The south central province of Ninh Thuan will hold a 15- minute firework display to welcome the Grape - Wine Festival 2023 and the ceremony to receive a certificate from UNESCO recognising the pottery-making art of the Cham ethnic minority people as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Long Bien said that the festival, running from June 13-18, are an important and meaningful event for Ninh Thuan to attract more tourists, thereby turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector with sustainable development in the coming years.

Themed “Ninh Thuan – The land of convergence of different values”, spectators will have a chance to enjoy a low-range firework display in the opening night of the festival which is slated for June 16, 2023 at April 16 Square.

According to Nguyen Van Hoa, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year’s festival will be bigger than the previous ones with fairs, musical performances, a grapevine trellis contest, vineyard tours, and conferences on the development of grape farming and processing.

The biennial festival seeks to build a brand for the province’s grapes and honour various ethnic cultures.

Ninh Thuan is home to 1,060ha of grape cultivation, which is expected to double to 2,000ha by 2030.

Festival attendees can also visit the province’s Bau Truc Pottery Village, My Nghiep Brocade Weaving Village and Nui Chua Biosphere Reserve.

The Cham people's pottery-making art was inscribed in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding by UNESCO on November 29, 2022. Cham pottery products are mainly household utensils, worship objects, and handicrafts such as jars (called “jek”), pots (gok), food trays (cambak), and vases (bilaok).

Pottery making is direct demonstration of the creativity of Cham women intimately connected to the history of knowledge in their community.

Notably, instead of using turntables, Cham women move around blocks of clay to shape objects. The products are not laid with enamel but dried and baked outdoor in wood and rice straw fires at about 800 degrees Celsius for 7 - 8 hours.

Ninh Thuan aims to attract 3.5 million tourists by 2025 and earn 2.9 trillion VND (123.68 million USD) from the tourism sector.

This year, the province expects to welcome 2.7 million visitors, of whom 20,000 are foreigners.

Public interest should be put first in hospital system overhaul : Deputy PM

Public interest, especially patients’ benefits, should be given due attention when rearranging the system of hospitals under the management of the Health Ministry, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said.

He made the requirement at an online meeting of ministries, sectors and localities on the reshuffle of hospitals under the direct control of the Health Ministry on June 1.

He underlined the necessity of separating state management and the administration of non-business public establishments in the health care sector, urging for a new approach in re-organising the hospital system to ensure a balance between central and local levels, invest more in areas with underdeveloped health services and develop fields of medicine in accordance with the present disease situation.  

At the meeting, the Health Ministry reported that it is managing 34 hospitals. Under the project of overhauling those hospitals, the ministry will retain management of 30. Among the four others, one will be transferred to the management of the province where it is located, two will be re-organised into hospitals of the Hanoi Medical University and one will be turned into a branch of a regional hospital.

Hanoi intensifies anti-speeding communications campaign

The capital city of Hanoi has launched its one-month anti-speeding communications campaign starting May 30 in a bid to raise drivers’ awareness of the matter and ensure road safety.

As part of the campaign, a video clip calling on people to comply with speed regulations is set to be screened across urban and densely populated areas or in front of public spaces such as schools and hospitals.

The municipal committee for traffic safety has requested the local police and transport departments, socio-political units, educational establishments, and driving test centres to showcase the clip on their LED screens, official websites, and Facebook pages, among others.

The campaign is the capital’s response to the National Traffic Safety Committee's plan for the UN Global Road Safety Week in Vietnam in 2023 and to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) for 2020-2025, in which Hanoi is one of the 28 participating cities.

Digital technologies prove effective in waste management

As Ho Chi Minh City sees a huge volume of waste discharged daily, digital technologies are said to help solve the problem, and better connect households, authorities, and waste collectors.

Many localities in the southern economic hub have applied digital technologies to better waste mangement. Districts 3, 4, Go Vap, Binh Thanh, Binh Chanh, and Tan Dinh ward in District 1 have used the app GRAC for waste management. The app, developed by GRAC Technology Joint Stock Company, with its web-based version, provides management tools for waste collection units and authorities such as waste collection contracts, employees, payment history, notices, and feedback from households.

It also supports the management of garbage trucks to see if they travel the wrong routes or skip any stops.

With the mobile phone-based version, the app GRAC has the main functions such as household/garbage truck management, monthly waste collection fee tracking, online payment, and waste classification instruction. The app also connects households and waste collectors, and allows residents to track the location of garbage trucks, and collection schedules. People can send complaints and feedback related to domestic waste collection services directly to authorities and waste collection units.

Nguyen Trong Minh, Director of GRAC Technology Joint Stock Company, said that digital technology helps waste collectors save transportation costs and support people to classify and dispose of waste properly, without causing harms to the environment.

He said that the whole inner area of Ho Chi Minh City is expected to use the waste management app by the end of this year.

In 2024, the company expects the app will be widely installed by local households to combine with GRAC software designated for authorities to create an effective waste management system.

Meanwhile, the HCM City Urban Environment Company Limited (CITENCO) has used Global Positioning System (GPS) to monitor its 265 garbage trucks.

Director General of the company Huynh Minh Nhut said that the company develops an internal mobile application to manage garbage trucks from/to transfer stations and check and confirm drivers' information.

At each transfer station, CITENCO builds a management and monitoring system for garbage trucks including card readers, surveillance cameras, and submersible weighing systems. The company also builds a management database system for specific groups such as domestic waste, industrial waste, or medical waste.

Currently, about 9,700 tonnes of domestic waste are generated in the city daily, with annual growth rate of 6-10%.

Private waste collectors account for 60 percent of the total, including 162 companies, 17 cooperatives, two trade unions, and more than 2,120 garbage collection groups. Meanwhile, public units, comprising CITENCO and 22 district public service companies, are responsible for keeping streets and public places clean.

Vietnam’s futsal team looks good heading into Asian qualifiers

To prepare for the organisation of the 2024 Asian futsal qualifiers, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has conducted seed grouping as well as announced the draw rules for the 31 participating teams, including Vietnam.

The seeding is based on the performance of the teams at the 2022 Asian futsal tournament. Teams not participating in this tournament are ranked in the lowest group.

Accordingly, Vietnam is placed in the seed No.1 group, together with Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Tajikistan, Indonesia and Kuwait.

Group 2 comprises Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Turkmenistan, Lebanon, the Republic of Korea, and Myanmar.

Group 3 gathers Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Australia, Palestine, Hong Kong (China), Timor-Leste. Meanwhile, Group 4 includes Cambodia, Maldives, Mongolia, Brunei, China, India, and Macau (China).

AFC also officially announced the list of eight places hosting the eight qualifying groups (7 groups of 4 teams and 1 group of 3 teams), which are Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

The Vietnamese team, led by head coach Giustozzi Diego Raul, is scheduled to get training in South America to prepare for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Argentinian coach has decided to maintain 16 outstanding players among the 23 called for the February tournament and give chances to three new members based on their performance. A shortlist of 16 players will be announced on May 31.

Their training in South America will start in Paraguay, where the team will have three friendlies with the Paraguayan futsal team on June 4, 6, and 8. In Argentina, they will play against the team of this country on June 10, 12, and 14.

Int’l conference talks Southeast Asian urbanism to address global warming

Domestic and foreign researchers and experts in urban architecture, planning, and development sought ways to harmoniously integrate urban architecture and the natural environment at an international conference in Ho Chi Minh City on May 29-30.

The “Southeast Asian Urbanisms to Address Global Warming” conference was held by the University of Economics HCM City in coordination with the University of Architecture HCM City, and Belgium’s KU Leuven University.

It brought together delegates from host Vietnam and foreign countries like Belgium, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.

The conference offered an opportunity for the experts to seek new approaches in settling challenges to social ecology, according to Professor, Dr. Su Dinh Thanh, Rector of the University of Economics HCM City.

Professor Kelly Shannon from KU Leuven University emphasized some Southeast Asian bodies of water and large cities such as HCM City, Bangkok, and Jakarta are increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise and saltwater instruction.

Given global warming, the professor said cooperation between Vietnamese universities and their regional counterparts should contribute to efforts in response to the phenomenon.

During the two-day conference, the participants focused on the topics of water urbanism, forest urbanism, and urban countryside/metropolis.

Hanoi youths apply digital transformation in volunteer activities

Hanoi’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union on May 30 launched a volunteer youth campaign for summer 2023, during which it will intensify the application of digital transformation in volunteer activities.

Secretary of the city Youth Union Chu Hong Minh said that this year, the union is aiming for digital transformation across all activities, including supporting the national high school graduation exam, building an online teaching platform, opening online classes for students living in difficult circumstances in the capital city as well as in other cities and provinces.

This year’s campaign aims to attract the participation of 100,000 youth union members and young people.

It sets targets of forming and maintaining at least 80 civilised roads, investing in and supporting the building of at least 100 entertainment places for juveniles and children, repairing at least 150km of rural roads, providing career consultancy services for at least 150,000 youths, and assisting at least 80 startup and innovation projects.

On the day, nearly 1,000 students registered for voluntary blood donation.

IOM helps improve border guards’ capacity of combating trafficking in persons

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Department of Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Vietnam Border Guard on May 30 held a workshop to launch the “Training Curriculum on Counter-Trafficking and Victim Protection” and to wrap up the project “Frontline training for Border Guards in Border Areas of Vietnam”, funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Department of State.

Participants at the workshop agreed that the Vietnam Border Guard plays an important role in the fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) and the provision of protection and support for trafficking victims. Overseeing 4,639km of land borders and 3,444km of coastlines, the Border Guard is at the forefront of cross-border crime prevention and control.

After three years of implementation, the project has achieved a number of significant outcomes that profoundly enhanced the technical capacity of Vietnam's border guards, especially frontline officers in hotspot border areas, to better detect, investigate and handle TIP cases, as well as identify, protect and assist trafficking victims.

Within the framework of this project, the training curriculum on counter-trafficking and victim protection for frontline officers was developed by the Vietnam Border Guard High Command and approved by the Ministry of Defence for use in training.  The Training Curriculum was disseminated to border guard stations and border guard academies in 12 target provinces and was used to conduct 12 training workshops for 436 frontline Border Guard officers in 12 target provinces in the northern and southern regions. The project also creates a forum for the officers to exchange effective methods, professional skills and practical experiences that have been successfully applied in retracing, investigating and prosecuting TIP cases.

IOM also coordinated with Department of Drug Control and Crime Prevention to conduct end-of-training assessments at six hotspot provinces including An Giang, Kien Giang, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Cao Bang and Lang Son. The assessment results not only provided valuable information on the ongoing trends and modus operandi of TIP criminals and irregular migration activities in border areas but also revealed the challenges that border guards and victim support agencies must face in implementing processes and procedures for the investigation of TIP cases as well as trafficking victim protection and support.

The frontline officers who participated in the assessment also contributed useful intervention ideas and recommendations to address ongoing obstacles for consideration by IOM and the DDCCP in future cooperation.

Steering committee seeks solutions to realise green growth targets

The national steering committee for green growth should work out specific solutions to realise green growth targets based on the country’s socio-economic conditions, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the committee Tran Hong Ha said at the committee’s first meeting on May 30.  

The Deputy PM required the committee to update green growth-related statistics and targets since the COP26, and study experiences of countries in implementing green growth strategies with a view to draw out lessons for Vietnam.

He underlined the need to identify a number of pilot projects in priority fields such as legal framework, science-technology, education-training and digital transformation, which will serve as the foundation for green growth in sectors with large emissions like  agriculture or transport.

He also instructed that ministries and sectors urgently build sets of tools and binding standards to classify and assess green growth, while additional investment should be ensured for the transition from the traditional growth model to green growth.

Besides green growth, Deputy PM Ha noted the important role of the digital economy in leading green and sustainable growth.

According to a report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the International Renewable Energy Agency assessed that Vietnam has great opportunities for green growth given its advantages in carbon storage capacity, forest resources and renewable energy potential.

The country also has one of the fastest growth rates in the digital economy in the region. However, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said green growth in Vietnam is facing challenges posed by an inconsistent legal corridor, the lack of a national green growth standard system which hinders the building of support mechanism and policies for green growth projects. The country is also yet to have tools to monitor and assess the realization of green growth targets during 2021-2030. In addition, resources for green growth remain limited.

Ly Son Cross Island swimming event successful, to become annual tourism product

The open sea swimming competition on Lý Sơn Islands was highly appreciated for its organisation and preparation as it was held for the first time in Quảng Ngãi Province last weekend.

In its inaugural race, nearly 250 athletes, locals and foreigners, swam in the middle of the sea paradise and overcame ancient craters and millions of years of volcanic sediment as well as diverse coral reefs.

They were guided by a special corridor made of national flags from the start to the finish of the three-category competition entitled Lý Sơn Cross Island.

Khoa Sun and Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang won the men's and women's 5km, respectively.

Võ Trí Trung and Trần Thanh Bình were winners of the men's and women's 2km classes.

Nguyễn Đăng Khoa and Đặng Linh Giang topped the men's and women's 1km divisions.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang won the title in the women's 5km class. Khoa Sun finished first in the men's 5km category.

According to Lê Văn Ninh, vice chairman of the Lý Sơn District People's Committee, the local authority and staff of the Green Path Joint Stock Company inspected and evaluated the route last year. They then decided to organise the event after months of preparation.

Ninh believed that sea swimming will be an annual event and a special experience tourism product of Lý Sơn. 

VN to defend regional U23 crown in August

VN is in Group C at the 2023 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Football Championship.

After a draw conducted on May 29 in Bangkok, the defending champions are slotted to play the Philippines and Laos. Host Thailand, last year's first runner-up, will face Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar in Group A while second runner-up Timor Leste will meet Malaysia and Indonesia.

Singapore will not compete after the defeat of their U22 squad at the 32nd SEA Games. The team has been under a review after a lackluster performance that placed them at the bottom in the group stage.

Bernard Tan, the acting president of the Football Association of Singapore announced that the Young Lions will not be involved in any international tournaments until a technical review of the failure at the SEA Games is completed and until the Young Lions are competitive enough to compete.

The championship will be organised from August 17-26 in Chonburi Province.

Teams will compete in a round robin format. The three top teams and the best second-place team will advance to the semi-finals.

Việt Nam will play its first match against Laos on August 20 and the Philippines two days later.

The highly anticipated tournament will serve as a prelude for the upcoming AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 football competition, both taking place this September.

President of the Football Association of Thailand, Police General Somyot Poompanmoung, said, “We are thrilled to host the AFF U23 Championship 2023, which offers a remarkable stage for our young aspiring future stars to display their skills and compete at the highest level. As one of the premier youth tournaments in the region, we are proud to bring this event to Chonburi so our fans can experience the beauty of Thailand and bring home many unforgettable memories. We look forward to welcoming the teams and delivering a competitive and memorable tournament come August,” he was quoted as saying on aseanfootball.org.

Việt Nam beat Thailand 1-0 to claim the championship title at the last final in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

Fund-raising exhibition presents paintings by children with autism

Paintings by children with autism will be presented at a fund-raising exhibition in Hà Nội that will be opened to the public from Friday (June 2).

Entitled Heart for Autism, the exhibition, which aims to spread and inspire the artistic soul of autistic children, bringing their voice to the community, will present 15 paintings by autistic children.

The art event has been co-organised by medical doctor Đỗ Thúy Nga, founder of the Hope Centre, which supports autistic children with specific educational skill development programmes, painter Đinh Công Đạt, and Pan Pacific Hanoi (PPHAN).

According to Dr Nga, children with autism may have difficulty developing language skills.

Visiting the exhibition, guests can discover the colourful inner world of children with autism and their deep sense of creativity and imagination in perceiving the world out there.

Heart for Autism is a fundraising event and an opportunity to call for attentiveness in the community towards autistic children's spiritual life and to create a sustainable future for them.

Playing an important part in the event, artist Đạt who has been known for his contemporary artworks is now becoming a regular guest at the Hope Centre.

As a teacher with a lot of experience organising classes for children at the Hope Centre, he shared: “Through the exhibition, I hope people can see the paintings from the autistic children's perspective and open your heart to enjoy the artworks".

To further the cause of fund-raising, artist Đạt will present four artworks from his series Flowers on Dó (Poonah) Paper. His peer, artist Đinh Quân, has also contributed a large lacquer plate depicting a cat.

The exhibition's opening on Friday evening will feature the presence of young pianist Trần Khôi Việt.

The free-entrance exhibition will open for visitors from 7am to 10pm at Sông Hồng Bar, Lobby Level, Pan Pacific Hanoi, 1 Thanh Niên Road, Hà Nội. 

Thematic exhibition dedicated to “Bob Dylan of VN”

A thematic exhibition dedicated to late songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn, known as the “Bob Dylan of Việt Nam”, is taking place at his birthplace in Buôn Ma Thuột City in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk.

Entitled Trịnh Công Sơn – Cảm Hứng Từ Thiền và Cà Phê (Trịnh Công Sơn – Inspiration from Zen and Coffee), the exhibition has been organised by the Museum of Coffee World – Trung Nguyên Legend. The event is the first of its kind ever taking place in Buôn Ma Thuột City.

Visiting the exhibition, guests will have a chance to learn interesting stories about the talented songwriter and the meditation in his music legacy. His daily habit of enjoying coffee also has been presented at the exhibition.

Born in 1939 and passed away in 2001, Trịnh Công Sơn is one of the most influential figures in Việt Nam. Although he attracted attention with love songs composed in the late 1950s, it was his anti-war songs, particularly those collected in Songs of Golden Skin (1966), that created the “Trịnh Công Sơn phenomenon”.

His 600 songs about love, war, and the philosophy of being human in turbulent wartime, have been widely popular among Vietnamese people both in and outside the country.

Most of his songs carry his distinctive ideology and lyrical style, expressing great love for the Vietnamese people and his homeland while praising peace and love.

In 2006, he was awarded the World Peace Music Award next to Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

Mentioning how Trịnh Công Sơn’s music can contribute to the meditation, Prof John C. Schafer at the Humboldt State University in Arcata, California wrote: “For many Vietnamese people, listening to Trịnh Công Sơn’s music is almost like listening to a sutra.”

In 2016, during his official visit to Việt Nam, then US President Barack Obama recalled the song Nối Vòng Tay Lớn (The Great Circle of Việt Nam) by Trịnh Công Sơn as an example of peace and friendship.

Singer Giang Trang, who has performed a lot of Sơn’s songs, said: “Songs by Trịnh Công Sơn bear features of mediation, of nothingness. People need to have enough life experiences to understand the meaning of lyrics.”

The thematic exhibition Trịnh Công Sơn – Inspiration from Zen and Coffee opens to public till the end of August. The Museum of Coffee World locates on Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Road, Buôn Ma Thuột City. 

HCM City hosts 1st Southeast Asian Urbanisms Seminar

Scholars, experts, scientists, and business executives discussed solutions for the problems caused by urbanisation at the first South East Asian Urbanisms Seminar that wrapped up on Tuesday.

The two-day event, titled “Urban design solutions in Southeast Asia towards solving the problem of global warming,” sought to create an international scientific forum for urban design and planning in the region amid global warming and rapid urbanisation and modernisation.

It attracted hundreds of experts in architecture and planning from many countries like Việt Nam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand.

The topics on the agenda included water and forest urbanism, the urban countryside and the rural metropolis.

Speakers spoke about research and initiatives for preserving and enhancing indigenous design and solutions to harmoniously integrate architecture with social and cultural contexts and the environment to improve lives and bring sustainable values ​​to communities.

Prof. Dr. Sử Đình Thành, president of the University of Economics HCM City, said: “As one of the leading universities in Việt Nam, the University of Economics HCM City sees its role in the development of comprehensive education, being more engaged with the community and society to jointly solve global challenges.

Ministry of Construction request review of fire prevention technicalities

After receiving numerous opinions on the amendment of fire safety regulations, the Ministry of Construction recently requested a review and revision of the national technical standards for fire safety in buildings and construction projects.

Minister of Construction Nguyễn Thanh Nghị has issued an urgent decision to conduct a comprehensive review of all fire safety issues in construction activities.

The Institute of Construction Science and Technology of the Ministry of Construction is to coordinate with the Fire Prevention, Firefighting, Rescue and Emergency Department of the Ministry of Public Security, as well as other relevant units.

A review of the content of national technical standards for fire safety in buildings and construction projects is being conducted to identify the specific obstacles and causes.

Based on the review, proposals will be made to amend the contents of the technical standard for fire safety, named QCVN 06:2022, aiming to complete the system of standards and technical regulations for fire prevention and firefighting in buildings and construction projects.

The Minister of Construction has also assigned the task of compiling and revising the QCVN 06:2022, ensuring the standards based on science and compliance with relevant laws and regulations in Việt Nam's practical conditions.

According to the representative of the Department of Science, Technology, and Environment, the decision of the Minister of Construction is based on the proposal of this unit.

According to the decision, the specialised agencies of the Ministry of Construction will rely on feedback documents to review and approve fire prevention and firefighting aspects for project evaluation, design evaluation, as well as inspection and acceptance of construction works from 2013 to the present.

Recently, the Department of Science, Technology, and Environment, together with a working delegation from the Fire Prevention, Firefighting, Rescue and Emergency Department, visited production facilities to gather information.

Most of the existing obstacles are found in projects constructed before 2021. Some construction works were built several decades ago, and over time, the buildings and workshops have been expanded. However, the standards apply only to newly constructed projects.

For such old construction works, there are confusions whether the new standards should be applied to the entire project or to related sections during repairs or renovations.

According to QCVN 06:2022, this standard is only applicable within the scope of renovation and repair and specifically in cases where the renovation or repair increases the fire risk of the facility. The standard does not apply beyond the scope of renovation and repair.

Regarding the regulations on the use of fire-resistant building materials, including fire-resistant paint, the representative of the Department of Science, Technology, and Environment also mentioned that there were opinions stating that QCVN 06:2022 requires fire-resistant paint types that are not available in Vietnam.

However, in reality, QCVN 06:2022 and its previous versions only provide fire safety requirements for building materials without specifying the use of specific materials.

If the components or structures do not meet the fire resistance limits corresponding to the fire rating of the building or construction project, additional fire protection measures must be implemented.

The fire protection solutions recommended by experts include using fire-resistance paint, tile cladding, concrete, using ordinary mortar including cement mortar, fire-resistant mortar, or encasing with concrete to form a composite structure, or replacing it with other materials such as steel instead of concrete.

Techcombank marathons to lure more runners in 2023 season

The Techcombank Hà Nội Marathon and Techcombank HCM City International Marathon will be elevated to a higher level to be top running events in the region in 2023.

According to organisers, a record number of participants are expected to take part in the second edition of the Hà Nội race on September 17 and the sixth edition of the HCM City tournament on December 10 as title sponsor Techcombank celebrates its 30th anniversary by supporting the growing running movement and better health and wellness in the country.

These premier marathons have attracted runners from different countries in the world in four distances of 42.2km (marathon), 21.1km (half marathon), 10km and 5km. All courses are certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

In its inaugural edition in 2022, the Techcombank Hà Nội Marathon lured about 7,000 runners, while the HCM City event attracted almost 12,000 marathoners. 

The marathons this year promise to be more prestigious than previous editions as the organisers focus on attracting more elite international runners to complement the best local athletes. Key influencers and community and business leaders will also be part of the races while children are encouraged to take part in the Kids Run event.

Enhancing the message "Run for a Greater Việt Nam”, these races offer participants, from beginners to elite athletes, a range of exciting activities, exhibitions and on-course support on their journey to the finish line.

Dong Nai delayed on major belt road project

The southern province of Dong Nai may fail to start work on a belt road project due to some reasons, including sluggish site clearance.

The VND75.3 trillion 76 kilometre-long Ring Road 3 will run through HCM City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Long An. VND41.5 trillion will be used for site clearance.

The section going through Dong Nai is 11.2 kilometres long and has an investment of VND2.6 trillion. It connects Vinh Thanh Commune in Nhon Trach District and Nhon Trach Bridge.

Work on the section in Dong Nai was scheduled to begin by the end of June.

However, to date, the site clearance in Dong Nai has moved at a snail’s pace. By June 13, the section’s technical design documents are expected to be reviewed by the Ministry of Transport. After that, the investor can approve the cost estimates and proceed with the bidding process to select a contractor.

HCMC Police seize nearly 60 kilograms of drug in May

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security uncovered 210 cases, arrested 647 subjects related to drugs and seized nearly 60 kilograms of drugs of all kinds along with relevant tools and means in May.

In May, the Municipal Department of Public Security continued to strengthen fighting crimes, especially organized crime groups, street crimes and crimes related to black credit.

During the month, the city has recorded 348 cases on social order which caused seven deaths and 13 injured with a total damage of nearly VND2.8 billion (US$120,000).

Besides, the HCMC Police investigated and discovered 258 cases, reaching 74.14 percent, and arrested 374 subjects.

Police forces detected and handled 112 cases of economic management, corruption of positions and seized properties with a total amount of more than VND7.1 billion (US$304,000).

Major General Le Hong Nam, Director of the Municipal Public Security Department required heads of the public security divisions in localities to focus on reviewing and evaluating the implementation results of programs, plans and work targets, learning from experiences and overcoming shortcomings and limitations. Therefore, it is important to drastically direct and speed up the progress of solving backlog tasks and completing all assigned tasks.

In addition, it is essential to strengthen fighting crimes of all kinds, especially crimes related to drugs, black credit, corruption, street crimes and economic crimes.

On the other hand, the police forces at all levels are assigned to review, control, inspect and handle automobiles transporting goods and passengers in the city; strengthen inspection over car turning facilities and car repair shops suspected of manufacturing and trading spare parts and components serving for car tuning activities in Ho Chi Minh City.

HCMC praises athletes and coaches winning medals from SEA Games 32

A celebration was held at REX Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to praise coaches and athletes scooping at the SEA Games 32 yesterday afternoon.

On this occasion, the municipal People's Committee awarded certificates of merit to 124 individuals who had good achievements at the SEA Games 32. At the same time, Nguyen Van Khanh Phong and Tran Thi Kim Thanh were honored as the best athletes of the SEA Games 32 voted by the Professional Council and experts in the sports sector in Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, sponsors also donated VND4.3 billion, 210 scholarships for English courses worth more than VND4 billion, and 90 pairs of sneakers. Thanks to the sponsors, coaches and athletes received additional rewards. Athletes capturing gold medals received an additional sum of VND22 million while their peers with silver medals got an additional sum of VND15 million and those getting bronze medal received VND12 million.

Coaches of winning athletes were presented VND30 million while coaches, athletes who did not win medals, team leaders and referees received VND10 million each person and leaders of sport delegations received VND5 million a person.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Ho Chi Minh City sports delegation led by the Director of the city Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan offered flowers at the monument of President Ho Chi Minh in front of the headquarters of the municipal People's Committee to report city athletes' achievements at the SEA Games 32.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc highly appreciated Vietnam’s achievements recognizing the efforts of the Ho Chi Minh City athletes who have greatly contributed to the overall achievement of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the sporting event.

Ho Chi Minh City athletes who won gold, silver and bronze medals also have an additional level of talent incentives. Specifically, VND12.5 million was given to athletes with gold medals; VND8.5 million to silver medal winners and VND7 million to bronze medal winners every month for 2 years.

An Giang seeks to develop value chain of products from lotus silk

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Việt Nam (IUCN) in cooperation with An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta has launched a project on developing a sustainable value chain of products from lotus silk, with the financial support of The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF).

The organisation has recently held a workshop to introduce the project to relevant stakeholders, focusing on the role of flood-based agriculture, the value chain for flood crops such as lotus and, in particular, the added value that can be developed from lotus silk.

The project's goal is to promote flood-based livelihoods using lotus cultivation to support flood retention areas and restore some of the four billion cubic metres of water retention that was lost between 2000 and 2011 in the Mekong Delta.

It will develop lotus silk making as a sustainable occupation for local communities, especially women.

The project will be implemented in the three provinces of An Giang, Đồng Tháp and Long An from now to 2025 with the objective of providing farmers with technical and financial support and training to cultivate lotus-based livelihood to increase flood retention areas.

The project will also seek to build a sustainable supply chain for lotus silk products by supporting market access and livelihood improvement for lotus farmers and crafts-women in traditional weaving villages.

Through this project, IUCN will collaborate with local partners to support 120-hectares of lotus cultivation; conduct training on lotus fibre extraction and weaving; conduct research on biodiversity indicators and carbon sequestration in relation to lotus; and mobilise businesses to support lotus silk product design and market access.

This new project continues the support that was provided by TCCF in training over 1,000 farmers on various low risk and profitable flood-based livelihoods, both outside and inside high dykes across the three provinces.

It will also develop the capacity of lotus farmers to retain greater value from the fibre market by producing high value lotus silk.

Lotus plant parts such as seeds, leaves, buds and roots have been harvested with proven economic value and used for medicinal herbs, cosmetics, and as daily food. However, the main part of the lotus plant – the lotus stem from which fibre can be extracted – is rarely used.

Vietnamese wood exports show initial signs of recovery

Several local businesses have recently started to receive additional export orders, thereby meeting over 50% of production capacity, according to details given by the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA).      

At present, the wood processing industry rakes in roughly US$1.2 billion per month from exports, of which Ho Chi Minh City accounts for more than 10% of export turnover. With the rebound of export orders, wood enterprises’ revenue increased from 3% to 5%.

From now to July and August, export orders are anticipated to increase sharply, with the wood product processing industry likely to achieve an export revenue target of more than US$17 billion this year.

Nguyen Chanh Phuong, vice chairman of the HAWA said foreign importers highlighted quality, delivery time, green certification requirements, and the price of Vietnamese wood products, adding that even though the global economy has experienced a downturn, there exists a high demand for seeking suppliers of wood furniture.

Furthermore, local enterprises should strive to boost trade activities and participate by attending trade fairs in Europe and America moving forward as a means of seeking new customers and gaining greater insights about market demand, particularly as each market has a different need for products and techniques, Phuong noted.

Two local representatives named among world’s hottest new hotel

Cozy Da Nang Boutique Hotel and Bliss Hoi An Beach Resort & Wellness have been named among the Top 25 hottest new hotels around the globe, as announced in a vote by readers of renowned travel website Tripadvisor.      

In order to compile the list, Tripadvisor analyzed data from January 1 to December 31 last year from actual travelers, covering more than 1.5 million hotels worldwide.

Cozy Da Nang Boutique Hotel located in the central city of Da Nang ranked third in the list.

The hotel is situated around 2.5 kilometres from My Khe beach. Opened in May, 2022, the nine-story hotel is home to 38 rooms and suites, as well as a pool and a rooftop bar.

A night’s stay at the hotel costs from VND950,000. Elsewhere, Bliss Hoi An Beach Resort & Wellness in the central province of Quang Nam was placed in 10th position.

Located around 18 kilometres from the ancient city of Hoi An, the resort opened in May, 2022, and features 135 rooms and villas overlooking a long, sandy beach.

Free bicycles are available for guests to ride in order to explore nearby fishing villages and rice paddies. Room rates start at VND5.5 million per night.

The 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the world’s hottest new hotel were determined based on the overall quality and quantity of traveler reviews, as well as ratings posted on Tripadvisor over the course of a 12-month period.

Topping the list was Oblu Select Lobigili in the Maldives, followed by Padma Hotel Semarang in Indonesia.

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