Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 10 issued a decision on approving the task of formulating a planning project to preserve and restore the special national landscape site of Trang An - Tam Coc - Bich Dong in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

The Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is designated as a dual UNESCO World Heritage site for its natural and cultural values in 2014. (Photo: VNA)

The planning project covers 9,663 ha of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex which was designated as a dual UNESCO World Heritage site for its natural and cultural values in 2014.

The work aims to preserve outstanding global values of the heritage, realise strategies and development orientations of the province, and fulfill Vietnam's commitment to UNESCO in conserving and promoting heritage values; conserving heritage in harmonious combination with sustainable development.

In addition, the planning will zone off the area for relic protection, determine functions and ratio of land use for different areas, arrange technical infrastructure system suitable to stages of conservation and promotion of the value of the complex while promoting investment resources as well as role of the community in conservation, embellishment and promotion of heritage values.

Accordingly, the planning project will include research, survey, determine visions, goals and principles; forecast and determine development targets; develop landscape architecture and tourism promotion orientations, among others.

Medical experts warn of overloaded health system with development of HFMD

Health experts warned that  the continued development of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) may result in an overloaded health system when the peak of the epidemic is approaching.

Due to the soaring number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, many children's hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have had to expand more rooms and medical staff have had to work around the clock.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Children's Hospital 1 reported the number of HFMD cases increased from 50 last week to 200 this week. Doctor Du Tuan Quy, Head of the Department of Neurological Infections, said that almost every day, children have been transferred to the intensive care unit. Hand, foot and mouth disease is approaching the peak of the epidemic, the hospital is constantly overloaded; therefore, 2-3 inpatients have to share a bed. Hospital medical staff have to work continuously overtime day and night, running off their feet and working relentlessly.

Particularly, the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, Children's Hospital 1, currently has 12 children with hand, foot and mouth disease who need to be resuscitated, including many children who are being put on mechanical ventilation and dialysis. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Quang, Head of the Intensive Care Unit and Anti-Poisoning Department, the Department is treating a 6-month-old child living in Binh Chanh District with severe hand, foot and mouth disease requiring dialysis and intubation. Worse, doctors had to inject his bone marrow for infusing drugs.

Currently, the Children's Hospital 1 receives 400 children a day; thus its eight examination rooms for outpatients with hand, foot and mouth disease have been operated at full capacity. Children are regularly re-examined to promptly detect signs of serious change. The Intensive Care Unit is also ready to reserve 20 of the 30 beds for children with severe and very severe hand, foot and mouth disease.

Dr. Le Thi Kim Ngoc, Deputy Head of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City’s Pediatrics C, said that in previous years, severe hand, foot and mouth patients usually only reached the grade 2a, but now, more patients have been diagnosed with the grade 2a to 2b or to grade 3. Pediatrics Department C has 50 beds, but 40 cases have been infected in the grade 2a.

According to the Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City, in the past week, the city recorded 1,614 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, an increase of nearly 2.5 times compared to the average of 4 weeks ago. The districts with a high number of hand, foot and mouth infections per 100,000 people include Binh Tan, Tan Phu, 6, 8 and Binh Chanh districts.

Dr. Du Tuan Quy from the Children's Hospital 1, has experienced large outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease: in 2011, 2018 and this year. With the experience of fighting many dangerous epidemics, the hospital has had plans for fighting the disease at different levels. Healthcare staff have been mobilized for increased treatment demand.

Assoc. Prof. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the city's health sector has developed a response scenario consisting of three levels.

The Department of Health has assigned the Children's Hospital 1, the Children's Hospital 2, the Children's City Hospital and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases to continue providing professional support to their peers in grassroots clinics in southern provinces and cities in a bid to promptly minimize mortality.

He advised parents to take their child to the nearest medical facility to determine the disease and closely monitor the development of the disease when suspecting that a child has hand, foot and mouth disease. Moreover, parents should not be too worried to rush to Ho Chi Minh City-based infirmaries to cause overload. Provincial hospitals currently treat this disease well with medicines and qualified personnel.

Overseas Vietnamese getting on with preserving Vietnamese language abroad

The two-year anniversary celebration of the forum ‘Preserving the Vietnamese language abroad’ was held yesterday with a recall of personal stories and enduring love that vibrates in the right way.

Looking at students reading Kieu stories, singing Tuong and acting as Xuy Van pretending to be crazy, lecturer Le Thi Bich Huong of the Department of Asian and North African Studies in Ca' Foscari Venezia University in Italy said that she sometimes can't believe she can do what many people have considered useless.

She recalled while others slept 8 hours a day, she only took a 2-hour nap. Because she didn't have money to rent premises, she had no choice but to pick up students at home while serving meals. Teaching one or a dozen students, she carefully prepared their syllabi. When she heard that some women opened a class to teach Vietnamese to a few students, she also prepared a lesson to help them. Then she came up with extra-curricular activities such as practicing Cheo, Tuong, Quan Ho Vietnamese traditional drama to nurture students’ culture in addition to Vietnamese language lessons.

When it comes to teaching and keeping Vietnamese and Vietnamese culture in Italy, people can immediately understand how difficult it is. The country is shaped like a boot stretching along the sea, and each city is dotted with a few dozen Vietnamese settlers, totaling about 5,000-6,000 people, which is nothing compared to the number of Vietnamese in big cities in Poland, Germany, Czech, France, and the US.

Students studied the Vietnamese language for three years, but they in fact learnt Vietnamese in three months. It took her 4 hours a day to go to and back between Bologna and Venice, plus extracurricular activities, so she and her students were racing against the time. She felt so proud that nine students received their bachelor's degrees in the first class of 2019 – 2022; moreover, 6 more students graduated in June. She will welcome more students in September.

Even in lovely Belgium with about 13,000 Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Belgian people, it is not easy to organize classes. Every summer, it is expected enough students to start in September. Vietnamese class is a project started in 2012 by the Belgium-Vietnam Alliance (BVA), with great merits of Mr. Huynh Cong My - now the President of the General Association of Vietnamese in Belgium. About a year later, Ms. Nguyen Bich Diep went to Brussels and joined hands with the project.

Ms. Diep recollected that after she had joined for a year, two classes for adults were organized besides a children's class which was maintained from the beginning. Expenditures included renting a place, paying teachers' salaries, and buying textbooks, which are difficult to balance with income from moderate tuition fees. It was impossible to break even, but BVA has 3 pillars including economy, culture and society, so they still maintain the Vietnamese class as the pillar of culture. Vietnamese grammar is not too difficult to learn except for hard rhyme. In order to have the most effective teaching method, she had to choose the most neutral curriculum and the most neutral words.

When it comes to teaching Vietnamese abroad, people often bring up the story that Poland built Lac Long Quan School which was founded in 2007. Every year, 150-200 students enrolled in Lac Long Quan School. Poland has a large community of Vietnamese people, so a large number of students registered to study in the school obviously. But does the love of the mother tongue and many Vietnamese values through the medium of Vietnamese communication have enough vibrations to spread? Therefore, the idea of ​​founding a forum ‘Preserving the Vietnamese language abroad’ was initiated by Mr. Le Xuan Lam - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lac Long Quan School and some teachers.

Mr. Le Xuan Lam contacted Ms. Tran Thu Dung in France, and then colleagues at the Faculty of Linguistics of the General University in Russia. Everyone enthusiastically introduced and connected widely. The first workshop was hosted on June 27, 2021 with the participation of more than 100 teachers, lecturers, and language researchers from 28 countries. After that seminar, July 15, 2021 officially became the founding date of the forum for preserving Vietnamese abroad.

Now, the forum for preserving Vietnamese abroad is two years after its establishment. The events to mark the forum's second anniversary celebration took place on July 15 and 16 in Poland, including an online seminar and discussion on July 15 with the topic ‘Discussion on teaching and learning Vietnamese in the world’.

Lots of authors from Poland, Belgium, Germany, Taiwan (China), the Netherlands, Korea, Italy, Slovakia, and France have signed up for papers such as ‘Inspiring Mission - Vietnamese: Loving Beauty and Intelligence’, ‘International Vietnamese language proficiency test and statistics’, ‘Learning and teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language in France’, ‘Experience in writing Vietnamese textbooks and teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language’. Vietnamese language teaching proved that the forum is rich in reference and application value as well as convenient for research and policy making. The silhouette of a community project has been foreseeable.

How will the project "What I want to do" of each individual teaching Vietnamese abroad develop next? Ms. Le Thi Bich Huong suggested that UNESCO has an International Mother Language Day on February 21 every year as migration is a global concern. As long as people stay active in their place, and learn through local cultural centers, there will always be an opportunity to teach and spread the Vietnamese language.

Teacher Ha Thi Van Anh from the Department of Vietnamese under the Institute of Languages of the Taras Shevchenko University in Ukraine showed a message from her graduate who wrote that these 6 years have been very useful and the student is so grateful to her.

Australian media proposes Vietnamese destinations for best winter holiday escape

Traveller of The Sydney Morning Herald recently released a list of the best winter holiday escapes, with Ho Chi Minh City and a river cruise across Vietnam included.

Turning up the heat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a popular suggestion for travelers who are keen to enjoy a great winter holiday, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Guests can pull up a stool at a street pho vendor ­and enjoy the spice hit of Vietnamese food to make one forget the winter doldrums back home.

Visitors can also take time to wander the streets, drink coffee with locals, browse the boutiques with the young and fashionable, and linger at the sophisticated bars and nightspots that tell of a smart, upwardly mobile city, the Australian media outlet recommends.

Furthermore, a 15-day “Magnificent Mekong” river cruise is featured in the list of places. Sailing at the hottest time of year is perfect for those whose idea of a break means wearing shorts and enjoying a cold beer.

A Viking cruise between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has three departures in August and four in September, with visits to bustling river-port towns such as Sa Dec and Cai Be in Vietnam, as well as the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and the superb temples of Angkor Wat. It finishes with a side trip to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, the article writes.

Apart from Vietnamese destinations, the author Julietta Jameson suggested others in 10 metropolises to offer an abundant out-and-about opportunities, alongside cosy or cooling relaxation and respite. 

Wellington (New Zealand), Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, and Melbourne (Australia) are also among the good suggestions for travelers to enjoy the best winter holiday escapes.

Young Vietnamese scientists in RoK honoured for outstanding research

The Vietnamese Students Association in the Republic of Korea (VSAK) held its ninth annual conference of Vietnamese Young Scientists (ACVYS) 2023 on July 16 at the Sejong University in Seoul.

The gathering took place under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in RoK and the Seoul-based Office of the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology, attracting the participation of hundreds of scientists, graduate students, and both Vietnamese and international students studying and living in the RoK.

The organising committee received a number of submissions for reports across various fields from nearly 500 Vietnamese students living in the host country.

The scientific council, consisting of professors and doctors with rich academic and research experience, selected 41 reports for presentation covering various fields such as computer science, information and communications technology, chemistry and chemical engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, physics, energy and materials science, aerospace engineering, economics and political science, linguistics, education, and social sciences.

The council selected and awarded prizes to seven outstanding young scientists. In addition, five candidates with the most outstanding research achievements in such fields were also honoured at the event.

Within the framework of the conference, a talk show titled “Vietnamese Students in Korea: Embracing Opportunities, Looking Towards The Future”, was also held to help local students make the right choice when choosing majors, as well as research orientations.

Cambodian, Laotian students take a day being Vietnamese farmer

HCMC Farmers’ Association coordinated with functional units to organize a trip to Can Gio District for more than 30 Cambodian and Laotian students who are studying in the city on July 16. 

The tour called “A day in the Life of a farmer” gave students an opportunity to get numerous awesome experiences of the local people with the traditional craft of salt making and farming, and enjoy local culture, food, and products of mangrove forest in the coastal district.

Vice Chairwoman of the HCMC Farmers’ Association Huynh Thi Kim Xuyen said that the tour aims to promote typical agricultural products of the city to Cambodian and Laotian students and visitors, contributing to developing the southern metropolis into a creative, dynamic, and sentimental city.

VN Boxing Organisation established to push boxing

The new Việt Nam Boxing Organisation (VBO) has been established with a view to professionalise national boxing and lift it to a higher level in the near future.

Currently, the Việt Nam Boxing Federation manages domestic boxing activities. The organisation is expected to take care of the sport at the international level.

"With the support of the VBO, Vietnamese boxers will be able to take part in international professional events frequently. It will help them get higher incomes and sharpen their skills," said VBO President Lim Song on July 14.

“I can confirm that Việt Nam's boxing potential is huge, especially for athletes in the lightweight division. We can produce world pro champions if athletes have enough financial support to follow their passion and improve their technique through international competitions," he said. "VBO will help them to reach this target."

VBO will not only support Vietnamese athletes in competitions but also protect their rights or complain for them when they face troubles. 

The organisation will also give local coaches, judges and referees chances to work at international events.

VBO's biggest expectation is to build up a professional boxing economic environment in Việt Nam. Boxers could earn income from fighting in events while the business side of the sport would bring value to the country, as has been the case in Japan and the Philippines. 

"In Japan, there are about 20 events per month while it is about 15 in the Philippines. These countries earn about US$300 million per month from activities related to boxing such as airplane tickets, tourism, pay-per-views and fight tickets," said Song.

"I hope that the VBO will join hands to build a boxing economy in Việt Nam and bring the sport to a new height."

At its establishment held at the Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu Province's Grand Ho Tram Strip, the VBO signed strategic cooperation contracts with organisations from Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and China.

Hoàng Quốc Vinh, head of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam's (SAV) Elite Sport Department, also attended at the event.

"The establishment of VBO will create a comfortable environment for both amateur and professional athletes and supporters to follow boxing in accordance with the policy of developing sports in Việt Nam," said Vinh. 

"VBO and organisations like it will push the national federations to develop boxing in localities across the country.

"The Sports Authority of Việt Nam promises to give the best conditions for boxing development, organising more events locally and sending athletes abroad regularly and simplifying the registration and paperwork processes.

"We will also help to invite experts, judges and boxing stars to come to fight in Việt Nam." 

Recently, Việt Nam's pro boxing has made remarkable progress, making big bangs internationally and setting milestones for the nation. 

Among rising stars are Nguyễn Thị Thu Nhi who won the WBO female mini-flyweight belt in 2021 and Đinh Hồng Quân who took the IBF Asia lightweight belt in 2022.

In addition, many pro events including famous bouts by Cocky Buffalo Gym and promoter Kim Sang Bum have been organised nationwide luring the attention of international friends and supporters. 

First ever Miss Nature Vietnam launched

The debut version of Miss Nature Vietnam was officially launched at a press conference recently held in Hanoi, with the aim of popularizing a message of a green lifestyle among the community and seeking a local representative to vie for Miss Nature World. 
      
To join the contest, candidates are required to be unmarried and aged above 18, with a height of at least 1.58 metres.

Apart from the Top 4, prizes will also be awarded to the most favourite contestant, Miss Talent, Miss Media, Miss Ao Dai, Miss Sports, 63 Miss Nature, and 63 Miss Energy sub-titles.

The final round is scheduled to take place on Phu Quoc island in Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang this November, with the grand finale to be held on November 11.

The winner will receive a crown worth VND2 billion, along with a cash prize of VND300 million. She will also represent Vietnam at Miss Nature World which is slated for 2024.

The first runner-up will be given a crown costing VND1 billion and a cash prize of VND150 million. The second and third runners-up will be awarded crowns valued at VND500 million and VND300 million, and they will get cash prizes of VND100 million and VND50 million, respectively.

The Miss Nature Vietnam pageant follows 17 development goals set by the UN to find contestants who are capable of inspiring natural and environmental protection, as well as spreading the green lifestyle message among the community.

Man injured by rare langur in Bac Kan

A man in the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan has been injured after being attacked by a rare white-cheeked langur at Kim Ky Nature Reserve.

According to the management board of Kim Hy Nature Reserve, the incident happened on July 14 in Na Leng Village in Na Ri District. The local man was suddenly hit by the langur when driving a motorbike. As a result, he suffered some injuries to his right leg. 

He was sent to Van Lang Commune’s medical centre for six stitches and was vaccinated.

The Kim Hy Nature Reserve will encourage the gibbons to return to their natural environment. If this is ineffective, the reserve management board will consider other solutions to deal with the animals.

Some people in Van Lang Commune previously reported that they had seen a white-cheeked langur from Kim Hy Nature Reserve come to the forest edge to seek food.

Ha Giang bans swimming at Du Gia waterfall following drowning

Authorities in the northern province of Ha Giang have suspended swimming activities at Du Gia Waterfall in Yen Minh District after a tourist recently drowned in the area.

Vice Chairman of Yen Minh District People’s Committee, Nguyen Dinh Duan, said that they have issued a temporary ban on swimming activities at the Du Gia Waterfall, also known as the Ba Tien Fall, in Tham Luong Village from July 14 until further notice.

"Tour and accommodation service providers and tourists have been asked to strictly comply with the regulation," the official said. "Tour guides and owners of lodging facilities will be punished if their guests swim at the waterfall."

The move came after a tourist, a 24-year-old male visitor who came from Phu Tho Province, drowned while swimming at the waterfall on July 12.

Du Gia Waterfall has become a popular destination to many visitors, particularly foreigners thanks to its beauty. The waterfall has no management, but local authorities have warned of the dangers of such potentially perilous activities.

A clip showing a foreign couple embracing each other and performing consecutive somersaults three times from the top of eight-metre-high waterfall was recently shared on social networks. Many people said that it is too risky, while others have hailed the couple for their skills.

VND673 billion proposed for Danang park upgrade

The authorities of Da Nang City have proposed using VND673 billion (USD28.63 million) to upgrade 29/3 Park.

Around 2,989 square metres of the central coastal city will be taken for the project that will be invested by the Danang Management Board of Industrial and Civil Engineering Construction and Investment Projects.

The project to renovate 29/3 Park will include the construction of a Peace Ring, a new entrance gate on Nguyen Tri Phuong Road and public toilets. It will also focus on upgrading the sports area and the parking lot, growing more trees, installing drainage and lighting systems and dredging the lake.

29/3 Park has deteriorated, with the drainage system of neighbouring residential areas directly discharging into the park’s lake, causing severe pollution.

Vietnam, India step up cooperation in cardiology

The Indian Consulate General in HCMC, in collaboration with the HCMC Medical Association (HMA) and the HCMC Cardiovascular Association (HCVA), has recently organized the Vietnam–India Cardiology Workshop in District 1, HCMC.

The hybrid event, titled “Optimizing the treatment of Cardiovascular diseases”, was expected to promote the knowledge and experience exchange among colleagues in cardiology of Vietnam and India, said Prof. Dr. Dang Van Phuoc, vice president of the Vietnam National Heart Association and chairman of HCVA.

The event was attended by leading cardiology experts, association representatives and medical professionals in the two countries. More than 150 local doctors and specialists in cardiology took part in the workshop, in addition to over 200 Vietnamese participants joining the event virtually.

“Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most common causes of mortality in Vietnam; the death rate due to cerebrovascular accidents has been recently reported as 164.9/100,000 population,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, president of HMA.

The workshop served as a platform discussing a broad range of topics related to the management of cardiovascular diseases in medical practices, such as optimal treatment of hypertension, heart failure treatment update, and management of coronary heart diseases in clinical practice.

Madan Mohan Sethi, consul general of India in HCMC, suggested HMA organize additional continuing medical education (CME) in various clinical subjects to benefit doctors of both countries.

VND5.7 trillion proposed for Cho Moi-Bac Kan Expressway

The Ministry of Transport has written to the Prime Minister seeking approval for the Cho Moi-Bac Kan Expressway project in northern Vietnam with a total investment of VND5,750 billion.

The expressway is planned to be around 28.8 kilometers long and 22 meters wide. It will start from the Thai Nguyen-Cho Moi Expressway in Cho Moi District and connect to National Highway 3B, linking to the Bac Kan-Ba Be Lake Expressway in Bac Kan City.

The expressway will have four traffic lanes, designed with a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, while some sections will allow for a speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

The total investment for the project is divided into different components, including over VND4.1 trillion for construction costs, over VND400 billion for consulting and project management, VND490 billion for site clearance, and VND700 billion for contingency.

Due to the relatively low traffic volume in the region, the Ministry of Transport has proposed that the project be funded through the State budget rather than the public-private partnership (PPP).

The site clearance and resettlement progress is planned for the period of 2023-2024, with construction scheduled to begin in 2024 and completion targeted for 2026.

Once completed, the Cho Moi-Bac Kan Expressway will enhance the transportation network in the northern region, complementing the existing Hanoi-Thai Nguyen and Thai Nguyen-Cho Moi expressways.

Houses damaged as storm hits Kien Giang

Dozens of houses have been damaged and roads flooded by heavy rains and strong winds triggered by Storm Talim. 

Many roads in Rach Gia City have faced serious floods since early Monday morning following heavy rain which started on July 16. 

Nearly 20 houses in the two districts of Go Quao and Giong Rieng have been badly damaged by the strong wind and thunderstorms during the rain.Local authorities have sent a rescue team of nearly 300 members to come and help people deal with the aftermath of the thunderstorm.

Kien Giang has temporarily halted ferry and boat services to Phu Quoc Island since July 16 due to the effects of the storm.

Ferry and speedboat services between Rach Gia and Phu Quoc, Nam Du, Hon Son; and between Ha Tien and Phu Quoc have been suspended until further notice. Boat and ferry tickets that have been purchased can be returned or rescheduled. 

Vietnamese Ambassador works with 78th UNGA President

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), had a working session in New York on July 17 with President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Ambassador Dennis Francis.

Dennis Francis, who is also the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN, told Giang that during his tenure, he will promote the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and support countries in building and forming global development trends at the Summit of the Future slated for September 2024.

He also stressed the need to promote multilateralism and respect the UN Charter, in which member countries need to work together to rebuild peace and security, respond to climate change, and protect the environment.

The Vietnamese diplomat congratulated Dennis Francis on his election as the president, affirming that the country will continue to actively participate in and contribute to promoting the common agendas of the international community, as well as efforts to find solutions to global challenges. The ambassador reaffirmed Vietnam's interest in stepping up the implementation of the SDGs, easing poverty, responding to climate change, and securing financial resources for development.

Vietnam will maintain its contributions to the joint efforts of the international community in implementing current important processes, especially the SDG Summit and the Summit of the Future, promoting confidence building, and strengthening multilateralism, Giang added.

The UN General Assembly on June 1 elected Ambassador Dennis Francis as the President of its 78th session for a one-year term, starting from September 5.

US, Vietnamese, Lao students join friendship night in Quang Ngai

Friendship Night, an exchange between students from the US, Vietnam and Laos was held on My Khe beach, the central province of Quang Ngai on July 17.

Co-organised by the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, the provincial Youth Union, Pham Van Dong University and Quang Ngai College, the event was the first of its kind in the province with the participation of students from the three countries to raise their mutual understanding, friendship and unity.

The event featured outdoor teambuilding games, a display of the traditional cuisine of each country, and a night gala.

Director of the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs Huynh Thi Phuong Hoa said over the past 15 years, Putney Student Travel has been bringing US students to Quang Ngai, particularly to the coastal area of Tinh Khe commune, every July.

Apart from joining house building projects for the underprivileged, the US students also teach English to elementary school students, engage in public sanitation activities, offer gifts to disadvantaged students, and join cultural exchanges to learn about the history, culture, and scenic spots of Quang Ngai, she said.

On the occasion, the organising board presented five bicycles to poor students  in Tinh Ky commune, Quang Ngai city.

Conference seeks to reduce climate change impact on green growth, sustainable development

In the context of the increasing impacts of climate change, green growth is described as a way to both pursue economic growth goals and prevent environmental degradation and biodiversity loss towards sustainable use of natural resources and increase of adaptability to climate change, Hoang Hong Hiep, acting director of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Central Region (ISSCR), has said.

Vietnam is one of the first developing countries in the world to launch the "National Strategy on Green Growth, he said at an international conference on climate change, green growth and regional sustainable development” held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17.

The event attracted the participation of scientists from France, the US, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

At the event , Vietnamese and international experts and scientists focused their discussions on issues such as climate change and sustainable agriculture; climate change, social welfare and mitigation measures. Climate change and corporate social responsibility, circular economy and sustainable development; innovation and sustainable growth were also touched upon.

Professor Venkatest from France’s EM Normandie Business School talked about solutions in implementing development and reducing environmental pollution of the sugar industry in India, which offer support to small-scale enterprises in terms of capital, technology and expertise for sustainable development, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of localities.

Meanwhile, Pham Tien Dat from the University of Finance - Marketing said it is necessary to diversify the mobilisation of resources for circular economy development, including those from the State, local authorities, people and businesses.

He underlined the need to consume products of the circular economy model, clean products as well as apply advanced and modern technologies to reduce environmental pollution, adding that tax and fee incentives are also a must to create financial resources for businesses.

Vietnamese, Thai localities seek ways to boost cooperation

A delegation from the northern province of Hoa Binh, led by Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Phi Long, had a working session with Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, on July 17.

At the meeting, Long introduced Bangkok's officials strengths of Hoa Binh province with a convenient transport system, connecting to many airports, seaports and international border gates. In the coming time, the province will focus on attracting investment in various areas, including modern and high-quality industrial production; production and processing of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products; resort tourism development; urban development associated with ecology systems.

He said the province has a plan to prioritise investment in necessary infrastructure such as roads, power supply, construction planning, among others at potential and advantageous locations to create favourable conditions for investors investing in the province.

Long expressed his hope that Thai enterprises will become one of important investors in the Vietnamese province.

For his part, Chadchart said as head of Thailand’s capital city, he will connect local enterprises with Hoa Binh province while affirming that Bangkok city will always create favourable conditions for investors and enterprises of Hoa Binh province to seek investment opportunities in Thailand.

The Ambassador emphasised that he will work closely with the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to promote cooperation between the two localities.

Suriname officials hail Vietnam’s outstanding development

Ministers of Suriname have commended Vietnam’s outstanding development while receiving Ambassador Pham Thi Kim Hoa, who came to bid farewell at the end of her tenure.

As part of her stay in Suriname from July 11-15, the Vietnamese ambassador to Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business, and International Cooperation Albert Ramdin, who highlighted the close ties between the two countries, and lauded Vietnam for its achievements as well as its role in the international community.

Suriname will always support Vietnam at international forums, while promoting all-level delegation exchanges with the country in the time ahead, he said.

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Permanand Sewdien hailed Vietnam’s development achievements, especially in the export of tea, coffee, pepper and rice.

Suriname wishes to learn from Vietnam’s experience in farming and fishery, step up delegation exchanges, and launch cooperation projects in agriculture, he said.

Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation Rishma KuldipSingh expressed her hope for cooperation mechanisms, particularly in agriculture, saying the Suriname always calls on foreign communities, including Vietnamese, to invest in the country.

For her part, Hoa affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Latin American nations, including Suriname. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain coordination and mutual support, especially in post COVID-19 economic recovery, she said.

The diplomat suggested the two sides roll out such mechanisms as political consultation, and sign an agreement on sending Vietnamese workers in the fields of construction and fishery to Suriname.

On this occasion, representatives of the Vietnamese community in Suriname had a dialogue with Minister Sewdien and other high-ranking government officials to learn about the host country’s legal procedures and investment policies.
 
Trade between the two countries now stands at only 20 million USD, and ample room remains for the bilateral cooperation.

Tuyết, Thanh set records at Mekong Delta Marathon

Heavy rain didn't stop runners from setting new records at the Vietcombank Mekong Delta Marathon Hậu Giang 2023 on July 16 in Vị Thanh City, Hậu Giang Province.

Lê Thị Tuyết proved her power to top the women's full marathon category in her first participation.

The SEA Games silver medalist faced only one challenge from defending champion Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa throughout the run. They set up a dual race under the rain from the beginning to the end which saw Tuyết successfully sprinting away in the last hundred meters to the finish line.

Her time of 2:59:24 was the new tournament record, 11 minutes faster than the old one set by Hoa last year.

Hoa, the 31st SEA Games bronze medal holder, came second about 30sec later. 

Hoàng Thị Lành was third with a time of 3:35.13.

“Running in the rain is never easy. I was splashed with rain water over my face. The hilly terrain was not a problem for me but there was a piece of the road that was being repaired. It nearly injured my leg," said Tuyết.

"I am happy to win a gold in my first time here. If I have a chance to come back next year, I will set another record."

On the men's side, SEA Games third-placed runner Hoàng Nguyên Thanh made a solo in the race. He separated from the whole group to run to the finish line at a time of 2:37.02, setting a new height of the tournament.

The previous record was 2:37.46 by Bùi Thế Anh made in 2020.

Lê Thị Tuyết runs ahead of Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa to win the Mekong Delta Marathon Hậu Giang's women's full marathon class.
Nguyễn Văn Long (2:52.13) and Nguyễn Trần Minh Đức (2:58.02) came second and third, respectively.

"It is a challenging race because of the bad weather and uncomfortable terrain. However, it pushed me up. I wanted a record that I failed to make last year, and I make it today," said Thanh.

Tuyết and Thanh each received VNĐ17 million for first place and VNĐ50 million for setting their records. Thanh also pocketed a ticket to take part in one of the world's six largest marathons.

"I will choose the Berlin Marathon in Germany. It's a world record marathon where Eliud Kipchoge made his mark. I want to test my skills there," said Thanh.

In other categories, Lê Hữu Lộc topped the men's 21km at 1:20.45 while Nguyễn Thị Phương Trinh won the women's class at 1:35.39.

Lý Nhân Tín and Khuất Phương Anh won the men's and women's 10km while Nguyễn Chí Kiên and Nguyễn Lệ Trân were winners of the men's and women's 5km.

The Mekong Delta Marathon Hậu Giang attracted almost 9,000 runners to discover the province's landscapes and its people's beauty. It was one of a series of activities to boost local tourism potential. 

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