Bui Trong Quyen Anh and Ha Van Toan, deputy directors of the 34-05D auto registration and inspection center in Hai Duong Province, have been detained for allegedly taking bribes from vehicle owners.

The police apprehended Pham Van Nang, aged 39, director of Thien An Company in Hai Duong, and Nguyen Van Phuc, director of Car Alpha Company in Hanoi, last night, February 13, as they allegedly colluded with leaders of the auto testing center in the bribery case.

On February 9, the provincial police searched the 34-05D auto testing center in Lien Hong Commune in Hai Duong City for suspected violations of auto registration and inspection regulations.

The Hai Duong police are expanding the probe into the case, the local media reported.

On the same day, the police of Bac Kan Province filed charges against Tran Duc Duong, director of the Bac Kan 97-01D auto registration and inspection company, Hoang Huy Truong, deputy head of the company, and two technicians at the firm for allegedly taking bribes.

According to the investigation results, Duong directed his subordinates to take bribes and ignore technical errors and problems of vehicles from 2020 to 2022.

Over the past two months, the police have searched some 40 auto testing centers and pressed charges against more than 250 individuals at these facilities for taking and brokering bribes, falsifying documents, and manufacturing and trading equipment and software for illegal purposes.

Phong Nha among world’s top inspiring destinations for Valentine’s Day

Online hotel booking site Booking.com has listed Phong Nha cave in the central province of Quang Binh among the top seven most inspiring destinations across the world for Valentine’s Day.

According to the website, the landscape around Phong Nha features meandering blue rivers, rice paddies, and chiseled jungle-clad mountains.

“The neighboring Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains the oldest karst mountain in Asia, formed 400 million years ago, with a network of hundreds of colossal caves,” says Booking.com.

It notes that one of the best ways to experience this sublime countryside is by motorcycle, with Booking.com travelers voting Phong Nha as a top destination for motorcycling.

“Dirt roads have more recently been paved and back-roads widened, while off-road adventure is ripe for exploration to get off the beaten track and experience untouched Vietnam,” the website further elaborates.

It also stresses that local people are exceptionally friendly and are all too pleased to help travelers discover the culture and history of this stunning district. In addition, the many varied motorcycle tours enable visitors to meet fellow adventure-seeking travelers on their journey.  

The other inspiring destinations for couples on Valentine’s Day include Montevideo of Uruguay, Corralejo of Spain, Jasper of Canada, Starigrad of Croatia, Foz do Iguacu of Brazil, and Pompeii of Italy.

Police search auto testing center in HCMC

The HCMC police today, February 13, searched an auto testing center in Tan Binh District over suspected violations of vehicle inspection and registration regulations.

The police cordoned off the 50-05V auto inspection and registration center on Hong Ha Street for a search this morning.

In December last year, Vietnam Register suspended the operations of the auto testing center in An Phu Dong Ward, District 12, and its branch in Tan Binh District for three months for violating vehicle testing regulations.

However, the center was allowed to reopen on January 16.

The search came as the police of many cities and provinces have been probing allegations of giving and taking bribes and falsifying documents at auto testing centers and branch offices of Vietnam Register nationwide.

On February 9, the HCMC police searched a branch office of Vietnam Register in Vung Tau City and another in HCMC over their suspected violations of auto inspection and registration regulations.

To date, the HCMC police have detained 89 individuals working at auto testing facilities for taking bribes while on duty.

Three prosecuted for trading tiger skin

Police in Dien Chau District announced on Monday that they have prosecuted three men for violating the law on wildlife conservation and protection.

The three men included Truong Sy Hai, 53, Vu Van Thuong, 33, and Le Tuan Minh, 46, who are all residing in Dien Chau District.

Searching their place during the 2023 Tet Lunar New Year Festival, police found and seized nine tiger skins and a wild buffalo horn.

Police are further investigating the case.

Tigers are in demand in Vietnam for their meat, bones, and skin as some people believe that tiger-derived products can cure bone and joint illnesses.

According to the Education for Nature of Vietnam Organisation, illegal tiger farming has been taking place for a long time in Nghe An, mainly in the three districts of Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, and Quynh Luu.

Meanwhile, tigers and many other wild animals are strictly banned from being traded in, imported to or exported from Vietnam as they are on the list of endangered wildlife protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Transporting, trading, capturing or killing wild animals or parts is a criminal offense in the country and violators can face between six months and 12 years in prison.

2023 Red Spring Festival collects 11,708 blood units

The 16th Xuan Hong (Red Spring) Festival 2023 took place continuously for seven days, (from February 6 to 12) at seven venues in Hanoi, including the institute, agricultural general hospital, and the People’s Committee headquarters of Trau Quy town.

Previously, from February 1 to 5, the days responding to the Pink Spring Festival received over 4,000 blood units.

Thus, after nearly 2 weeks, the event welcomed over 12,000 attendees and received 11,708 blood units, not to mention hundreds of people who have donated platelets.

Associate Prof., Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said that now, people's awareness of donating blood has changed significantly, considering it as a sharing and a good deed in the community.

Although the Festival has ended, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion is always open to receive donated blood, especially now that it still needs more units of type O blood.

Vietnam attends first int’l meeting of political parties' newspapers in Cuba

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review Asso. Prof. Dr. Vu Trong Lam attended the first international meeting of political ideological magazines and newspapers of political parties, left-wing and progressive movements in Havana, Cuba from February 10-12.

The event was held by the Socialist Cuba magazine, a theoretical and political body of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), within the framework of the 31st Havana International Book Fair.

Addressing the opening session, head of the Ideological Department of the PCC's Central Committee Rogelio Polanco Fuentes underlined the importance of solidarity and ideological strength in non-traditional struggles and the challenges of today's world.

Attending the seminar “Socialism and Youth”, President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel called on leftist parties and movements to build a unity bloc without sectarianism and unity in diversity for a better world. The humanity needs a new international order with greater solidarity and social justice, he said.
 
The meeting adopted an action plan, including commitments to social justice, supporting unity in diversity, opposing unilateral coercive measures, especially embargoes; rejecting all acts of force against revolutionary or progressive movements in the world; advocating peace and dialogue, especially for a serious, constructive and pragmatic solution to the war in Europe by peaceful means through dialogue and negotiation.

The next meetings are scheduled to be held in Caracas, Venezuela in November 2023 and Havana in February 2024.

Vietnam People’s Army soldiers join search, rescue efforts in Turkey

A delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army, including 76 soldiers who bring with them six service dogs, arrived in Antakya city of Turkey’s Hatay province on February 13 evening (local time), to join search and rescue activities for earthquake-hit victims.

At the airport, the delegation talked to representatives from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority to learn about the needs of the host country.

Earlier, a 24-member team of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security engaged in search and rescue efforts in the Turkish southeastern city of Adiyaman, which is among the localities bearing the brunt of the earthquake, after they arrived in Istanbul International Airport on February 10.

As of 9pm on February 13 (Vietnam time), the deadly disaster had killed more than 37,000 people in not only Turkey but also Syria.  

According to the Vietnamese embassies in Turkey and Syria, so far, there was no information on Vietnamese citizens dead or injured in the disaster.

Bac Giang: Exhibition shows rich relic system of Tay Yen Tu

Nearly 500 artifacts and images of ancient pagodas and towers are on display at an exhibition that recently opened in the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex in the northern province of Bac Giang. The exhibition also includes images about the process of archaeological excavation at relics, vestiges of ancient religious works associated with Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect in Tay Yen Tu (West Yen Tu).

The exhibition, themed "The sacred Buddhist land of Tay Yen Tu - A thousand-year-old relic from the ground," was held by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of activities within the Bac Giang Culture-Tourism Week 2023.

The artifacts and images on display at the exhibition feature pagodas and towers built from the Ly – Tran Dynasties (11th-14th century), the Le Trung Hung (Revival Le) Dynasty (the 17th-18th century) and the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century) in five districts of Yen Dung, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan, Viet Yen and Yen The.

The organisers also introduced the detail of pagodas, relic sites and images on the process of archaeological excavation at relics, vestiges of ancient religious works associated with Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect in Tay Yen Tu. The exhibit reveals the size and scale of a Buddhist religion that thrived from the 11th to 14th century in the Tay Yen Tu area.

HCM City, German city look to step up engagements

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Germany’s Frankfurt have agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the localities across fields at their meeting in the southern economic hub on February 13.

Receiving acting mayor of the German city Nargess Eskandari-Grunberg, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai welcomed the inauguration of the city’s representative office in the city and pledged cooperation and best conditions possible for its operation in contribution to boosting the bilateral relations.

Mai stressed that in their past discussions, leaders of the two cities have agreed to foster engagements in trade, investment, education, digital transformation, and green energy transition.

HCM City has been making efforts to accelerate bilateral cooperation and to translate its collaboration agreements with other German localities into real-life projects, particularly in economy, commerce, and investment, he noted.

He suggested HCM City and Frankfurt team up in reviewing the implementation of their joint works and expand their scope to more sectors of common interest.

The Vietnamese metropolis wishes to learn from the German city’s experiences in planning and urban management, and foster bilateral collaboration in education, vocational training, and youth exchange.

For her part, Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg stated Frankfurt is willing to cooperate with HCM City in exchanging urban transport management experience exchange, education-vocational training, software development, and specialties introduction.

She informed his host that her delegation, while in the city, will attend the inauguration ceremony of the office, business networking events, and visit a number of local educational establishments.

Party chief congratulates Communist Party of Russian Federation on 30th anniversary

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong has sent a letter of congratulations to General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov on its 30th founding anniversary (February 14).

In his letter, General Secretary Trong wrote that over the past three decades, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has always firmly adhered to the Marxism-Leninism as an ideological foundation, been loyal to the interests of the working class, farmers, intellectuals and people, making significant contributions to the development of modern Russia and playing an important role in the global communist and workers’ movements.

The CPV always attaches importance to deepening the traditional friendship with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, thus strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, for the benefit of the two peoples and for peace and stability in the region and the world, he said.

He wished that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation would reap greater achievements in the cause of building socialism for prosperity and well-being of Russian people.

Vietnam, Japan ground self-defence forces boost ties

Vietnam always values the development of extensive strategic partnership with Japan, in which bilateral defence cooperation has made solid progress, said Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) and Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Tan Cuong on February 13.

Receiving Chief of the Ground Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide in Hanoi, Cuong, who is also permanent member of the Central Military Commission, said the Vietnamese Defence Ministry appreciates Japan’s cooperation and support in education-training, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, capacity improvement programme, and multilateral forums, especially in those led by ASEAN such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

Speaking highly of the outcomes of talks between Deputy Chief of the VPA’s General Staff Lieut. Gen Nguyen Van Nghia and the Japanese guest, Cuong affirmed that the Vietnamese Defence Ministry always supports and offers all possible support for the full and effective implementation of agreed cooperation contents, toward the practical and sustainable development of ties between the two ground defence forces.

During the talks, both sides vowed to continue promoting new cooperation areas of shared concern.

The Vietnamese side expressed readiness to continue effectively forging joint work such as the exchange of delegations, the UN peacekeeping mission, military medicine, cyber security, personnel training, search and rescue, and effective consultations between staff of the ground defence forces.

Vietnam calls for support from France in bolstering cooperation with EU

Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man on February 13 called for France’s support in order to strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union (EU).

At a reception for Mayor of France’s Le Havre city Édouard Philippe in Hanoi, Vice Chairman Man expressed his hope that through the visit, the French delegation will gain a better understanding of the culture, history, and people of Vietnam, and explore cooperation potential and opportunities between the two sides, especially in logistics and seaport services.

The legislator spoke highly of contributions by Philippe, in his capacity as Prime Minister of France for 2017-2020, and Le Havre’s Mayor and President of the Le Havre Seine Métropole urban community at present. He also spoke on promoting relations between Vietnam and France and the EU at large, especially after the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into force in 2020.

Vietnam and France hold substantial potential to step up collaboration across spheres, and raise their bilateral trade in the time ahead, he said, noting that Vietnam attaches importance to the partnership and comprehensive cooperation with the EU and its member countries.

Man called France a gateway for Vietnam to access Europe, and emphasised the country’s important role as a founding member of the EU in helping Vietnam foster its cooperation with the bloc.
 
The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-France diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

Man said he hopes that the two sides will complete the contents reached by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher this year, including the inauguration of the elevated section Hanoi’s metro line 3 and the organisation of a conference on cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities slated for April in Hanoi.

He called on the French city to continue assisting Vietnamese educational institutions in seeking new partners and helping Vietnam improve the capacity of officials and public servants while enhancing cooperation in priority areas like renewable energy, climate change response, and digital transformation.

The legislator suggested Philippe promote collaboration between Le Havre with Vietnamese localities and the Vietnam-France relationship as well as organise delegation exchanges.
 
Man noted his hope that the French Senate will soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), continue implementing the EVFTA and urge the EU to soon remove the “yellow card” on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

For his part, Philippe expressed his impression on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, saying the Vietnam-France relationship has been developing fruitfully and the two countries should work to deepen the partnership it in the time ahead.

The mayor said his visit aims to explore cooperation opportunities between Le Harve and Vietnamese localities, contributing to boosting the Vietnam-France relationship.

He affirmed France’s consistent and clear foreign policy in developing its cooperation with Vietnam, and that France backs the signing of the EVFTA which will facilitate economic development as well as political ties between the two sides.

The effective implementation of the agreement will bring pragmatic interests to people of both sides while helping to accelerate the ratification of the EVIPA by parliaments of EU member countries in the coming time, he said.

Vietnam, Bahrain hold political consultation, expand cooperation

Vietnam and Bahrain have agreed to ramp up bilateral cooperation in various fields at a political consultation during a working visit to Bahrain on February 11-12 by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Quang Hieu.

The political consultation was co-chaired by Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, undersecretary for international affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain.

They agreed that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Bahrain should closely coordinate and implement measures to improve the efficiency of their cooperation mechanisms, including increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and supporting each other at international and regional forums and organizations.

The two sides consented to encourage their businesses to strengthen connections, participate in trade and investment promotion activities to seek business opportunities, increase cooperation between the ASEAN - Bahrain Business Council and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and facilitate the import and export of key products into each other’s markets.

They also stressed the need to expand cooperation to other potential fields such as oil and gas, energy, tourism, logistics, the Halal industry, while at the same time negotiating and signing agreements to facilitate legal cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

While staying Bahrain, Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu also met with Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Crown Prince Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa who shared Bahrain’s economic cooperation strategy with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam.

The host affirmed that Bahrain will actively support ministries, agencies and businesses of the two sides to connect and explore cooperation opportunities.

Hieu for his part suggested that the Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to make inroads into Bahrain, and at the same time support Vietnamese enterprises to develop in Bahrain.

Meeting with Vice Chairwoman of the ASEAN - Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass, Hieu highly appreciated the council’s positive role in promoting economic relations between Bahrain and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, and suggested that the council continue to support business connection of the two sides. He invited Council members to visit Vietnam to meet explore cooperation and investment opportunities.

Feryal Abdullah Nass assured that the leadership of the council are very interested in the Vietnamese market, and affirmed that the council will actively coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and concurrently Bahrain to carry out business promotion activities in the near future.

Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu also met with representatives of Bahraini businesses and some Vietnamese businessmen living and working in Bahrain.

Vietnam consider playing friendly against Thailand in Hong Kong (China)

The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) has invited several national teams, including those from Thailand and Vietnam, to play a series of friendly matches in March.

According to details given by Pui Kwan Kay, chairman of the HKFA, the association will send invitations to three national teams from the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.

In the latest FIFA rankings, Hong Kong (China) were placed at 146th in the world, while Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore were placed 96th, 111st, and 158th, respectively.

The upcoming friendly matches will help Hong Kong (China) to prepare for the finals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup which is scheduled to get underway in Qatar in January, 2024.

The regional tournament will involve the participation of 24 teams, including Vietnam and those who made it to the third qualification round of the Asian zone for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Approval of sanctions for administrative violations is vital: NA Chairman

During the opening meeting of the 20th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ emphasised the importance of approving the draft Ordinance on Sanctions of Administrative Violations for the State Audit Office to enhance its performance.

According to Chairman Huệ, the draft has been in the works for a while and now is the right time to submit it to the Standing Committee for approval.

He also said that although there is a Law on Handling Administrative Violations, the approval of the latest draft is vital as it will close loopholes that are not yet fully regulated by law.

Chairman Huệ said that based on the standing committee's comments, the draft must be studied and perfected for promulgation.

He ordered the scope of the sanctions to be clarified.

NA Standing Committee’s Board for Deputy Affairs Nguyễn Thị Thanh praised the quality of the draft, as well as the efforts of the drafting and the verifying agency.

Under Article 13 of the draft, a fine between VNĐ20 million (US$847) and VNĐ30 million ($1,270) shall be imposed for concealing violations of the law on public finance and public property.

However, the regulation is not clear enough because the scope of concealing acts in public finance and public property are broad, she said.

Furthermore, as the fine amounts are still low, there must be clarification for the acts of concealment in each field, she said.

Lê Thị Nga, chairwoman of the NA’s Committee for Judicial Affairs, voiced concerns about regulations related to administrative violations in the field of State audit.

Clause 3, Article 9 stipulates fines of between VNĐ20 million ($847) and VNĐ30 ($1,270) million for the act of failing to provide information and documents to the State audit agency.

Clause 4, Article 9 stipulates a fine of VNĐ30 million ($1,270) to VNĐ50 ($2,120) million for refusing to provide information and documents to the State audit agency, Nga said.

It is necessary to specify more clearly what is defined as "not providing information and documents" and what is defined as  "refusing to provide information and documents", she said.

On behalf of the drafting agency, State Auditor General Ngô Văn Tuấn said that he would fully absorb the comments at the meeting.

Tuấn said the draft ordinance consists of five chapters and 21 articles. The State Audit Office of Việt Nam has coordinated with the NA’s Committee for Law, Finance and Budget, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Justice to carefully review the contents before submitting them to the NA Standing Committee.

All the NA Standing Committee members at the meeting agreed to assign the State Audit Office of Việt Nam and the NA’s Committee for Law to supplement and complete the draft and submit it to the NA Standing Committee for promulgation this month.

Allocating capital for socio-economic projects

The Minister of Planning and Investment submitted a proposal to the National Assembly Standing Committee to approve the allocation of funds for the projects under the Socio-economic 
Recovery and Development Program. The proposal covers 129 eligible projects worth approximately VNĐ14.7 trillion ($623 million). The proposal also includes increased funds for constructing four major transportation projects in 10 areas.

Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Finance and Budget Nguyễn Phú Cường said the committee agreed with the proposal in principle. However, they ordered agencies to review the deadlines for completing the projects and direct ministries, central agencies and localities to perform tasks and projects on time according to Resolution No 43/2022/QH15, he said.

For projects using local budget capital, localities have been told to comply with their commitments strictly, he said.

It must impose sanctions to deal with localities that fail to comply with commitments and fail to allocate enough capital for implementing projects this year, as required by Resolution No 43, he said.

He added that the committee approved increasing capital for ten localities to implement four major transport projects.

Vũ Hồng Thanh, Chairman of the NA's Committee for Economic Affairs, expressed his concern about the list of projects.

The list includes projects disbursed in 2024-25, while Resolution No 43 only stipulates the capital for disbursement projects for 2022-23.

In addition, the proposal to increase capital for four major transport projects also confused Thanh.

Thanh said the remaining amount of unallocated capital for the projects is large, so the capital disbursement this year following the spirit of Resolution 43 will not be feasible.

He said that it is necessary to clarify this issue and handle the capital appropriately, preparing a plan to harmonise the capital of the programme with public investment capital.

NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ ordered a review of the comments at the meeting. Projects that do not meet the criteria, as decided by the NA, will be excluded. If there are changes, they must be submitted to the NA for approval.

The session, held at the National Assembly House in Hà Nội, began on Monday and is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday. 

ChatGPT makes poems about top Agoda destinations on Valentine’s Day

Agoda has recently announced it commissioned AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT to compose unique poems about the top 14 searched destinations for Valentine’s Day.

Tokyo, Bangkok and Singapore are this year’s most popular Valentine’s Day getaways in Asia, global digital travel platform Agoda revealed. The others in the top 14 searched destinations include Da Nang in Vietnam.

Being the hot new thing, recently introduced chatbot ChatGPT already has millions falling in love with its capabilities. When asked by Agoda to channel its inner artificial intelligence-Shakespeare the chatbot composed lines like ‘From Pad Thai to Tom Yum Goong, Bangkok’s food has a taste that lingers on’ (Bangkok, Thailand), ‘With every visit, I’m captured whole, in this gem of India, I find my goal’ (Goa, India), and ‘Mount Fuji in the distance, a sight to behold. Tokyo, a city that never gets old’ (Tokyo, Japan).

Using ChatGPT to compose poetry may be a gimmick, but the artificial intelligence technology powering the chatbot is beyond promising, said Omri Morgenshtern, Chief Executive Officer of Agoda.

Lovebirds in the Asia Pacific are opting to spend time together in energetic cosmopolitan cities this Valentine’s Day, with eight of the top 10 destinations being city-based trips. Other destinations where cupid’s arrow meets its target include beach destinations like Bali, Goa, Đà Nẵng and Dubai. For each destination, Agoda asked ChatGPT to pay tribute in the form of a poem, which has then in some cases been translated by the chatbot to the destination’s local language.

Vietnam aims to have 1,800 vocational education facilities by 2025

Vietnam has set a target to have 1,800 vocational education facilities by 2025, including three national high-quality vocational training centres and six regional centres.

Such figures are part of a national plan for a network of vocational education facilities during the 2021-2030 period, with a vision for 2045, which was recently signed by Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang.

Under the plan, by 2020, Vietnam will have a network of vocational schools that is diverse and well distributed by sector and region, meeting the country’s development needs, especially for highly-skilled workers.

The proportion of private and foreign-funded vocational training facilities is expected to rise to 45% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. The plan also sets out a vision for 2045, when Vietnam’s vocational quality is among the top in ASEAN.

The number of students recruited by vocational schools will be around 2.5-2.7 million per year by 2025 and 3.8-4 million per year by 2030.

The Red River Delta region and the north-central and central coastal region each will account for 26% of the total number of facilities, followed by the south-eastern region with 17%.

The plan also outlines several measures to realise the aforementioned goals.

HCMC to open fine arts seminar in Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space

A fine arts seminar in Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space is expected to be debuted on February 21.

The seminar is organized by the Fine Arts Association of Ho Chi Minh City and it will take place at 218A Pasteur, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3 with the participation of experts in the field of fine arts such as painters, sculptors, critics and guests.

The fine arts seminar aims at promoting the inner resources of the artists, exploiting the characteristics of the land, culture and people towards a comprehensive development of the city's art.

At the event, the delegates will concentrate on the assessments on public art for the process of building Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space, sculptures in public space and development solutions associated with Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space and so on, thereby making solutions to develop fine arts in Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space in the city in particular and in the whole country in general.

Semi-wild environment created for 7 tigers in Quang Binh Province

The Management Board of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (Quang Binh Province) yesterday announced the province’s adjustment for the wildlife rescue area, including the section to nurture 7 Indochinese tigers.

Accordingly, the detailed planning area is located at km No.8 on 20 Quyet Thang Street in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (in Son Trach Commune). The new area covers 13,240m2 to accommodate various facilities, including a section of nearly 3,500m2 to care for 7 Indochinese tigers.

Director of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Pham Hong Thai informed that the provincial People’s Committee has just finetuned the cluster of the wildlife rescue center, giving more opportunities for these 7 tigers to grow up in a semi-wild environment, the first in Vietnam so far to allow the release of tiger.

This adjustment comes in time to suit the 7 tigers, which were rescued from Nghe An Province in August 2021 after a case of illegal wildlife sale being detected and eliminated. At that time, they were only 40 days old and some suffered from diarrhea, intestinal disease.

In Pu Mat National Park, after 8 months of care, the seven successfully recovered and gained weight. As they grew up, it is impossible for this park, normally used to take care of newborn tigers, to accommodate them.

Therefore, since March 23, 2022, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park has been the one in charge of these tigers. The seven, consist of 5 males and 2 females, are now over 100kg each. This National Park is urgently building a new and more spacious home for them to help them getting used to semi-wild behaviors.

All are now kept in an iron cage inside a primitive forest section quite far away from the population. Every day, their meal costs VND2.6 million each (US$110), taken from the provincial budget as well as the income of the National Park. Cameras are installed in each cage to monitor their health and behaviors.

Health insurance policies to cover Omicron infection treatment costs

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s latest circular, Covid-19 health insurance policies will also cover Omicron infection treatment costs.

The Ministry of Health has just issued Circular 02/2023 amending Circular 15/2016 regulating occupational diseases entitled to social insurance.

Accordingly, Covid-19 is included in the list of occupational diseases; thus, those who are infected with the disease due to the disease arising during the process of workers having to be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus present in the working environment are insured.

The circular clearly states that the causative factor is determined by one of the following documents including a record of occupational exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, files to send patients to epidemic areas for prevention, service and relief for people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus with unit leaders’ signature and other appropriate documents issued by competent state agencies, assessment of prescribed occupational exposure factors and minutes confirming exposure to harmful factors causing acute occupational diseases.

High Command to boost anti-IUU fishing communications on southwestern sea

In 2023, the Coast Guard Region 4 High Command will step up communications among fishermen in efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Coast Guard Region 4 is responsible for managing and enforcing law on the waters from the northern bank of the Dinh An estuary in Tra Vinh province to Cape Ha Tien in Kien Giang province of the Mekong Delta.

Col. Nguyen Van Dung, Political Commissar of the High Command, said the High Command will proactively grasp the situation, make timely proposals, effectively respond to circumstances emerging at sea, improve the combat readiness, and boost patrol and examination to combat crimes on the southwestern sea of Vietnam.

In particular, it is set to closely coordinate with Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, and Soc Trang provinces, along with central and local media agencies to step up disseminating laws and information about the legal and historical grounds testifying to Vietnam’s sovereignty over sea areas and islands, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; the 2012 Law of the Sea of Vietnam; the agreement on the historical waters between Vietnam and Cambodia; and the agreements on maritime delimitation between Vietnam and Thailand, and between Vietnam and Malaysia.

The High Command will also work with the press to increase the coverage of training activities, combat readiness, patrols and law enforcement at sea, sovereignty safeguarding, search and rescue, as well as the fight against IUU fishing, the official noted.

Music show to mark 80th anniversary of Party's first platform on culture

A special music show marking the 80th anniversary of the “Outline of Vietnamese Culture”, the first platform on culture launched by the Communist Party of Vietnam, is scheduled to be held at Hanoi Opera House on February 28 evening.

Themed “Outline of Vietnamese Culture – Historical imprints”, the 70-minute event will be directed by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong and conducted by the Department of Performing Arts.

It will see performances by artists of the Vietnam Contemporary Art Theater in collaboration with the Central Science and Documentary Film Studio, the Vietnam National Academy of Music, the Vietnam Dance Academy, the Ministry of Public Security’s drum troupe, the Ministry of National Defence’s ritual art troupe, the Hanoi University of Culture and the National University of Arts Education.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said it will be not only an art show but also a political and cultural event.

Picking Up the Pieces screened in US

A documentary titled "Picking up the Pieces" featuring Vietnam’s post-war reconstruction efforts has recently premiered in New York, the United States.

The screening of the film made by the Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) in 1978 coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and aimed to honour Cora Weiss, former chairwoman of the Board of Directors of DCTV. She was a famous peace activist, a close and long-time friend of Vietnam who participated in the anti-Vietnam war movement in the 1960s.

The film has helped international friends gain greater insights into the devastating consequences of the conflict in Vietnam. It also reflects the tremendous efforts made by the Vietnamese State and its people in overcoming the numerous difficulties they faced, as well as showing their spirit of solidarity, optimism, and faith to reconstruct the country.

At the event, ambassadors and head of delegations to the UN assessed that the film had also helped the international community learn more about the war consequences, and conflicts, thereby spreading the message calling for an end to war and striving for peace and development.

On the sidelines of the screening, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UN Dang Hoang Giang highlighted the contributions made by the film crew, Weiss, and other American friends who made practical and effective actions. The diplomat particularly thanked those who lobbied the public to voice opposition to the war in Vietnam in the past, and support the enhancement of mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples at present.

Vietnam puts people at centre of socio-economic development policies: diplomat

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, deputy head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), on February 13 emphasised the importance of putting the people at the centre of development policies, supporting vulnerable groups, promoting innovation in education and training, enhancing labourers’ capacity to self-learn and adapt to meet the requirements of the new context.

Addressing the 61st session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD61), held in New York from February 6-15, Nguyen affirmed that Vietnam supports the policy of promoting decent work as well as socio-economic development and solidarity, considering it an important factor contributing to accelerating the completion of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

The Vietnamese representative also highlighted the need to adjust national law following international labour standards for faster integration and accelerate the transformation of a green economy and a circular economy.

Vietnam will continue to work closely with international partners to promote workers' rights to decent work, considering this as one of Vietnam's priorities as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2026 tenure.

At the session, many delegates assessed that the world economy and the global labour market are facing great challenges, including increasing inequality in access to public services and the labour market.

They said that promoting decent work is necessary to reduce inequality and poverty, and contribute to promoting recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

South African famtrip visitors explore Da Nang, Quang Nam

Representatives from numerous South African travel companies joined a famtrip delegation to Da Nang city and Quang Nam province in central Vietnam on February 13 to inquire into the local tourism products and attractions on offer in the region.

The delegation was made up of tour operators in Cape Town and Johannesburg who are studying tourism products and plan to put on tours from South Africa to central Vietnam in the future.

During their stay, the delegation visited a number of tourist attractions such as the Sunworld Ba Na Hills complex, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains), Linh Ung Pagoda, and Son Tra night market in Da Nang.

In Quang Nam, they also enjoyed an Ao Dai (long dress) fashion show and toured around a night market located in Hoi An’s Old Quarter.

Wendy Kathleen Goutier, tour manager of Holiday Travel in Cape Town, said the group greatly appreciated the hospitality shown by residents, whilst they were also impressed with the beautiful landscape and local cuisine on offer.

When we return home, we plan to hold meetings to decide on the most suitable tourism products for customers in South Africa, she added.

The activity, which was jointly organised by the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre and Singapore Airlines, aims to introduce destinations and new products of central Vietnam to South African travel firms. 

It will provide a chance for South African companies to connect with tourism partners in Da Nang and Quang Nam province, thus promoting the further exchange of travelers between the two markets. 

South Africa boasts high spending and is considered a potential market of Da Nang’s tourism industry.

Tân Sơn Nhất Airport requests to maintain taxi parking lot for April 30 holidays

HCM City's Tân Sơn Nhất Airport has requested permission from city authorities to keep open a taxi parking lot built for Lunar New Year crowds until holidays in late April.

Nguyễn Nam Tiến, deputy director of the airport, said that thanks to the parking lot, even during the busiest days of the Lunar New Year, there were still enough taxis to serve all passengers.

The airport served 80,000-95,000 passengers a day during the Lunar New Year holiday, and it anticipates handling an average of 52,000 passengers per day during the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1) holidays.

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