Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has asked the Đồng Nai People’s Committee to relocate electrical works, hand over premises and submit reports on the Long Thành International Airport Project to the Government this month.

In Notice No 05/TB-VPCP which was issued by the Government Office on Monday after a meeting of the Long Thành International Airport Project’s working group, the Deputy PM concluded that to date, component projects and bidding packages have been implemented synchronously, ensuring the overall progress of the project.

Since its establishment, the project’s working group had worked with dedication, enthusiasm, responsibility, effort and professionalism, overcoming difficulties to successfully complete its assigned tasks, said the Deputy PM.

He told the Ministry of Transport (MoT), which is the working group’s standing agency, to monthly report the project implementation to the Government.

The MoT needs to closely follow progress of the overall project and each component project, he said.

Investors of component projects must send reports to the MoT before the 25th day of every month to synthesise the full account.

Each member of the working group should proactively monitor the project situation and promptly propose to the group leader when detecting problems and inadequacies.

Deputy PM Hà also asked the MoT to direct investors of component projects to develop detailed schedules, clearly defining milestones for commencement and completion.

All works of component projects must be finished before the completion date of the passenger terminal.

The MoT will synthesise detailed plans of all component projects and report to the working group before the end of this month.

The ministries of construction, natural resources and environment, industry and trade, national defence, public security and health should coordinate closely and send comments to the MoT for general appraisal of the project’s technical design.

Deputy PM Hà requested the Đồng Nai People’s Committee to receive opinions from the Ministry of Construction’s leaders and carry out the appraisal based on their competence. The appraisal should be completed before the middle of this month.

The MoT should complete the overall appraisal in the first quarter of this year.

Phase two should be deployed without affecting the operations and exploitation of phase one.

The HCM City People's Committee must urgently resolve obstacles at the mixed-use land in Ward 4, Tân Bình District to implement the component projects.

The MoT is responsible for developing criteria to select investors, ensuring that the Long Thành International Airport will be an international transit airport whereas preserving Vietnamese cultural identity.

The investor selection criteria should be reported to the working group in this month. 

Vietnam attaches importance to ties with China: Party official

The Vietnamese Party and State always value and give top priority to the Vietnam-China relations, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for Popularisation and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia said on January 10.

Holding talks with Politburo member, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s Secretariat and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee Li Shulei in Hanoi on January 10, Nghia commented the positive development in the relations between the two Parties and States, and highlighted the significance of the official trip to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022, and the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping in December last year.

He welcomed Li and his entourage’s visit to Vietnam and attend the 18th theoretical symposium between the two Parties, stressing this was the first high-level one in 2024 that aims to concretise the important common perceptions reached between the leaders of the two Parties and States.

He congratulated China on the important theoretical and practical achievements it has carved out over the past time, and informed the Chinese official of the results that Vietnam has attained during more than half of the tenure of the 13th Party Congress, as well as the implementation of the key work of the Commission for Information and Education.

Li congratulated Vietnam on the socio-economic achievements it has gleaned under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Chinese Party and State always see Vietnam a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy, he affirmed, adding China stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to carry out the important common perceptions reached between leaders of the two Parties, helping bolster the sound Vietnam-China ties in a more sustainable fashion and making contributions to regional and global peace, stability and development.

Both officials reached consensus on promoting the pioneering and strategically-orienting role of the Party channel relationship in the bilateral ties, and enhancing experience sharing in theoretical research and Party building work.

They spoke highly of the cooperation results between the two popularisation commissions, and discussed measures to enhance collaboration in the time ahead, contributing to deepening and elevating the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Accordingly, they will focus on the popularisation of the traditional friendship, and comprehensive collaboration between the two Parties, States and peoples so as to consolidate the firm social foundation for sustainable and long-term development of the ties.

President receives outgoing New Zealand, Peruvian Ambassadors

President Vo Van Thuong on January 10 hosted separate receptions for the ambassadors of New Zealand and Peru, who came to bid farewell to the State leader.

Meeting with New Zealand Ambassador Tredene Dobson, President Thuong expressed his delight that the two countries have promoted their multifaceted cooperation for socio-economic recovery, laying stress on the sound collaboration in the areas of economy, trade, investment, defence, security, education and training.

Vietnam and New Zealand have supported each other at the international and multilateral forums, he said, describing this as a positive basis for the two sides to bolster cooperation activities towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025.

The State leader spoke highly of the ambassador’s activities to promote people-to-people exchange, expressing his hope that Tredene, in any positions, will continue promoting the Vietnam – New Zealand relations.

The New Zealand diplomat, for her part, recalled her special tenure in Vietnam when the whole world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting New Zealand always sees Vietnam as a trustworthy friend who has joined hands with New Zealand to overcome the pandemic and promote economic recovery.

Both nations resumed high-level dialogues right after they opened their doors, she said, adding Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern chose Vietnam as her first overseas destination after the pandemic (November 2022), followed by the visit to New Zealand by National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue one month later.

She said the New Zealand Government wants to enhance multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam towards the celebration of their 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2025.

Receiving Peruvian Ambassador Augusto Morelli, President Thuong congratulated the diplomat on his excellent tenure in Vietnam, which has contributed to the sound ties between the two nations.

Peru is an important partner of Vietnam in the Latin-American region, he said, adding the two countries have shared the vision and supported each other at the regional and international forums.

He appreciated the American country for supporting Vietnamese enterprises to land investment there, expressing his hope that further efforts will be made by both sides to increase the two-way trade revenue.

President Thuong recalled his meeting with Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra on the sidelines of the APEC high-level week in the US in November last year, during which the two leaders agreed to promote the organisation of practical activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2024.

The Peruvian ambassador stated that Vietnam is the leading partner of Peru in ASEAN, and hailed Vietnamese investors for investment projects and programmes in the country.

He conveyed greetings and invitation to attend the APEC Leaders’ Week to be held in Peru this year from President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra to President Thuong, hoping that Vietnam will support and cooperate with Peru to organise the event.

President Thuong highlighted Vietnam will back Peru as the host of the event, and thanked the country for supporting Vietnam’s hosting of the one in 2027.

He said he hopes that the ambassador will continue working to enhance the fruitful Vietnam-Peru relations.

Vietnam – Czech Republic trade ties thrive thanks to EVFTA enforcement

Trade ties between Vietnam and the Czech Republic have been prospering thanks to the enforcement of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) in August 2020.
      
The agreement was shared by Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Tran Luu Quang and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in India on January 10 on the sidelines of the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

They concurred that two-way trade turnover between the two countries is growing positively, hitting nearly US$1 billion last year. At the same time, they said the two countries should bring into full play opportunities to raise bilateral trade to new heights.

Quang proposed that the Czech have its voice to encourage other EU member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to facilitate to equal and mutually beneficial investment cooperation between businesses of both sides.

Fiala for his part recalled his good impressions of his recent visit to Vietnam, especially the meetings with senior Vietnamese leaders and the organization of a joint business forum with the participation of many businesses from both sides.

The Czech PM proposed that the two sides continue to promote the exchange of delegations to outline cooperation directions. He agreed that the two countries continue to promote labour cooperation, especially with training of highly skilled workers. He also suggested that the two sides expand cooperation in the field of the defense industry and promote the early opening of direct flights between the two countries.

At the meeting, the Czech PM highly appreciated the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic for their industriousness, diligence, studiousness, and positive contributions not only to the socio-economic development of the host country but also to the good friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Vietnam helps Laos ensure information security

Vietnam stands ready to give Laos further support to ensure information security as the country is taking the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024 with an array of high-level conferences to be held, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said on January 10.

At a working session with Lao Deputy Minister of Technology and Communications Keovisouk Solaphom within the framework of the Laos Digital Week 2024 held from January 10-14, Dung said that last year, his ministry supported Laos in operating the national information security monitoring and management system, giving warnings of cyber-attacks against governmental agencies to competent authorities.

He stressed that Vietnam is willing to assist Laos in outlining a strategic plan to develop the country's code domain “.la”, which covers management policy, management model, Registry-Registry cooperation, as well as a roadmap and activities to promote development, making contributions to boosting e-commerce and e-government in the neighbouring nation.

A wide range of issues were on the table at the working session, including IT and communications development and the digital transformation process in each country.

The two officials agreed to enhance exchanges, promote the implementation of specific projects to improve the capacity of the staff at the Lao national cyber security centre, as well as help Laos with human resources training in the fields of fintech and digital transformation.

On this occasion, the Vietnam National Internet Centre signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Lao National Internet Centre and the Lao Department of Telecommunications on promoting cooperation in Internet resources and measurement of Internet speed in Laos.

Vietnamese, Chinese public security ministries strengthen cooperation

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security General To Lam hosted a reception in Hanoi on January 10 for Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Chen Siyuan.

At the meeting, Lam stressed that the relationship between the two ministries has been tightened, becoming an important pillar of the Vietnam-China ties and playing a crucial role in consolidating strategic trust between the two Parties and countries.

The minister expressed his belief that Chen’s visit will be a success and a milestone in cooperation between the two ministries in the new period.

Lam suggested the two sides seriously materialise high-level common perceptions and signed cooperation documents, and strengthen collaboration in fighting cross-border crimes, citizen protection and law enforcement within multilateral frameworks, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

Later the same day, Chen and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Quoc Hung co-chaired the first deputy ministerial-level dialogue on political security between the two ministries.

The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern, and reviewed and set out orientations for their cooperation in political security in the time ahead.

They consented to effectively implement the Vietnam-China joint statement and other cooperation documents the two countries have reached.

The ministries will also step up experience exchange and cooperation in economic, cultural, ideological and cyber security, immigration management, counterterrorism, and personnel training, among other areas, and hold joint border patrols.

At the end of the meeting, the two officers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in political security between the two ministries.

Missing man and daughter found in Gia Lai forest
 
Police in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai announced on Tuesday that they had found a man and his daughter who had been reported missing for many days. 

A man and his daughter are found in Gia Lai forest on January 8 after several days missing.

According to the police report, a woman from Kon Plong District came on the afternoon of January 7 to ask for help to search for her husband and their daughter who had gone missing.The woman said that after a quarrel, her husband, who is 40 years old, took their 10-year-old daughter with him in a car. She had not been able to contact him since.

On the morning of January 8, police managed to talk to the daughter through a phone call and she said that they were in a pine forest and her father had fallen unconscious for hours.

Through the information given by the girl, police managed to find them the same evening in a forest in Mang Yang District, which lies over 100 kilometres from their house.

The man was unconscious while the girl was scared but in stable health. They were brought to a local hospital where doctors said that the man had high blood pressure and had fallen unconscious due to hunger.

The man and his daughter were later helped to return home after recovering.

Delegation brings Tet gifts to offshore soldiers

A delegation of Naval Region Region 2 departed on Tuesday to bring Tet Lunar New Year gifts to soldiers serving on Vietnam’s DK1 platforms on the country’s southern continental shelf.

During the trip, which is planned to last between 15-17 days, the two vessel-delegation will present gifts from the High Command of the Naval Region 2, localities, businesses and organisations to soldiers on 15 DK1 platforms and Radar Station 590 in Con Dao island district.

A group of journalists of provincial and central press agencies will also join the visit to agencies and units stationed in the land district.

Over 22 tonnes of gifts, including traditional Tet food and drinks, bonsais, and necessities are being brought to the soldiers offshore.

DK1 is a group of offshore economic, scientific and technical service stations set up in 1989 on Vietnam's southern continental shelf.

Over more than three decades, military stationed at DK1 platforms have contributed to marine economic activities and the safeguarding of national sovereignty.

Four teams to compete in WIKA Cup 2024 in mid January

The international seven-a-side football competition the WIKA Cup 2024 will be held in Vietnam for the second time from January 11 to 1, with the participation of Nongpookao x Nongpoothan of Thailand, Kickerz of Malaysia, and local teams Dai Tu and Hieu Hoa-Quahaco.      

Nongpookao x Nongpoothan is the second football team from Thailand to compete in the tournament. Last year saw Thai representatives Ghost Gate make a positive impression despite their 2-3 loss to Hieu Hoa-Quahaco in the final match.

Meanwhile, Kickerz of Malaysia are represented by footballers selected among talents from Kickerz Football Academy, not by those from Jcorp Data Sukan FC as in last year’s tournament. 

This year the tournament is due to get underway from January 11 to 14 at the Hoang Mai Culture, Information and Sports Center in Hanoi.

Organisers will present awards for fair-play, best scorer, best goalkeeper, best coach, most favourite player of each match, and most favourite player of the tournament.

All matches will be live aired on the Vietnam Television Cable Corporation (VTVCab)'s channels and platforms.

Nomination begins for VGA Golf Awards 2023

The Vietnam Golf Association, in collaboration with the Vietnam Television Cable (VTVCab) and VGS Group, has launched the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) Awards 2023, aiming to honor outstanding individuals and organisations contributing to the country’s golf development.

The awards’ categories include men and women golfers of the year, VGA tour player of the year, junior male and female golfers of the year, golf association of the year and most voted player.

There will be two rounds of voting to select the awardees. In the first round, specialised agencies of the association will nominate five candidates for each award category, except for the golf association of the year category, in which 10 candidates will be proposed. The list of candidates will be published on the Vhandicap voting system and website https://vgaawards.golfnews.vn for voting.

Fans will vote to select one candidate in each category to qualify for the second round and the three candidates with the highest votes in each category will advance to the second round. Voting period opens from now until January 22, 2024.

In the second round, the jury council will vote by secret ballot to select a winner in each category, except for the most voted player category.

The award presentation ceremony will take place in Hanoi on January 28.

Ninh Thuan develops agritourism based on typical values

Ninh Thuan’s arid climate and abundant sunlight have given a rise to distinctive agricultural products, providing an advantageous foundation for the south-central province to boost the development of agritourism.

The province boasts over 1,000 hectares of grapevines, supplying the market with 26,000 - 28,000 tonnes annually. At local vineyards, also Ninh Thuan’s most renowned agritourism destination, visitors can take photos, learn about the entire process of grape cultivation, care and harvest, and savour the fresh fruit and derivative products.

Various other models have also become local brands, including apple and grape farms in Ninh Phuoc district, the Lam Son ecological fruit garden in Ninh Son district, sheep farms in Ninh Hai and Bac Ai districts, and the ecological cultural tourism model of lotus ponds and the Cham ethnic culture in Ninh Phuoc district.

In addition to developing tours, routes, and attractions, Ninh Thuan also places a special emphasis on promoting its unique products. Recently, the province held a 2024 New Year's Eve culinary festival, incorporating the promotion of local raw material areas and OCOP products. Meanwhile, decorated flocks of sheep – the province's typical livestock – participated in a parade as part of the event.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Long Bien, agritourism not only brings increased income for the locals and socio-economic benefits for the locality but also contributes to the development of sustainable green agriculture and preservation of the rural areas’ cultural essence.

In its tourism development project for 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030, the province has identified high-tech agricultural tourism as one of its four key products – which also include coastal resort tourism, cultural tourism, and eco-tourism associated with the Nui Chua National Park.

Ninh Thuan is actively integrating tourism with distinctive agricultural products through the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, while encouraging and supporting startups in agricultural tourism.

The province is also intensifying promotional activities, connecting tours and travel routes with local destinations, aiming to attract around 3 million tourists this year and earn approximately 2.4 trillion VND (98.42 million USD) from them.

VKBIA supports strengthening Da Nang – Gangwon cooperation

The Vietnam-Korea Businessmen and Investment Association (VKBIA) stays ready to serve as a bridge to promote cooperation between the central city of Da Nang of Vietnam and the Special Autonomous Province of Gangwon of the Republic of Korea.

VKBIA chairman Tran Hai Linh was speaking at a meeting between the leadership of the Da Nang administration and a delegation of the Cultural and Social Committee, Council of the Special Autonomous Province of Gangwon, in Da Nang on January 9.

Linh assured that his association wants to strengthen friendly cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK in various fields, including those in which Da Nang has strengths and needs to attract strategic partners.

Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, vice chairwoman of the Da Nang City People’s Council, welcomed the VKBIA’s goodwill and thanked the association for promoting the signing of a tourism development cooperation agreement between the Da Nang Department of Tourism and the Gangwon Tourism Department in September 2023.

She introduced her guests on the city’s socio-economic development potential, and expected that the VKBIA would help attract more Korean investors into Da Nang, organize trade promotion activities, and popularize local tourist attractions among Korean people, as well as increasing local connections between the two sides.

In its development strategy, Thi said Da Nang considers information technology a spearhead industry, and a growth driver towards inclusive growth and sustainable development. She proposed that Korean localities, including Gangwon - one of the leading developed provinces, share experience and provide know-how in various high-tech fields such as semiconductors, information technology, high-tech industry, marine economy, while enhancing cooperation in culture, social affairs, tourism and labour dispatching.

According to the official, Da Nang is one of the three Vietnamese cities to pilot urban government organization while Gangwon has just been granted the special autonomous province status by the Korean government in mid-2023. The two localities she said can exchange and share experiences in managing and operating the government apparatus.

Jeong Jae Woong, chairman of the Cultural and Social Committee, Gangwon Special Autonomous Provincial Council, acknowledged Thi’s proposals and said Gangwon is ready to promote multi-faceted cooperation with Da Nang, as well as with other Vietnamese localities.

On this occasion, Thi respectfully extended an invitation to the VKBIA to attend the “Meet Da Nang 2024” conference to be held in the locality in the near future.

10,000 people take part in fundraising walk to support disadvantaged workers

More than 10,000 people joined a fundraising walk in Thủ Đức City on January 7 to support disadvantaged workers during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The 3.5km-walk raised more than VNĐ3 billion (US$123,700) to help union members and workers celebrate Tết holiday.   

The event, with the theme “Millions of footsteps - One heart”, was organised by the Thủ Đức City Labour Federation in coordination with the HCM City Labour Federation.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chairman of the HCM City Labour Federation Phạm Chí Tâm said trade unions at all levels have done their best to accelerate the city’s economic recovery and support workers to overcome difficulties after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The walk was aimed at encouraging people to take part in regular physical exercise and called on individuals and organisations to join hands to care for disadvantaged union members and workers, he said.

At the event, the federation gave out 50 gifts worth VNĐ1 million ($41) each to union members.

Nguyễn Thị Lệ, a member of Vành Khuyên 3 Kindergarten trade union in Thủ Đức City, said: “It is a big event during the first days of the year and it spreads the spirit of charity among the community to help union members and workers celebrate the Tết holiday.” 

Việt Nam's health sector paves the way for quality and affordable medications

The health sector needs to implement the national strategy for advancing Việt Nam's pharmaceutical industry by 2030, with a vision toward 2045, to guarantee prompt access to quality, safe and effective medications at reasonable cost, and fostering the national pharmaceutical industry to be on par with advanced countries in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái issued directives on Tuesday at the conference reviewing the health sector's activities of 2023 and outlining the tasks for 2024.

According to the report presented by Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan, in 2023, the health sector successfully achieved all three major socio-economic targets assigned by the National Assembly. These included surpassing the target of having 12.5 doctors per ten thousand people, achieving the target of 32 hospital beds per ten thousand people, and reaching 93.2 per cent of the population participating in health insurance.

Regular healthcare activities met basic needs, and remote medical examination and treatment were enhanced. The quality of healthcare services was improved and efforts were made to perfect the institutional framework to address the immediate and long-term issues and shortcomings in the health sector.

Lan said the health sector had proposed the National Assembly to pass amendments to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and two resolutions. The Ministry of Health issued 34 circulars within its authority.

She stressed the significant progress in administrative procedure reform and digital transformation. All healthcare facilities nationwide implemented healthcare services for health insurance holders using chip-embedded citizen ID cards and offer non-cash payment services. All eligible administrative procedures were available for online public services throughout the entire process.

However, Lan also pointed out limitations, including an inadequate legal document system, shortages of medicines and medical equipment in certain localities, and deficiencies in the domestic pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing industry.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy PM Khái stated that Việt Nam is increasingly gaining recognition on the global health map. Việt Nam has autonomously produced nine out of 11 vaccine types for the expanded immunisation programme, and the country is one of the developing countries with the fastest reduction in maternal and child mortality rates worldwide.

The healthcare sector successfully prevented and controlled various dangerous epidemics, addressing outbreaks of diseases such as mumps, polio and plague. Việt Nam was among the first countries to successfully control newly emerging dangerous infectious diseases like SARS and avian flu A/H7N9.

Particularly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged Việt Nam as a reference model in aspects of preventing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the healthcare sector consistently advances medical breakthroughs, applies high-end technologies, and performs complex techniques such as organ transplants, endoscopy and robotic surgeries, he said.

Reviewing the year 2023, Deputy PM Khái emphasised that the healthcare sector faced numerous difficulties and challenges. Disrupted supply chains, including medicines and medical equipment, posed challenges. Natural disasters, climate change, environmental pollution and food safety concerns increased the burden of non-communicable diseases while infectious diseases remained a high risk.

Looking ahead in 2024, Deputy PM Khái stressed the need for the healthcare sector to strengthen the construction and improvement of healthcare institutions, mechanisms and policies. There should be a focus on addressing shortages of medicines and medical supplies while efficiently controlling diseases and enhancing the quality of healthcare services at all levels.

He also mentioned expanding health insurance coverage to reach 95 per cent of the population by 2025. The health sector needed to adjust health insurance premiums based on the roadmap of adjusting healthcare service prices, the healthcare needs of the people, and the socio-economic development of the country.

Investing in the capacity of the healthcare system, especially grassroots and preventive healthcare, was essential, he said, adding that streamlining and reorganising the units was also part of the plan.

Deputy PM Khái urged the ministry to comprehensively address existing issues, improve equipment procurement, and prepare human resources to put into operation the Việt Nam-Germany Hospital and Bạch Mai No. 2 Hospital in Hà Nam Province.

He also stated that the healthcare sector needed to focus on improving the quality of healthcare human resources, study and propose appropriate policies and incentives for healthcare professionals within the overall salary reform.

He also highlighted the importance of intensifying the implementation of the national development strategy for the pharmaceutical industry. This included investing in the development of generic drug production, ensuring quality and reasonable prices, and gradually replacing imported drugs.

The sector should also research and build a comprehensive policy framework for population issues, contributing to extending and leveraging the opportunities of the golden population structure period. This involves summarising the five-year implementation of the Việt Nam Population Development Strategy, aligning with the issuance of the National Policy Framework to address the population ageing issue, he said.

Lâm Đồng earmarks $2.67 mil for the poor to celebrate Lunar New Year 

Lâm Đồng Province has earmarked over VNĐ65 billion (US$2.67 million) in cash to poor people and those who have provided meritorious service to the nation to celebrate Lunar New Year in February.

Nearly 80,000 people will benefit from the province’s largesse.

Authorities will provide VNĐ800,000 to poor households and VNĐ600,000 to near-poor households, and VNĐ900,000 – VNĐ4 million to Vietnamese Heroic mothers, Hero of People’s Armed Forces, war invalids, and others.

People who suffered from workplace accidents, retired State workers who draw an incapacity stipend and workers at social protection facilities will receive VNĐ600,000-900,000.

The province will provide VNĐ700 million and VNĐ500 million to the police and the provincial Military Command.

It will also give gifts to families benefiting from preferential policies and those of soldiers and other defence workers on duty in Trường Sa, DK1 oil rig and the like.

This kind of financial support is routinely provided to poor people and those covered by preferential policies during the Lunar New Year to ensure their material and spiritual wellbeing. 

Additional 46 students graduate from Vietnam-Belgium master's programme

An additional 46 Vietnamese students have graduated from the Vietnam-Belgium master's programme at the HCM City Open University.

On January 7, a graduation ceremony was held to present master’s degrees to the students, including 19 executive masters of business administration, 11 advanced masters of marketing and communication management, and six masters of business quality and performance management.

Speaking at the ceremony, the HCM City Open University rector Nguyễn Minh Hà said the Vietnam-Belgium Programme has been run by the HCM City Open University and Université Libre de Bruxelles’s Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management since 1995.

The programme offers master’s programmes in several business-related streams, helping train human resources to meet Việt Nam’s needs.

So far, nearly 4,000 students across the country have graduated from this programme.

He highly appreciated the efforts and contributions of the coordinators, specialists and collaborators of the program in coordinating teaching and learning activities, and supporting activities in the past years.

“We hope to continue to receive the valuable and effective cooperation of the lecturers and colleagues so that together we can provide higher quality human resources for society,” he said.

Currently, the university’s postgraduate training has five doctoral programmes and 12 master’s programmes and many joint programmes with foreign educational institutions from Belgium, Australia, Germany and France at both master's and doctoral levels.

Most of the university’s domestic postgraduate training programmes are accredited according to FIBAA standards (Europe) and domestic standards of the Ministry of Education and Training. 

Mekong Delta saltwater intrusion to peak in March

Saltwater intrusion from the sea into the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta’s waterbodies is expected to peak in March, according to the Directorate of Water Resources.

The country’s largest producer of rice, fruit and seafood suffers from the intrusion in the dry season every year.

The directorate said saltwater with salinity of 4 grammes per litre is likely to enter 45-55km into the Mekong River’s tributaries this month, 5-8km deeper than in the same period last year.

Most crops can only tolerate salinity of 1 gramme per litre.

Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, head of the directorate’s irrigation and operation management division, said the intrusion would be worse than normal but not as bad as the 2015-16 and 2019-20 seasons.

To mitigate the problem, farmers have sowed their rice earlier and increased storage of water to irrigate fruit trees, he said.

So the delta is not expected to face much damage from saltwater intrusion if there are no unusual happenings, he said.

In saltwater-prone areas, rice farmers sowed seeds in October and November and would harvest their crop amid the peak of the saltwater intrusion in March, he said.

The directorate would guide farmers in how to store water for irrigating fruit orchards, he said.

It has warned farmers to use water frugally to ensure there is enough for the next summer-autumn crop.

Before the ongoing dry season local authorities tightened monitoring of saltwater intrusion to inform the public to take preventive measures and encouraged households to store rainwater.

To secure water for irrigating orchards, farmers store water in ponds in them. 

Doctors recommend measures amid flu on the rise

As the flu season begins in many provinces, doctors have underlined the importance of preventive measures and the value of treatment for those who catch viruses.

Phạm Văn Phúc, Deputy Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, is concerned over the recent surges in cases.

He said with influenza and COVID-19 viruses circulating, people are very likely to get both at the same time, causing treatment to be more complicated and prolonged.    

He urged children and elderly people with chronic health conditions, who are more susceptible to flu, to get vaccinations and avoid large gatherings to reduce the risk of being infected.

"Although a flu shot does not always guarantee complete immunity against the viruses, it can help minimise how sick people become if they come down with the flu," said Phúc.

His concerns are echoed with the number of severe cases of flu in the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases increasing over the past few days.  

Patient N.V.A was hospitalised four days ago with severe breathing difficulties and was put on life support. He is now in critical condition as his health deteriorated quickly owing to complications from Influenza A.

Doctors said his chronic conditions, including diabetes and renal failure, might have compounded the impact of the viruses, causing health deterioration.

"His X-ray results unveil a distressing medical condition known as 'white lung', meaning a substantial degree of lung damage, ranging between 50 to 60 per cent," said Phúc.   

N.V.A is not the only patient in the hospital to suffer severe complications from Influenza A. Over the past week, 15 people with severe flu were admitted in Đông Anh District (Hà Nội City) alone, of which three are on life-support machines.   

"Symptoms of Influenza A infection include fever, coughing, and sneezing," said Phúc.

"But it can also cause serious complications, such as breathing problems and pneumonia, to those who have chronic conditions."

The situation is no better at Vietnam National Children's Hospital, where around 100 to 150 children are diagnosed with flu daily. More than 70 children were admitted to its Centre for Tropical Diseases with severe complications, of which two have been put on ventilatory support.     

Vũ Ngọc Long, Deputy Director of the Sub-department for Infectious Disease Control, General Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), said the recent uptick in flu cases is expected during this time of year when the season is transitioning from winter to spring.

He also said the positive aspect of the current influenza scenario is that dangerous strains such as A(H5N1), A(H5N6), and A(H7N9) have not been detected in the country.

The viral strains behind the current seasonal flu are predominantly comprised of A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B, which are commonly observed in the region.

People are advised to be cautious and consult a doctor before purchasing Tamiflu to treat Influenza A symptoms. Taking the medication without a doctor's advice, he explained, could lead to viral resistance to drugs and which may mean it won't work as well in the future.  

People are also advised to wear face masks, regularly clean their hands with sanitisers, restrict physical contact with another person with flu and visit a doctor when they have flu symptoms.

Việt Nam considered top candidate for the ITF U14 Final

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asia 14 & Under Development Championships 2024 Regional Qualifying has begun in Bắc Ninh Province.

The opening ceremony was attended by officials of the ITF, Việt Nam Tennis Federation, local authorities and athletes from seven countries -  Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cambodia, Brunei and the hosts.

The young players will compete in boys' and girls' singles and doubles events over two stages. The first is from January 8-12 and the second is from January 14-18 at the Hanaka Paris Ocean Park Tennis Courts.

Việt Nam has five athletes at the tournament. Lê Tiến Anh and Vũ Tuấn Phong take part in the boys' categories while Tô Bình Nhiên, Huỳnh Ngọc Khánh and Nguyễn Ngọc Đông Nhi are girl representatives.

Tiến Anh is a rising star of Việt Nam as he just won a title at the National Junior and Cadet Tennis Championship last October.

He is No 1 seed of the ITF boys' class.

In the opening match on January 8, Vietnamese Tuấn Phong beat Mika Mohamed Kaleem of Maldives 6-1, 6-0.

Four teams with the best results will qualify for the championship finals in India from April 8-17. 

According to Việt Nam Tennis Federation General Secretary Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, this is a tournament where athletes would gain points for international rankings. They would have opportunities to collect experience, sharpen their skills and improve their world places.

Việt Nam is one of he favourites to reach the finals.

Strong teams promise competitive matches at int'l seven-a-side tournament

The international seven-a-side football tournament will return in style later this week in Hà Nội.

The Wika Cup will feature four teams, Nongpookao x Nongpoothan of Thailand, Kickerz of Malaysia and two Vietnamese champions Đại Từ and Hiếu Hoa -- Quahaco.

They will compete in a round robin format and the team with most points will bring home the trophy.

In the opening match, Nongpookao x Nongpoothan will play Kickerz at the Hoàng Mai District's Culture, Information and Sports Centre on January 11. The two host teams will play each other in the later game, and the final round matches will be on January 14.

"It is the second edition of the tournament as the organisers and sponsors, especially Wika Sports, have worked hard to make it happen," said Phạm Ngọc Tuấn, head of the organising committee.

"We have to thank all partners who strongly support us to continue organising the event and developing seven-a-side football. We believe that in the near future this special kind of football will grow strongly in Việt Nam, Southeast Asia and Asia. Seven-a-side football will be Việt Nam's pride in the world," he said.

According to the organisers, the tournament will be competitive and continue attracting huge number of supporters as in the first edition in 2022.

Đại Từ are the reigning national champion while Hiếu Hoa -- Quahaco are the National Cup winner. They are both considered the strongest sides of Việt Nam currently.

Nongpookao x Nongoothan overcame nearly 700 clubs in local leagues to secure their spot at the Wika Cup, while Kickerz are a powerful team in their Malaysian championship, the organisers said at a press briefing on January 9 in Hà Nội.

In the first championship, four teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Việt Nam competed with each other.

The host side which gathered national best players successfully kept the trophy home.

Speaking at the briefing, Lê Thị Hoàng Yến, deputy director of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam, said despite being an amateur event, the tournament lured thousands of fans to the stadium while many others watched live on TV and other platforms. 

The huge number of supporters of the seven-a-side football, which was definitely the dream of many V.League clubs, showed their great care for this sport. People's attention would help it develop better and stronger.

Yến hoped that Vietnamese players would do good job here and keep the trophy at home. From this tournament, seven-a-side football would reach regional and continental level in which Việt Nam would be core and leader of the movement.

Lê Hồng Linh, representative of Wika Sports, said Việt Nam's football in general and seven-a-side football in particular had remarkably developed recently in both term of scale and quality. Wika was a sponsor of the tournament in the first season and now wanted to contributed more in hopes of making it an annual event. The company hoped to lift the tournament locally and internationally, bringing good value to the community.

All matches will be live broadcast on channels of VTVCab and Vietfootball. 

Việt Nam’s Thanh, Hoa to run for higher results at Asian Marathon Championship

National champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh is aiming for a high result at the 2024 Asian Marathon Championship which will be held later this month in Hong Kong.

The 19th tournament will see the best runners from some 45 countries and territories compete on January 21.

This will be the first bi-annual Asian Marathon Championship held since the pandemic, and the fifth time that the vibrant region of Hong Kong has been selected as the host.

“We are extremely honoured to have been selected to once again host the Asian Marathon Championship after a period of eight years,” Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, was quoted as saying on travelnewsasia.com.

“The race set for January will provide ample time for attracting more international athletes to participate. We hope the cool weather will elevate runner’s performance and favour better results."

Vietnamese representatives are Thanh and his female teammate Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa, who finished second in the 2023 national championship.

Thanh is considered the best elite marathoner of Việt Nam currently. He established his domination in almost all tournaments that he took part in.

In the latest three events, Thanh won two organised in the first week of 2024, and missed one in last December because of an ankle injury.

Thanh championed and set a new national record at the Vietnam International Half Marathon (VIHM) in Hà Nội before defending his title for the eighth time at the annual Bà Rá Mountain Trail Race in his home town of Bình Phước Province.

Meanwhile, Hoa, former SEA Games bronze medallist, finished third in the Techcombank Marathon HCM City after topping the Đất Sen Hồng Marathon and Bến Tre Marathon, all in 2023.

“After the VIHM, my athletes and I have been intensively preparing for the Asian championship in Hong Kong," said coach Trần Đoàn Minh Thiện.

"These two runners of Bình Phước Province will represent Việt Nam in this event and we will have the best plan for our competition."

Thanh and Hoa will be up against the continent’s strongest marathoners who will come to hunt their Paris Olympics' spots.

To qualify for the July Games, runners must finish their race in 2hr 8.10min or faster for men and 2:26.50 or faster for women. And only the 180 best runners among the qualified ones will be selected.

These results are practically impossible to reach for the Vietnamese athletes. Thanh's personal best is 2:25.00 while Hoa ran best at 2:49.23.

As Việt Nam's marathon results in Asia are still low, with only a bronze by Phạm Thị Bình in 2011, the duo expects to learn and sharpen their skills from their experienced rivals, especially those from South Korea, China and Japan.

Thanh and Hoa are expected to improve their results and look forward at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in 2025 where Thanh will look to gain his top position back while Hoa is expected to help Việt Nam end the women's winning drought since 2013.

The pair will take part in the HCM City Marathon on January 14 which is considered the last touch of their preparation before the Asian event.

Archers hunt Olympic slots from World Cup

Vietnamese best archers will seek Olympic spots when they compete at the Archery World Cup.

The World Cup has four stages. The first one is scheduled for April 23 to 28 in Shanghai, China. The second stage is held on May 21-26 in Yecheon, South Korea. The third stage is from June 18-23 in Antalya, Turkey. The final stage will be in September with the venue being confirmed later.

The Antalya leg will also host the final qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with both team and individual quotas available.

The best eight archers of each category will advance to an additional stage to contest the Archery World Cup Final.

The Việt Nam national team are in intensive training at the Hà Nội's National Sports Training Centre No 1, asking archers to perform to the best of their abilities for the Olympic qualification which is their most important task of the year.

“We have invested the maximum on the key players to get ready and participate in the 2024 World Cup," said Phan Trọng Quân of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam's Archery Department.

"These are events where my players can collect points for their world rankings and receive direct spots if they take medals. It is opportunity for us to qualify for the Paris Olympics."

The International Olympic Committee offers 128 official places to 64 male and 64 female athletes to Paris this summer.

Việt Nam have not won any place in archery so far but target at least one. The World Cup is the last tournament for them to try.

Among 14 key athletes, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhi and Đỗ Thị Ánh Nguyệt are among the best with potential to get high results internationally.

The duo not only dominated the national tournament but also made their names in regional competitions.

Nhi won an individual gold and team bronze at the 2022 ASIA Cup - SHARJAH in Qatar after two golds at the Singapore Open event.

Nguyệt also championed at the Singapore Open and took silver and bronze at the 31st SEA Games 2022 in Hà Nội.

In 2023, Nhi, Nguyệt and teammates took part in several Olympic qualification events including the world championship, Asian Games and the Asian championship. However, none of them was successful.

Việt Nam first came to Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games when Nguyễn Hoàng Phi Vũ and Nguyệt took their official slots. 

Art book for children celebrates Tết

An art book for children by Vietnamese artists to celebrate the Tết (Lunar New Year) festival in the Year of the Dragon has been released by Kim Đồng Publishing House.

The book, Nhâm Nhi Tết Giáp Thìn (Welcome the Year of the Dragon 2024), features a collection of 23 short stories, poems, songs, and paintings about the spring and Tết festival by veteran and young writers and painters.

It is divided into four parts: Văn (Essays), Thơ (Poems), Nhạc (Songs) and Hoạ (Paintings).

The stories and poems by Nguyễn Chí Ngoan, Nguyên Hương and Đặng Hấn feature Tết with đào (peach blossom) flowers and bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cakes). The holiday in the South with mai (ochna) flowers and bánh tét (cylindrical glutinous rice cakes) are also included.

These works promise to bring a lot of laughs for little readers during the holiday.

In particular, the publication features colour paintings of dragons by young artists such as Cẩm Anh, Quyên Thái and Alex Nguyên, who introduce a taste of modern Vietnamese fine arts.

According to Kim Đồng Publishing House, they present their special publication for Tết to help young readers learn about Vietnamese Tết. “It is not only for children but also for all people who love the country’s traditional holiday,” said a representative of the publisher.

The book Nhâm Nhi Tết Giáp Thìn is available nationwide at bookstores and on e-commerce websites. 

Private sector’s engagement in child care, protection to be promoted

Reforming mechanisms for mobilising private organisations, businesses, individuals, and the society’s engagement in child care and protection is among the key tasks recently set by the Politburo.

This is part of the Politburo’s Directive No 28-CT/TW, issued on December 25, 2023, on the enhancement of child care, education, and protection.

In November 2012, the Politburo also released a directive on promoting the Party’s leadership over child care, education, and protection which affirmed the need to boost the private sector’s engagement in the work.

Since then, much progress has been seen in the attraction of private parties to child care and protection, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) said, elaborating that families and the society’s awareness of the issue has been increasingly improved as seen in higher rates of birth registration and children covered by health insurance.

The mobilisation of private resources for education has also been stepped up while curricular and extracurricular activities reformed to include contents related to child care and protection such as life skills, HIV/AIDS prevention, and childhood accident prevention.

Authorities, the community, and children themselves have also become more aware of the importance of child care and protection and further involved in the work, which has seen active performance by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Youth Union, Women’s Union, and Farmers’ Union, and Vietnam Association for the Protection of Child Rights, as well as domestic and international non-governmental organisations, according to MoLISA.

MA Pham Thi Hai from MoLISA held that to promote the private sector’s engagement, the State should establish a legal framework on child protection, including the mobilisation of private parties’ participation; regulate the rights and responsibilities of individuals, organisations, and the community when they supply child care and protection services; and stipulate people’s rights to benefit from those services.

In addition, the State needs to devise mechanisms and policies on training civil servants and volunteers in the field, create a favourable environment for child care and protection along with the supply of children-related products, and fulfill its role in supervision, inspection, and settlement of law violations, she noted.

Hai added that though engaging the private sector’s participation is meant to maximise resources for child care and protection, investment from the State still holds the main role, particularly in remote areas and at the grassroots level, where it is difficult for private investors to gain benefits or profit from.

The state budget’s spending on education and health care for children has been rising over years, statistics show.

During 2013 - 2023, education accounts for 17.8% of the state budget’s total annual spending. Of the spending on education, 20% is for pre-school education, 32% for primary education, 25% for junior high school education, and 12% for senior high school education.

As a result, impressive achievements have been harvested, including the rates of literate school-age people and children enrolling in compulsory preschool education at 96.8% and 98.3%, respectively. Vietnam also ranks 59th in the global education rankings.

Meanwhile, considerable funding has also been allocated for health care, the Ministry of Finance said, noting that the state budget’s total funding for the health sector tops 38.13 trillion VND (1.5 billion USD) for the 2021 - 2025 period, excluding the spending integrated into the national target programmes.

A number of health programmes and projects for children have been carried out such as buying health insurance for under-six children, the expanded vaccination programme, and the ones on food safety, population, and HIV/AIDS control.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said mother and child indexes in Vietnam are relatively goods compared to many other countries with equivalent per capita income.

During 2020 - 2022, the under-five mortality rate was brought down to 18.9 per thousand from 39.6 per thousand while the under-one mortality rate also fell by over two times to 12.1 per thousand from 29.5 per thousand. The rate of fully vaccinated children under one year of age has also been maintained at over 90%.

A recent nutrition census indicated that the rate of under-five children with stunting has also declined gradually, from 29.3% in 2010 to under 18.9% in 2022.

PM presents Tet gifts to disadvantaged workers in Hai Duong

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented gifts to disadvantaged workers and the poor in the northern province of Hai Duong on January 10, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) 2024.

At Kefico company, a member of Huyndai Motor Group based in Dai An Industrial Park, Chinh hailed Hai Duong for its notable growth of over 8%, exceeding the set target for budget revenue of more than 20 trillion VND (833 million USD), and progress in social welfare.

He noted that the province needs to effectively focus on land planning and allocation, and roll out the 120 trillion VND credit package dedicated to social housing and accommodation for workers, accompanied by comprehensive infrastructure aligning with both national and local conditions.

The provincial Party organisation and authorities at all levels were urged to persist in extending support to policy beneficiaries, the poor, the vulnerable groups and workers, ensuring a joyous Tet holiday for all.

The Vietnamese Party and State always protect legitimate rights and interests of domestic and foreign-invested enterprises, he affirmed, adding that right from the outset of this year, the Government issued a resolution outlining the key tasks and solutions for socio-economic development plan and State budget estimate for 2024, and another on improving business environment and national competitiveness.

The PM wished the provincial Party organisation, authorities, army and people, including workers, a New Year full of new successes, contributing to realising goals set by the provincial Party Congress and Resolution by the 13th National Party Congress.

In the afternoon, the leader paid a visit to Thai Hoc commune, Chi Linh city, where he distributed gifts to the less privileged.

On the occasion, he commended Hai Duong for its success in poverty reduction. The multidimensional poverty rate among households in the province has dropped to 1.34%, compared to the national rate of 2.9%. The rate in Chi Linh city is even much lower, at 0.9%.

Phu Yen: Tourism activities help protect coral reefs in Hon Yen island

Community-based tourism activities have helped protect coral reefs in Hon Yen island in the central province of Phu Yen, heard a workshop on January 10.

The event, jointly held by the provincial Women’s Union, Tuy An district’s People’s Committee, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed to assess the implementation of a project on researching and building a new user fee for coral ecosystem protection in Hon Yen island.

Chairwoman of the provincial Women’s Union Le Dao An Xuan said that the project has created a sustainable source of livelihood for local people through community-based tourism activities, thus contributing financial resources to support the protection of Hon Yen coral reef and reduce ocean plastic waste.

According to Assoc. Prof., Dr. Trinh Van Tung from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics’ Institute for Leadership and Public Policy, the project has created tours to attract tourists and contribute new and sustainable financial resources to coral reef protection activities.

Hon Yen island boasts rich coral reefs with 17 species distributed over an area of about 12.71 hectares.

Phu Yen tops list of gorgeous Southeast Asian destinations

The southcentral coastal province of Phu Yen took the lead in the list of gorgeous Southeast Asian destinations tourists should visit this year, as announced by The Star website of Malaysia.      

Phu Yen is a coastal locality boasting both scenic seaside and magnificent mountains, but if you can only pick one, start with appreciating the former as it is markedly different from those found in other places, the foreign media outlet reported.

Da Dia Reef in Tuy An district features columns of black basalt rock formations and is considered to be one of the most beautiful of reefs of its kind in the world, it wrote.

Dai Lanh Cape in the capital of Tuy Hoa has slightly more greenery and, being the easternmost point of mainland Vietnam, is the perfect place in which to catch the first sunrise in the country. It is best to do so from the Dai Lanh Lighthouse, which has stood there since it was built by the French in 1890.

According to the media outlet, the best time to visit Phu Yen is from January to March when the weather is cool with less rainfall.

Other locations featured on the list include cascading waterfalls of Luang Prabang in Laos, the lush greenery of Mae Hong Son in Thailand, the scenic islands of the Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia, and the untouched beauty of Albay in the Philippines.

The Southeast Asian region boasts aplenty natural wonders, with an abundance of forests, islands, and mountains that are just waiting to be explored.

The Star website also suggested that travelers take time to unwind in nature or take roads less travelled for their next adventure.

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