achieved impressive results in the media and on social networks, positively contributing to the government’s COVID-19 strategy of "Safe adaptation, flexible and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Many of the key messages of the campaign were amplified and well received by the public through various platforms, including TV and radio talk shows, along with newspaper articles and social media posts. Notably, more than 60 million people have accessed the contents and over five million interacted with them on Facebook.

Deputy Minister of Health Assoc. Prof. & Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong emphasised that the Vietnamese Government has used all of its resources to accelerate the immunisation campaigns against COVID-19 and consider it to be an important and decisive step in its plan.

By December 2022, more than 265 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide, placing Vietnam among the countries with the highest vaccine coverage worldwide.

Furthermore, 100% of the population aged 12 and above have already received the first and second doses of the vaccines, while more than 80% of people aged 18 and above have got their third dose. In addition, 90% of vulnerable people have been given a second COVID-19 booster shot, their fourth dose in total.

The rate of children aged between five and 12 who have received their first dose stands at 90%, with the second dose being 70%.

Former imperial city of Hue to host New Year 2023 countdown

The former imperial city of Hue in central Vietnam will organise a countdown programme to ring in the New Year, according to a statement released on December 16 by the municipal government.

The art programme will begin from 19:00 p.m. on December 31 and will conclude at 00:20 a.m. on January 1, 2023, at the intersection of Hung Vuong street.

Truong Dinh Hanh, vice chairman of the Hue administration, revealed that the art scheme is part of events to mark the conclusion of the Hue Festival 2022 and to unveil the tentative programme for Hue Festival 2023, including Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 which is slated to run from April 28 to May 5, 2023.

Along with a firework display, the countdown party is expected to attract the participation of famous local singers and artists such as Trong Hieu, Trinh Thang Binh, BigDaddy, Emily, Ngoc Kayla, and DJ EMMA, as well as between 8,000 and 12,000 locals and tourists.

Organisers hope the programme will help popularize Hue as a typical city of festivals, an ASEAN Cultural City, and a clean ASEAN tourist city. It will also contribute to elevating the image of the former imperial city of Hue to international tourists.

Aussie Study Day to kick off in Hanoi in January 2023

Aussie Study Day will be held at Chu Van An High School in Hanoi on January 4, 2023, offering local students the chance to learn about Australia and pursue high education at prestigious Australian universities.

The event will involve the attendance of representatives from several Australian universities, including Adelaide University, Australian National University, Melbourne University, Monash University, New South Wales University, Queensland University, Sydney University, and the University of Western Australia.

Participating students will also be given the chance to hold exchanges with education experts and Vietnamese alumni to learn more about Australia’s latest immigration and curriculum policies, to gain an insight into a new life, and to review attractive scholarship offers.

Aussie Study Day will be co-organised by the Vietnamese Australian Students Association, the United Associations of Vietnamese Students in New South Wales, Australia (UAVS-NSW), and the Vietnamese Student Association.

First national ginseng festival to be held in August 2023

The central province of Quang Nam is scheduled to hold the first national Ngoc Linh ginseng festival in Nam Tra My district from August 1 – 3, authorities said in a recently issued statement.

During the festival, the organizers plan to announce a decision to establish the Vietnam Ginseng Association, the Vietnam Ginseng Usage Day, and the National Ginseng Programme. They will also host seminars on ginseng quality, ginseng heritage, ginseng security, as well as policies to develop national ginseng.

In addition, the organisers will launch a contest on Ngoc Linh ginseng on the Internet and a photo contest about Quang Nam’s medicinal herbs, coupled with a number of sport and tourism activities.

The first National Ginseng Festival is expected to popularize Ngoc Linh ginseng brand domestically and internationally, promote the value of Ngoc Linh ginseng (Vietnamese ginseng), and create a unique tourism product to attract tourists to Quang Nam.

The district of Nam Tra My has so far organized the Ngoc Linh ginseng festival four times on a local scale, attracting thousands of visitors to come and buy products.

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