Vietnam has developed the world's first commercial safe and effective vaccine against African swine fever (ASF), German newspaper Agrarheute (Agriculture Today) reported on July 1.

In its article, Agrarheute noted that the ASF epidemic is causing great concern to pig farmers globally.

However, Vietnam has recently announced that it has achieved a breakthrough as it had successfully produced an effective vaccine which is the first commercial one globally to prevent the ASF epidemic, it said.

The newspaper cited the confirmation given by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in an official letter sent to the Department of Animal Health of Vietnam that emphasised the safety and effectiveness of the NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine against ASF developed by Vietnam.

Previously, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) held a press conference to announce the successful production of a vaccine against ASF.

The NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine produced by the National Veterinary JSC (NAVETCO) is the world's first commercial vaccine against this disease.

The newspaper quoted Deputy Minister of MARD Phung Duc Tien as saying that from February 2020, the research and production of vaccines has been carried out officially with the co-operation of US experts. From July 2020, the MARD permitted the import of attenuated ASF virus strains for research and production of ASF vaccines in Vietnam.

It is expected that MARD will officially announce and license the distribution of ASF vaccine in early July. 

COP26 President hails Vietnam’s determination in transition to green, renewable energy

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue had a meeting in London on June 30 (local time) with UK Cabinet Office Minister and President for 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma who expressed impression at Vietnam’s determination in transition to green and renewable energy.

Sharma said he hopes Vietnam will make political commitments on the thresholds of the COP27, along with government ones at the highest level in the work.

The official showed interest in bilateral cooperation in finance, regulation reform and experience sharing in power transition as well as measures to promote the partnership in the future.

He revealed that Britain PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to sign a letter to Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh proposing the establishment of a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between the group of seven developed economies (G7) and Vietnam.

For his part, NA Chairman Hue highlighted that Vietnam is the first country to implement the Millennium Development Goals. Right after the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were given, Vietnam has made necessary supplementation to its legal regulations to realise the goals.

The leader affirmed that commitments Vietnam made at COP26 are strong political ones showing the country’s determination to respond to climate change, reduce emissions, and switch to a green and circular economy. The commitments are also positive and responsible contributions by Vietnam to common efforts to maintain and protect the global climate, he added.

NA Chairman Hue welcomed G7’s selection of Vietnam as one of the three prioritised countries to receive support to promote the process of energy transition to realise commitments at COP26. Vietnam is determined to implement the commitments with the support of the international community, he stressed, saying that this is one of the major and urgent tasks of the country in the time to come.
 
Vietnam will continue to act promptly, strongly and comprehensively, especially in the field of energy transition and infrastructure development to adapt to climate changes, thus turning the commitments into reality, stated the NA leader.

Hue underlined that the Vietnamese NA will promote its role in law building, supervising and allocation budget to ensure the implementation of Vietnam’s climate commitments at COP26, including the institutionalisation of commitments and the strengthening of investment to research and development activities, the use of clean technologies and the speeding up of solutions for green growth.

Taiwanese citizen detained in Vietnam on fraud charges

Liu Chen Yuan, a Taiwanese resident who illegally resides in Vietnam, has been detained in Thanh Hoa province on charges of fraudulence and property appropriation.

According to the Vietnamese investigation security agency, Liu entered Vietnam in August 2019 to avoid legal responsibility in Taiwan where he was hunted for tax evasion and fraud.

In June 2020, when his stay expired, Liu did not return to Taiwan but illegally stayed in Vietnam.

During his stay, the Taiwanese expatriate illegally gave advice to Vietnamese people who wish to work in Taiwan, in order to seize their assets.

By using sophisticated tricks, he convinced 11 people to hand in dossiers and fees worth more than VND600 million between October 2021 and April 2022 alone.

Lieu personally used all the money appropriated.

The investigation security agency decided to prosecute the accused and detain him for four months to investigate the case.

Vietnam to use small satellites to build capacity in Earth observation

Potential plans and roadmaps were proposed to build national capacity in Earth observation using small satellite systems during a seminar held by the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) in Hanoi on June 30.

In his remarks, VNSC General Director Assoc. Prof., Dr. Pham Anh Tuan said the Government in February 2021 announced a strategy for the development and application of aerospace science and technology by 2030, aiming to utilise achievements in the fields to address defence and security issues, strengthen management of environment and natural resources, monitor natural disasters and minimise their impacts, and provide related services for people.

Studies jointly conducted by the VNSC, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) found that developing small satellites will work the best for Vietnam, and it is also a trend as many countries worldwide are leveraging constellations of satellites in Earth observation activities, he noted.

Japanese experts said Vietnam has an advantageous position to expand the use of new satellite technologies to ASEAN and Asia-Pacific. The combination of Vietnam’s ground infrastructure and satellites and Japan’s technologies and services is critical to open more opportunities for the use of satellite data for both sides, they said.

They also held that multi-layered capacity building programmes, which encourage the participation of the private sector in aerospace, can help Vietnam make big steps in automation and enable more sectors to reap benefits from satellite data.

Vietnam hands over more remains of US soldiers missing in action

The Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) handed over remains of American soldiers missing in action during the war in Vietnam to the US in a ceremony held at Da Nang International Airport on June 30.

The US side included representatives from the US Embassy in Hanoi and the US Missing in Action (MIA) Office in Hanoi (DET2).

The two sets of remains returned to the US side this time were the results of the two countries’ 146th and 147th joint searches from February to June. Examined by both Vietnamese and American forensic specialists in Da Nang, they were found to potentially link to missing US servicemen in Vietnam. They will be sent to Hawaii for further examination.

The search for missing US soldiers' remains from the war in Vietnam has been an ongoing humanitarian activity jointly conducted by the Vietnamese and US Governments. This was the 158th handover since 1973.

Belgian golf tournament returns to raise funds for AO/Dioxin victims

Belgian and Vietnamese non-professional golfers have competed in the Vietnam Ambassador’s Cup 2022, the ninth event of its kind to raise funds for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims in Vietnam.

The friendly tournament was organised by the Embassy of Vietnam in Belgium and Luxembourg and the Vietnamese Mission to the EU in collaboration with Chris Geyskens, a nearly-80-year-old entrepreneur and Chairwoman of the Belgium chapter of the Hoi An – Vietnam Association of AO/Dioxin Victims on June 29.

It brought together 80 Belgian entrepreneurs and ambassadors to various countries, including Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar, and for the first time 50 Vietnamese golfers from the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs’ Association and Royal Golf Club.

The event collected nearly 11,000 EUR (11,456 USD), the highest sum ever raised, which will be used to support care centres, award scholarships and build houses for AO/Dioxin victims.

Nguyen wins Vietnam’s second World Para Athletics gold

Tran Van Nguyen of Vietnam won a gold medal at the 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Rades Stadium in Tunis, Tunisia, on June 29.

Nguyen finished first in the men's F40/41 javelin throw event with a score of 31m18 which brought him 815 points.

Gurkan Uncuoglu of Turkey came second with 676 points. He was followed by Redouane Thabit of Morocco, on 551 points.

It was Nguyen's second medal at the tournament, which delivers points for athletes for their Paris Paralympics qualification.

On June 28, Nguyen earned a silver in the men's F40/41 shot put.

Vietnam Team also took a bronze in the women's discus throw on the last day of the competition on June 29.

Nguyen Thi Hai finished third in the women's F56/F57 event with a result of 26.82m, equivalent to 822 points.

On June 27, Hai also claimed a bronze in the women's F56/F57 shot put.

The Vietnamese team ended their tournament with two golds, four silvers and three bronzes.

US supports law enforcement training for Vietnamese forest rangers

The Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the United States Forest Service (USFS), held a workshop on building a law enforcement curriculum for forest rangers in Vietnam on June 30 in the central province of Khanh Hoa.

According to the department, in April 2019 in Washington D.C, the US Department of Agriculture and the Vietnam Administration of Forestry signed a letter of intent on cooperation in the sector, in which forest ranger training, policy advocacy, prevention of illegal logging, wildlife hunting, illegal exploitation and trading of forest products are all important cooperation contents.

At the workshop, delegates discussed many issues, including how to improve the lives of forest rangers, opening training courses, using software in forest protection enforcement, knowledge and skills in judicial assessment, investigations and handling of violations in the forestry sector.

Karyl Yeston, a USFS expert, shared the US’s experience in law enforcement. She stressed the importance of specialised training in the field of conservation investigation and enforcement.

Symposium looks into Poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s life, career

An international symposium was held in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on June 29 to discuss the life and career of UNESCO-recognised cultural celebrity Nguyen Dinh Chieu, a great poet, an enthusiastic teacher and a moral doctor.

According to UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam Christian Manhart, during the UNESCO’s 41st General Assembly in Paris in November 2021, 193 members of the agency approved a resolution to celebrate the Vietnamese poet’s birthday in 2022.

The representative explained that the General Assembly made this decision because Nguyen Dinh Chieu was an outstanding figure, one of the most honoured Vietnamese poets whose works were translated into many languages.

Nguyen Dinh Chieu, also known as teacher Chieu, Trong Phu and Hoi Trai, (1822 – 1888) was born in Binh Duong district, Gia Dinh province (now District 1, Ho Chi Minh City).

He was a patriotic teacher, physician and poet of the south of Vietnam in the second half of the 19th century.

He is best known for his most prominent epic “Luc Van Tien” (The Tale of Luc Van Tien), written in “nom” (the old Chinese-based Vietnamese script) in 1850s. The work has been translated into multiple languages, including French, English and Japanese.

Practical actions needed to ensure efficiency of OV-related policies: FM

It is crucial to promptly turn Party and State’s policies regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs into practical actions to ensure their efficiency, stated Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at a conference on June 29 to popularise and implement the Politburo’s conclusion on the work.

FM Son underlined that OV affairs have received great attention from the Party and State as an important part of the policies to build and reinforce the national great solidarity bloc.

The Party and State hope and encourage and create all favourable conditions for OVs to promote their national pride and maintain the national cultural identity and traditions, promoting solidarity, mutual friendship and engaging in national development and defence, he affirmed.

The minister highlighted the major contents of the Politburo’s Conclusion, stressing that it continues to affirm the policy of encouraging and creating optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community abroad to make positive contributions to the national construction and defence.

He pointed to the need to continue raising Vietnamese people inside the country and OV community’s full and proper awareness of the Party and State’s policies, standpoints and orientations regarding Vietnamese community abroad in the new period.

At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the coordination among ministries, sectors and localities at all levels in effectively implementing the OV policies.

The Foreign Ministry hopes to receive support from all sectors, agencies and localities in realising the conclusion, Minister Son stated.

He asked Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to continue implementing the conclusion with practical plans, projects and programmes, while applying the conclusion in the activities related to OV affairs.

Documentary on President Ho Chi Minh screened in Algeria

A French-language documentary titled “Ho Chi Minh: Sketching the Portrait of a Politician” was screened in June 29 by the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria.

The 58-minute documentary was produced in 1973 by French director Gérard Guillaume. It was copyrighted and stored by Ciné-Archives of the French Communist Party. The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria purchased the copyright to use the copy for screening.

It reflects the revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh since his participation in the Tours Congress in 1920 and his journey to fight for the national independence. The documentary presents archives and interviews with historical figures.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Vinh emphasised the role of the late President in the struggle for national independence, affirming that Vietnam's resistance war is a great source of encouragement for oppressed peoples around the world, including Algeria.

The documentary was broadcast in Vietnam for the first time on May 15, 2019.

English novel-based musical to be staged

The Theater of Vietnam has built a musical project for young people with a musical play "Alice in Wonderland" at a cooperation invitation of Pacific Ocean Partners (POP) Group and the Australian Institute of Music.

According to Meritorious Artist Nguyen Xuan Bac, Director of the Theater of Vietnam, this is a passionate musical project of artists from the theater and their partners from Australia.

The project is expected to help young people approach cultural and artistic quintessence of not only Vietnam, but also other countries in the world, he added.

“Alice in Wonderland” is a novel for children by British author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Published in 1886, it is one of the most well-known and popular works of fiction in English. The novel, which conveys many human values, moral lessons, and life principles, was translated into Vietnamese with many different names.

The musical will be directed by young director Dieu My. It is scheduled to be premiered in October at the Hanoi Opera House.

Mural painting reflecting Vietnam - Kazakhstan diplomatic relations

A mural painting showcasing the Vietnam – Kazakhstan diplomatic ties was inaugurated in Hanoi on June 30 to mark 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries (June 29, 2022).

The 14m long mural, which is placed at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, is based on an artwork produced by famous Kazakh artist Yerlan Baizhanov.

It was created by painter Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, who earlier designed the mural Ceramic Road by Red River, and her staff.

Traffic accidents decline in the first 5 months of 2022

Statistics reveal that traffic accidents have dropped in all three criteria of incidents, fatalities and injuries in the first five months of 2022.

This is equivalent to a decrease of 800 accidents (14.46 per cent), 30 fatalities (1.07 per cent), and 875 injuries (22.14 per cent) compared to the same period last year. 

Reports from the office of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) said that since the beginning of this year, there have been 4,733 traffic accidents, which resulted in 2,761 deaths and left 3,078 people injured.

Deputy PM orders clarification on why dengue patients are transferred to HCMC

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has ordered authorities to clarify why many southern provinces have transferred dengue fever patients to HCM City for treatment. 

Data shows that the city is treating 580 cases of dengue fever, including 278 cases transferred from nearby provinces.
 
Đam said that if a shortage of medicine and medical supplies is blamed for the situation, urgent solutions to fix the situation will be issued.

“Sick people can't wait,” Đam said.

He also said that this year's dengue fever epidemic came early and the cases of infections increased sharply.

Although the number of cases has not yet reached its peak, it has already exceeded the total number of cases in the previous year, he said.

Relevant agencies must take measures to kill larvae and mosquitos to control the epidemic, he said.

The city has reported 10 deaths related to dengue fever so far. Củ Chi District has the highest number of fatal cases with three.
 
The number of deaths in the first six months of this year increased by seven compared to the same period last year, and by eight compared to the average in the 2016-20 period.

French electropop band Kid Francescoli to perform in Hanoi and HCM City

French electropop trio Kid Francescoli will perform with Vietnamese band Ngầm (Underground) in Hà Nội on July 1.

Kid Francescoli were founded by French artist Mathieu Hocine in 2002. He was originally born in Paris but grew up and lived in Marseille, where he started writing music. Kid Francescoli released their first album in 2006. Two years later, they started performing internationally in Italy, Luxembourg and Germany. For nearly two decades, Marseille's Kid Francescoli has been honing their sound with six albums and regular touring.

Kid Francescoli will perform their electropop hits, including from their latest album Lovers; With Julia and Play Me Again.

Ngầm will be guest artists at the Hà Nội concert. Ngầm are a four-member electro-indie music group based in Hà Nội. They have performed in Hanoi Rock City, Goethe Institute, Tiny Music Club (Hanoi Social Club) and HUB, among others.

The artists will perform at Hanoi Rock City at 8pm on July 1 and at IDECAF in HCM City on July 2. 

Runner Hiep triumphs in World Para Athletics Grand Prix

Vietnamese athlete Nguyễn Ngọc Hiệp grabbed a gold at the 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Rades Stadium, on June 28 in Tunis, Tunisia.

Hiệp sprinted first to the finish line of the men's T11 400m category in 55.93sec.

He left behind Jailson Valdir Andrade Correia of Cape Verde who finished on 1:03.86 and Abdulaziz Alshammari of Kuwait on 1:04.73.

In later activities, Trần Văn Nguyên came second in the men's F40/41 shot put.

His performance brought him 756 points, some 100 points less than winner Redouane Thabit of Morocco. Muhammad Diroy Noordin from Singapore placed third with 747 points.

Nguyễn Phạm Khánh Minh added a bronze to the Vietnamese team in the men's T12 400m class. He ran 52.23sec. 

Coach hits Ca Mau coffee shop leaving one dead

A coach crashed into a coffee shop in the southern province of Ca Mau, killing one and injuring four others.

The incident happened in Tac Van Commune in Ca Mau City at around 9 am on Thursday when the coach hit a local coffee shop.
 
The victims were four workers from a communications firm who were working near the café and the driver.

Part of the coffee shop was damaged by the vehicle.

The police quickly came to the scene to control the traffic.

According to an official from Tac Van Commune, when the coach was trying to avoid another vehicle when it collided with the coffee shop.

Hanoi gift product design contest and a Hanoi tourism photo competition launched

To create a breakthrough in tourism promotion, and contribute to the development of Hanoi's tourism industry, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has launched a Hanoi gift product design contest and a Hanoi tourism photo competition.

The two contests aim to select photos, and products that meet the artistic criteria, showing a rich and diverse heritage of people and cultures, tourism resources, tourist attractions, historical sites, festivals, scenic spots, traditional craft villages, and the culinary culture of Hanoi for propaganda work, promoting the capital's tourism to a large number of domestic and international tourists.

All professional and amateur photographers, artisans, painters, designers, organisations, production enterprises, gift businesses, handicraft industry and interested organisations and individuals can participate in the contest held from June 1, 2022, to July 31, 2022.

The organising board will present awards and display works from September to October 2022.

All individuals and organizations can find out detailed information about the contests' rules on the website of the Department of Tourism. (http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn) and on the mass media.

Functional agencies cooperating to handle fake news on cyber space

The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (under the Information and Communications Ministry) yesterday held a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City to summarize activities in the electronic information field for the first 6 months of 2022.

In the event, a memorandum of understanding about collaboration in fake news handling on the cyber space was signed among the Departments of Information and Communications of Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang City, Hai Phong City, Can Tho City, and Dong Nai Province.

Accordingly, partners in the MoU are going to join hand in receiving reports on fake news on the Internet, verifying them, and then delivering official conclusion on the precision of those news pieces.

In the first 6 months of 2022, functional agencies increased their monitoring of popular international social networks. They have asked the four major ones, namely Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Apple to stop and remove false information on their platforms.

In related news, on June 30, the Alliance of Online Video Game Producers and Publishers in Vietnam was also established under the name of Vietnam Game Development Alliance (VGDA). The Aliance has 40 active members in the field of online games.

Passengers to HCMC airport rise sharply

Tan Son Nhat International Airport, on June 30, informed that from the beginning of June to now, the number of passengers arriving in and departing from Ho Chi Minh City had increased gradually, especially domestic passengers, because this is the peak of summer, the demand for entertainment and leisure climb drastically.

Data shows that, from the beginning of June to now, nearly 3 million passengers had checked in at Tan Son Nhat Airport, of which, the number of passengers to HCMC exceeded 1.4 million. For international visitors, after tourism reopened, the number of visitors gradually rebounded to nearly 495,000 arrivals in June.

The Department of Tourism of HCMC added that the total tourism revenue in the second half of 2022 was estimated at VND49.68 trillion, up 29.9 percent over the same period and reaching 73.5 percent of the annual plan. Based on the number of visitors and the actual demand for entertainment, HCMC's tourism industry has prepared a response plan to avoid overcrowding. In which, it will focus on new tours and routes and guide tourism enterprises and amusement parks to urgently supplement personnel.

An Giang announces emergency state of erosion in Hau riverbank

From 2010 to March of 2022, there have been six erosion cases swallowing more than 525 meters along the Hau riverbank, a section through Vinh Thanh Trung Town in Chau Phu District of An Giang Province causing 27 must-relocated houses. 

On June 30, Chief of the Office of the Standing Steering Committee for Climate Exchange and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue of An Giang Province Luong Huy Khanh said that the provincial People’s Committee just signed a decision to announce an emergency state of erosion at two sections in Hau riverbank with a total length of over 800 meters. 

Ministry asked to issue regulation to amend drugs, medical equipment shortage

The Standing Committee of the Government has requested that the Ministry of Health (MoH) to urgently organize medicine bidding at central level and direct provinces and healthcare units to immediately hold similar events at their levels according to regulations, avoiding any negativity, corruptions, waste, and group interests. This request is to address the serious shortage of drugs and medical equipment in the country at present.

After yesterday’s meeting of the Standing Committee of the Government, chaired by the Prime Minister, about the socio-economic status of Vietnam in the first 6 months, the Government Office released a formal dispatch on addressing shortages of drugs and medical equipment.

Based on the reports of the Planning & Investment Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and opinions from other delegates, the Standing Committee of the Government has delivered a request for MoH to cooperate with the Finance Ministry and related ministries, state agencies to review all applicable regulations on drug and medical equipment purchase, social resource mobilization in this matter, public-private collaboration in the healthcare field.

MoH then has to issue regulations, instructions within its power to immediately tackle the current shortages of drugs, medical equipment at various healthcare institutes before July 4 in order to satisfy the demands of the public regarding medical treatments.

Along with that are proposals, reports from MoH to the Government to consider any issues out of its power. Simultaneously, MoH must hold bidding sessions for medicine and medical equipment at central level, while directing provinces and healthcare units to immediately hold similar events at their levels according to regulations, avoiding any negativity, corruptions, waste, and group interests.

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