The meteorologists have just informed that a tropical low-pressure system will form in the East Sea tonight, and then it is possible for developing into a new storm.  
 
According to the National Center for Hydrology Meteorology Forecasting, a low-pressure zone appeared in Luzon Island, Philippines; and at 7 a.m. on Monday, the system was located at around 13.5-14.5 degrees north latitude and 119.5-120.5 degrees east longitude. In the next 24 hours, it is forecast to slowly move westward and become intensive gradually as a tropical depression and storm respectively.

However, the storm will not enter the mainland but it will be likely to operate in the northern East Sea, causing the bad weather near the Spratly and Paracel Islands next several days. 

Vietnam-Australia Centre’s portal makes debut

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and visiting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong jointly pressed the button to inaugurate a portal of the Vietnam-Australia Centre (VAC) on June 27.

Penny Wong, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from June 26-28, said the VAC will play an important role in enriching the knowledge of future Vietnamese officials trained at the academy, as well as promoting cooperation and strengthening links between the people of the two countries. She expressed the hope that through the centre, Vietnam can have more women in leadership positions.

On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Thang had a working session with the Australian Foreign Minister, during which the two sides discussed cooperation between HCMA and some Australian partners in the coming time.

Thang spotlighted the significance of cooperation programmes and projects between the two sides for Vietnam, particularly a project to incorporate human rights into the curriculum of the national education system. He also proposed expanding cooperation in a number of potential areas, including innovation, green energy, digital transformation, and climate change adaptation.

40 passengers survive as sleeper bus catches fire in capital

About 40 passengers managed to escape a sleeper bus before the vehicle burned down on Thang Long Boulevard on the outskirts of Hanoi capital on June 26.

The bus carrying approximately 40 passengers was travelling across Hoai Duc district when it burst into flames from the back of the vehicle.

Passengers panicked and asked the driver to stop. Many people fled, and at the same time moved their belongings from the bus. A few minutes later, the fire broke out quickly and engulfed the entire vehicle.

Firefighters were deployed to the scene and the fire was completely extinguished at about 15:30. There were no casualties in the fire, according to local police.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Vietnam’s first peacekeeping engineering unit promptly set to work in Abyei

Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotation 1 has quickly set to work at the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) immediately after all its 184 members fully assembled.

Just days after arriving in Abyei, the unit set up two teams for emergency road rescue and repair activities along roads in the northern division - a border area between Sudan and South Sudan.

The unit also took over the construction of a workshop for repairing and maintaining equipment, cars and motorbikes of the UN peacekeeping mission, which the first group of the unit had been working on since early May.

The workshop is expected to be completed and put into operation in June.

Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotation 1 has 184 members. The first 28 members arrived in Abyei on May 5 and the remaining 156 arrived in Abyei on June 15 (local time).

NA Chairman meets Vietnamese enterpreneurs, people living in Hungary

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met representatives from the Vietnamese entrepreneur community in Europe in Budapest on June 26 evening (local time), as part of his official visit to Hungary.

NA Chairman Hue said that Vietnamese enterprises in Europe play an important role in introducing and selling Vietnamese products and developing distribution channels for them in foreign markets.

The Party and State appreciate the coordination of the overseas Vietnamese community, with the entrepreneur association playing a core role, in helping Vietnam fight the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Informing participants on the domestic situation, the NA Chairman stated that Vietnam is among the few countries that have overcome crises.

He expressed his hope that Vietnamese-owned businesses in Europe will help Vietnam become a high middle income country by 2030 on the occasion of the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and a developed and high income nation by 2045 on the occasion of the 100th founding anniversary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Earlier the same day, NA Chairman Hue visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met Vietnamese people living in Hungary.

Top legislator meets Deputy Speaker of Hungarian parliament

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue visited Albertirsa city on June 26 as part of his official visit to Hungary, where he was welcomed by Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian parliament István Jakab and city officials.

At his meeting with the deputy speaker of the Hungarian parliament, Hue thanked him for spending time to accompany the Vietnamese delegation to Albertirsa and a processing factory of Mirelite Mirsa, an outstanding local enterprise in clean and green agriculture.  

The two parliament leaders agreed that the two sides should focus on cooperation in agriculture, especially when Hungary has strengths in supply chains from cultivation, processing to marketing and distribution.

They affirmed that there remains ample room for the two countries’ cooperation, and shared the belief that the visit of the Vietnamese NA Chairman will contribute to promoting the Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership, of which the ties between the two parliaments are an important pillar.       

The Hungarian parliament leader said despite fluctuations in the world and regional situations, Hungary is ready to share its development experiences with Vietnam given the long-standing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Visiting the processing factory of Mirelite Mirsa, Chairman Hue stressed that agriculture, farmers and rural development are always strategic issues for Vietnam. He said although agriculture accounts for just 12% of Vietnam’s economy, it is a pillar of the national economy. The country exported more than 48.5 billion USD worth of agricultural products in 2021, but the added value of Vietnamese farm produce remained low due to the low rate of processing.

Tran Dai secures Top 6 finish at Miss International Queen 2022

Phung Truong Tran Dai, the Vietnamese representative at Miss International Queen 2022, was named among the Top 6 in the grand final of the international transgender pageant held recently in Thailand.

As the winner of Miss International Queen Vietnam 2020, the Vietnamese beauty was one of 23 contestants participating in the competition and was widely considered a contender for the contest’s title.

The Ho Chi Minh City native stands at 1.71 metres tall with body measurements of 90-62-91.

She first became involved in activities relating to Miss International Queen 2022 on June 14 and has since gone on to win the Best Talent sub-category.

The conclusion of Miss International Queen 2022 saw Fuschia Anne Ravena of the Philippines crowned as the winner in the grand finale, with the two runners-up spots going to Jasmine Jiménez of Colombia and Aëla Chanel of France. Representatives from Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam were also among the Top 6 finalists.
 
Health Ministry orders enhanced dengue fever prevention and control

The Ministry of Health has urged localities nationwide to ramp up efforts to prevent the further spread of dengue fever, which currently is in its peak season.

According to details provided by the Ministry, as of June 24 the country has recorded approximately 77,000 dengue cases, a total of 10,000 cases higher compared to the previous week. Of the figure, 30 deaths have so far been reported.

To prevent the further spread of the disease, the Ministry of Health strongly recommends that people take several preventive measures, including sealing all water containers to ensure that mosquitoes do not lay eggs and changing the water of flower vases in homes. This is in addition to removing waste materials and natural water holes to stop mosquitoes from spawning, using bed nets, and wearing long-sleeve clothes to prevent mosquito bites.

Moreover, the Ministry of Health also mobilised the co-operation of other relevant branches and sectors as it seeks to clean up the environment and kill mosquitos impacting construction sites and public areas.

The Ministry has outlined that self-treating dengue fever patients should not use aspirin, ibuprofen, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to reduce fever. In the event that people have symptoms, such as a sudden high fever, nose bleeds, a severe headache, or start vomiting blood, then they should immediately consult a doctor.

Vietnam joins ASEAN bazaar in Argentina

The Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina, in collaboration with diplomatic missions of Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), organised an annual bazaar on June 25, featuring a wide range of their traditional handicrafts, food and musical performances.

The event aims to promote cultural exchanges and introduce the nations’ images and people as well as boost their mutual understanding and relations with the host nation.

Vietnam brought to the fair lacquer paintings, silk products, conical hats, ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress), local cuisines such as pho (rice noodle soup) and nem (fried spring rolls) which received the applause from visitors.

UNDP helps Vietnam develop grassroots telemedicine

Grassroots telemedicine solution using 4.0 technology has helped address geographical distance, enabling commune health staff in mountainous areas to seek consultation from their colleagues at the district and higher levels.
 
This enhances people’s access to quality health diagnosis and treatment right at the commune health station and reducing the overloading at district and higher-level health facilities, said participants at a workshop on June 23 on the key results of Phase 2 of the grassroots telemedicine project, jointly implemented by the United Nations Development (UNDP) and the Electronic Health Administration (EHA) under the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Departments of Health of Ha Giang, Bac Kan, and Lang Son provinces.

So far, 483 grassroots medical facilities, equivalent to 89.5%, in the three localities have been trained and connected to provide telemedicine for people. 

Since December 2020, the UNDP has cooperated with the EHA and the three provinces to develop and pilot a digital solution called “Doctor for Everyone”, including a secure video conferencing platform for multi-point calls to support professional consultations and regular meetings between district health centers, district general hospitals and commune health stations. This helps improve the quality of grassroots health service and complements the existing telehealth programme connecting national hospitals with provincial and some district hospitals.

Building on this initial success, UNDP has mobilised additional financial resources through two further projects to support the ministry and provinces to scale up the grassroots telemedicine solution, thus further supporting the digital transformation in the health sector in the COVID-19 and Industrial Revolution 4.0 context. These include the project ‘COVID-19 Response for Strengthening Vaccine Access and Health System Capacity’, supported by the Government of Japan from March 2022 to March 2023, and the Korea – Vietnam Peace Village project supported by Government of the Republic of Korea from 2022 to 2026.

Vietnam U19s to play Japan, Saudi Arabia in friendly tournament

Vietnam’s U19 team are set to host Japan, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia in an international U19 tournament which is scheduled to take place in the southern province of Binh Duong from August 5 to August 11.

The competition will see four teams play in a round-robin format, with the first and second-placed teams progressing to the final match.

The two remaining teams will then play against each other for the third-placed position.

All fixtures in the competition will be held at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on August 5, August 7, August 9, and August 11, respectively.

The tournament will be organised after the 2022 AFF U19 Youth Championship due to run between July 2 and July 15, and before the AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers due to run from September 14 to September 18.

Hon Yen coral reefs badly damaged

The Hòn Yến national scenic spot in An Hòa Hải, Tuy An, Phú Yên has some unique geological details forming an ecosystem of corals on the shallow surface of sand and volcanic rocks.

However, outside the current threats of storms and waves, another danger has emerged to endanger this unique ecosystem. Many tourists who come here to take pictures of the coral reefs have stepped on them, making the coral crumble.

"Here we have 17 species of coral reefs living," said Hồ Văn Trung, a resident. "To get an ecosystem and a scene such as this takes millions of years. Due to the pandemic, tourists stopped coming here, and the coral regenerated quickly. But then tourists returned and damaged the coral reefs with their actions. In my opinion, local governments must take action to preserve this wonderful natural treasure."

Huỳnh Văn Khoa, chairman of the Tuy An District People's Committee, said: "We must protect this natural landscape. We will direct related authorities to implement protective action and stop the damaging of coral by tourists and residents."

According to the Việt Nam-Russian Tropical Research Centre, Hòn Yến has 17 recorded species of coral.

Phú Yên Province, in collaboration with many international organisations, has initiated preservation projects here. Local residents have also established a local task force to protect the coral. 

New adventure books encourage kids to explore

HCM City General Publishing House has released two adventure books that encourage children to explore and fantasise.

Ngài Kẹo (Mr Candy), the debut novel of 15-year-old author Quỳnh Trần, is the story of a young girl's perilous and hesitant voyage.

Quỳnh revealed that she authored the novel during social distancing last year. The 15-year-old author also said that she hopes her book will inspire other young people to write their own stories.

Hip Hop in the Land of Ellsaby by Vietnamese-German writer Isabelle Müller is a hopeful book with the message that everyone, especially kids, has anxieties, but even when you have reason to despair, you should never give up hope.

All earnings from the copyright of Hip Hop in the Land of Ellsaby will be donated by the author to the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) to help poor children in Việt Nam have a better life, according to Đinh Thị Thanh Thủy, Director of Hồ Chí Minh City General Publishing House.

Hip Hop in the Land of Ellsaby was published in Việt Nam in German, English, and Vietnamese. Under the Vietnamese translation by translator Trương Hồng Quang, the literary work promises to offer thrilling adventures to young readers. 

Hand, foot, and mouth infections sharply rise in Hanoi

The number of patients with hand, foot and mouth disease has sharply increased in Hanoi according to the local Centre for Diseases Control (CDC).

Hanoi CDC reported up to 135 new hand, foot, and mouth infection cases during a week from June 13-19.

"As many as 721 cases have been confirmed in the city since the beginning of this year, fourfold compared to the same period last year," the centre said. "No fatalities have been recorded."

Hanoi CDC director Khong Minh Tuan warned that the disease may spread when kindergartens reopen.

The Hanoi-based National Children's Hospital has also received an increasing number of patients with hand, foot, and mouth disease. In April and May, 776 children came for check-ups and treatment of hand, foot, and mouth disease, up 759 compared to two previous months.

Doctor Do Thien Hai from National Children's Hospital said that hand, foot, and mouth disease was common all year round but mostly seen during changes in weather.

Experts have warned that annual epidemics such as dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth disease will be complicated this year after social activities resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

HCM City to urgently move residents out of collapsing building

The HCM City People's Committee has just asked for the urgent relocation of residents from an apartment building at 440 Tran Hung Dao Street in District 5 due to fears of collapse.

According to the committee's report, the building was built in the early 1970s and has seriously deteriorated. It needs to be pulled as it is at risk of collapse.

The committee asked local authorities in District 5 and the Department of Finance to properly arrange compensation and resettlement apartments for these families so that they can move out of the building.

District 5 authorities previously proposed to move residents to An Phu Apartment Building in District 6 but many disagreed. Most residents wanted to receive compensation in cash and they wanted to find their own new homes.

At present, there are some 474 old apartment buildings built in the early 1970s in HCM City. Some 14 buildings have seriously deteriorated and need to be rebuilt. However, the relocation of residents has faced lots of difficulties relating to compensation.

Vietnam Family Day 2022 to be celebrated with various activities

The Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts in Hanoi will host a string of activities to celebrate Vietnam Family Day 2022 (June 28).

Prominent among the activities is a photo exhibition showcasing 100 black and white pictures of the bond between family members and the values of Vietnamese families. The photos on display were selected from entries sent to the 35th black and white photo contest held by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).

An art space themed ‘Lighting’ will be set up on the occasion introducing upcycled lighting designs made from plastics, glass and nylon.

The Vietnam Women's Union and the Vietnam Women's Museum will organise an exhibition of documents and photos on their achievement in protecting and caring for women and orphans who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

VN taekwondo athletes win more bronze medals at 2022 Asian Championships

Taekwondo athlete Chau Tuyet Van and her teammates Nguyen Thi Le Kim, Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, Hua Van Huy, Nguyen Ngoc Minh Hy and Tran Dang Khoa showed their best techniques in the performance and deserved to win a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Taekwondo Championships in the Republic of Korea.

Taekwondo athlete Chau Tuyet Van gets a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Taekwondo Championships.

Moreover, Vietnam’s taekwondo team earned five more bronze medals in the other tournaments of individual and team.

The 2022 Asian Taekwondo Championships has been taken place from June 15 to June 24 in the Republic of Korea.

Grant of third-class Labor Medal to Viet A canceled

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 23 signed a decision on canceling the grant of the third-class Labor Medal to Viet A Technology Joint Stock Company.

The HCMC-based Viet A Technology Corporation (Viet A Corp) took advantage of the pandemic to seek illegal profit and earned up to VND4, 000 billion ($171.7 million) illicitly. The unit price for the rapid coronavirus test kits imported by the company from China was VND21, 000, then inflated the price of a Covid-19 test kit by 45 percent and gave huge bribes of VND800 billion to corporate partners and leaders of provincial and city centers for disease control nationwide, asking them to distribute and use Covid-19 test kits provided by his company.

According to the report, the wrongdoings by the Viet A Technologies JSC were serious.

The Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on December 18, 2021 issued a temporary arrest warrant and a decision to prosecute Phan Quoc Viet, founder and CEO of Viet A Corp, Viet A ’s deputy general director Vu Dinh Hiep, and the company’s cashier Ho Thi Thanh Thao.

As of present, more than 60 persons have also been prosecuted, including two former ministers, and leaders of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in provinces and cities throughout the country.

Puppet, circus shows for children open at Gia Định Park

Phương Nam Theatre is offering a series of new circus and puppet shows aimed at children at Gia Định Park in HCM City this summer.  

These shows highlight southern history, culture and lifestyle. They have the themes of love, friendship, bravery, self-respect and honesty. 

The shows highlight the natural world and environmental protection, with messages to encourage children to work together to keep the world clean and green. The performers meet and talk about their art to young audiences after every show. 

According to Phương Nam Theatre's director Lê Diễn, his theatre spends around VNĐ250 million (US$22,000) on each production.

 In July, two water puppet plays called Trâu Vàng Nghinh Tiếp (Golden Buffalo) and Cá Chép Hoá Rồng (Carps Turn into Dragons), will be staged. 

The shows feature stories and characters based on Vietnamese fairy tales. They were first released last season and left a very strong impression on children and their parents. 

Tickets are available at the theatre’s box office. 

Award-winning film director shooting TV show in Đà Lạt

Popular Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ is filming in the Central Highlands his latest work, Trại Hoa Đỏ (Red Flowers Farm), a TV thriller series produced by K+, a leading satellite digital television channel in Việt Nam. 

Vũ and his 100 crew members have spent two months filming in Lâm Đồng Province, including its capital and largest city, Đà Lạt. 

They will move to famous tourist sites, such as Lạc Dương Lâm Hà and Bảo Lâm districts, next week. 

Trại Hoa Đỏ is based on the novel of the same name by best-selling female writer Di Li (real name Nguyễn Diệu Linh), a pioneer in the Vietnamese detective literature genre in recent years. 

The eight-episode show begins with the deaths of seven young women. The murders occurred at different times and locations. The only thread linking the victims is a taxi which was used by all of them before they died. 

It features fashion model-film actress Trâm Anh and young actors Lê Xuân Tiền and Quốc Huy as lead characters. 

American director of photography Dominic Pereira and Vietnamese-American costume designer Ghia Fam also work on the film.  

American composer-music producer Garrett Crosby is also featured.

Expressway system to enhance connectivity within south region

An expressway system connecting the southeast region, including HCM City, and the Mekong Delta, is expected to be completed by 2030.

It was laid out in the Politburo's Resolution No 13 for socio-economic development and ensuring national defence and security in the delta region until 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has signed a Resolution issuing an action plan to implement Politburo Resolution No 13.

Under the resolution, eastern and western sections of the North-South Expressway, and the HCM City - Sóc Trăng, Châu Đốc - Cần Thơ - Sóc Trăng, Hà Tiên - Rạch Giá - Bạc Liêu, and Hồng Ngự - Trà Vinh expressways will be completed by 2030.

A system of seaports and international border gates will be also completed by 2030. 

HCM City considers ways to speed up digital transformation

Digital transformation has become a critical need for technical infrastructure companies to recover quickly, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, a seminar heard in HCM City on Friday.

The challenges brought by the pandemic fostered the need for digital transformation, which was widely and quickly adopted across ministries, other official agencies and businesses across the country.

Vietnamese enterprises took a pioneering role in research, development and innovation, mastering technologies and making important contributions to developing a digital economy.

Nguyễn Văn Đắng, director of the Gia Định Water Supply Joint-Stock Company belonging to the Saigon Water Corporation, said digital technologies have improved administration and production activities, helping better serve customers.

Water supply companies, for example, use GIS (Geographic Information System) technology for data sharing among units, he said.

This helps reduce leaks and improves management, he said.

The GIS technology also uses virtual assistants to handle repetitive questions and collect data from customers.

It provides information on mangrove forecasting to farmers via telephone, and analyses water levels to help scientists assess the water situation during various times of the year.

20-year-old fund helps protect environment, reduce pollution

The Vietnam Environment Protection Fund (VEPF) has contributed importantly to protecting the environment and reducing pollution over the past 20 years.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the fund on June 26 in the northern province of Quang Ninh, its Director Nguyen Duc Thuan said that in the past two decades, VEPF has provided preferential loans for nearly 400 projects with a total disbursed capital of nearly 3 trillion VND (129 million USD).

It has also financed over 100 billion VND to help localities deal with post-disaster environmental pollution, received combined deposit amount of 250 billion VND from over 360 projects to ensure the restoration of the environment after the projects are completed, and mobilised a non-refundable aid worth 84 million USD from the Global Environment Fund.

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