The Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been named among the most popular city destinations this summer, as compiled by leading travel analytics firm ForwardKeys.

According to the list, Hanoi is ranked 76th in the world, up 41 places, while the southern metropolis finds its at 52nd, up 30 places compared to the previous rankings.

Leading the way as the most popular city this summer is Bangkok, far ahead of the second most searched destination, Paris. Other destinations named in the top 10 include this likes of London, Denpasar, Barcelona, New York, Lisbon, Istanbul, Madrid, and Athens.

The top 10 list features highest climbers dominated by Asian and Australasian cities, which were still subject to some of the strictest pandemic travel regulations last summer.

The highest climber was Taipei, up 161 places to 56th, followed by Hong Kong, up 129 places to 39th, Seoul, up 56 places to 35th, Tokyo, up 53 places to 13th, Hanoi, up 41 places to 76th, and Auckland, up 41 places to 103rd. This is along with Melbourne, up 31 places to 75th, Ho Chi Minh City, up 30 places to 52nd, Kuala Lumpur, up 24 places to 14th, and Phuket, up 24 places to 57th.

ForwardKeys’ Flight Search data, which is the most comprehensive source available, covers billions of searches annually via an extensive selection of online travel agencies, airlines, and metasearch companies, including Google Flights, Kayak, Kiwi.com, Skyscanner, and Wego.

President sees off Vietnamese peacekeepers to South Sudan, Abyei

President Vo Van Thuong attended a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on June 29 to send off Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5 and Engineering Unit Rotation 2 of Viet Nam to undertake peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN) in South Sudan and Abyei.

Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5, which will replace Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 in South Sudan, consists of 63 members, including 11 females. Meanwhile, Engineering Unit Rotation 2, replacing Engineering Unit Rotation 1 in Abyei, has 184 members, including 19 females.

Addressing the event, President Vo Van Thuong said that the Party and State are proud of achievements of the peacekeeping forces, expressing his hope that the recently-deployed Vietnamese comrades and cadres will continue the work achieved by the previous peacekeeping forces, promote their bravery, intelligence and capacity in performing their duties.

With the companionship of the United Nations, other nations and partners, Vo expected that the Vietnamese peacekeepers will make effective and substantive contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world, thus increasing the nation's status and prestige. 

After nearly 10 years since the master plan on Viet Nam's participation in the UN peacekeeping operations was ratified, the nation has basically completed mechanisms and created legal foundations for sending its army and police forces to take part in UN peacekeeping activities beyond its territory, said the President.  

So far, the country has sent 533 officers and professional soldiers to UN peacekeeping operations, and they have properly fulfilled their tasks, he noted. 

The outcomes of the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces have been highly appraised across all sectors, as they have joined to address international issues, including coping with regional and international traditional and non-traditional challenges, contributing to realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Millennium Development Goals, stressed the State leader. 

The President expressed his gratitude to the UN, international partners and all peace-loving people around the world for actively supporting Viet Nam in the process of preparing forces and deploying peacekeeping missions at UN peacekeeping missions.

Vietnamese, Chinese court systems strengthen cooperation

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh on June 29 held talks with President of the Supreme People's Court of China Zhang Jun in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

At the talks, Binh affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and appreciated the growing relationship between the two supreme courts in recent years.

He thanks the Supreme People's Court of China for its close cooperation, especially in sharing information and documents related to judicial reform.

To further promote the supreme courts' collaboration, Binh suggested the two sides strengthen information sharing and exchange of experience on court building and judicial reform

Meanwhile, Zhang said that his agency is willing to jon hands with its Vietnamese counterpart to perfect the two nations' judicial cooperation mechanism, contributing to deepening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

After the talks, the leaders of the two supreme courts witnessed the signing ceremony of the Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation between the Court of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the People's Courts of Vietnam's Lang Son and Quang Ninh provinces.

Hanoi inaugurates overpass at Chua Boc-Pham Ngoc Thach crossroads

The People’s Committee of Hanoi on June 30 inaugurated a C-shaped flyover connecting Chua Boc and Pham Ngoc Thach streets.

The flyover is expected to help reduce long-lasting congestions at the Chua Boc-Pham Ngoc Thach-Ton That Tung-Dong Tac intersection.

It has two lanes for cars and motorbikes, with a total length of 318m and a width of 9m.

Construction on the overpass took place in 10 months, at a cost of 147 billion VND (6.2 million USD).

PM urges handling landslide consequences in Central Highlands province

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to quickly settle consequences of a deadly landslide which occurred in its resort city of Da Lat early June 29.

The landslide buried two people, injured some others, and destroyed houses, according a dispatch issued on the day, in which the government leader extended his deepest sympathy to the victims’ families.   

The document noted that over the past days, a number of northern and Central Highlands localities have been hit by heavy rains that triggered landslides and flash floods.

Given this, the PM asked ministers, Chairpersons of People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, and the National Committee for Disaster Response, Search and Rescue to play an active role in natural disaster prevention, response and mitigation.

He urged the Chairperson of the Lam Dong province People’s Committee to visit and support the affected families, especially those with the deceased, and instruct competent agencies to trace reasons behind the incident, and strictly handle violations of land management and construction regulations.

Chairpersons of other municipal and provincial People’s Committees were also asked to direct competent agencies and forces to detect the areas vulnerable to landslides, especially residential areas, schools, office headquarters, military bases, construction sites and mines to soon put forth evacuation plans.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Education and Training, Transport, Industry and Trade, National Defence, and Public Security need to monitor and inspect natural disaster prevention and control, the PM said.

The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control should keep a close watch on developments of natural disasters, and urge localities to focus on disaster prevention, response and mitigation.

Apart from keeping a close eye on the disaster situation, the National Committee for Disaster Response, Search and Rescue will coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities to deploy response, search and rescue operations promptly and effectively, according to the dispatch.

Music gala marks centenary of Ho Chi Minh’s first arrival in Soviet Union

A music gala took place in Saint Petersburg on June 28 in celebration of the 100 years since Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh first set foot in Petrograd, now Saint Petersburg city, of Russia.

The event was held by the Vietnamese People Association in Russia, the Saint Petersburg administration, and the Saint Petersburg Mining University.

It featured singing and dancing performances by Vietnamese and Russian students, who were also joined by their Indonesian and Myanmar peers, attracting a big round of applause from the audience.

The gala was the first in a series of the events ahead of the inauguration of a monument to Ho Chi Minh, slated for June 30, in the city on the occasion of 100 years since he, under the name of Nguyen Ai Quoc, first arrived here, which was also the first place in the then Soviet Union he came to, to seek a path for national liberation.

In his remarks, Vyacheslav Kalganov, deputy head of the external relations committee of Saint Petersburg city, said that preparations for the inauguration have been almost completed, describing the monument as a symbol of the Russia - Vietnam friendship.

For his part, Chairman of the Vietnamese People Association in Russia Do Xuan Hoang wished both countries strength and energy to surmount existing challenges.

“Colours of Vietnam” exhibition attracts French public

A fine art exhibition themed “Colours of Vietnam” opened in Paris on June 28, attracting a large number of overseas Vietnamese living in France, as well as international friends who love Vietnamese paintings and culture.

The event is part of activities to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (1973 – 2023) and 10 years of their strategic partnership (2013 – 2023).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Florence Berthout, mayor of the fifth arrondissement of Paris, expected the exhibition would help French visitors and international friends gain an overview of the development of contemporary Vietnamese art.

Philippe Charlier, director of the Research and Education Department at the Museum of quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, said that the artworks draw inspiration from Vietnamese people going about their daily lives.

Each drawing tells the story of the country and people, vividly expressed through an array of colours, he added, noting that the paintings blend Western art style with Eastern aesthetic elements, which are experimented on many different materials, such as silk, lacquer, scroll paper and oil.

He said along with the development of society, Vietnamese contemporary fine arts have created a strong vitality, with constant creative changes and a certain position in the international art scene.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang said more similar events will be held in the future on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties, bringing great "feasts" of Vienamese characteristics to the Vietnamese community in France, French visitors, and international friends.

The exhibition is scheduled to last through to July 15.

Vietnam attends annual CSIS conference on East Sea

A Vietnamese delegation attended the 13th annual conference on the East Sea held by the Washington DC-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on June 29 (Vietnam time).

The delegation was led by Assoc. Prof. and Dr Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Director of the East Sea Institute under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

The hybrid conference saw the participation of policy makers and officials from the US departments of state and defence, along with experts and scholars from the US, India, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. They included Congresswoman Jennifer Kiggans, a member of the US House of Representatives’ Armed Services Committee, and US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink.

It was an occasion for participants to discuss and analyse developments in the East Sea region over the past years and made forecasts for the time ahead. They looked into the recent East Sea situation, new points on legal affairs and management of disputes in the waters, and the role of external entities such as the Quartet, the AUKUS alliance (Australia, the UK, and the US), and the Europe.

Anh said that like at previous conferences, Vietnam’s presence in the event aimed to express its viewpoints and stance on the East Sea issue, clarify the just nature and legal basis of Vietnam’s claims in the East Sea, and show the country’s constructive attitude of being ready to peacefully resolve disputes in the waters to help maintain regional peace and stability.

Vietnamese-French collectors donate Vietnamese paintings to HCMC

A Vietnamese-French couple, Mr. Le Tat Luyen and his wife, Thuy Khue in Paris handed over a collection of around 200 paintings of the late painter Le Ba Dang to HCMC on June 26.

A delegation of Ho Chi Minh City high-ranking officials led by Head of the Propaganda and Education Board of the City Party Committee Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue who is on a business trip to France paid a visit to the Vietnamese-French family and received the artworks.

These paintings will be kept and displayed at the HCMC Fine Arts Museum. An exhibition featuring artworks, painting composition tools, and memorials of artist Le Ba Dang is scheduled to be held in the Lunar New Year of 2024.

At the receiving ceremony, Head of the Propaganda and Education Board of the City Party Committee Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue expressed his sincere thanks to the Vietnamese French couple for their contribution to the development of the culture and fine arts of HCMC and the country.

He suggested the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports plans to organize programs presenting the collection of paintings by artists Le Ba Dang to viewers in the city particularly and the whole country in general, publish books, and digitize works of art to keep and widely promote the pictures to people.

Mr. Khue handed over a certificate of merit from the HCMC People’s Committee to Mr. Le Tat Luyen and Ms. Thuy Khue. In addition, Director of the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan offered gifts to the couple.

The HCMC Museum of Fine Arts previously received a collection of paintings by female painter Le Thi Luu, the first Vietnamese woman to graduate from Indochina Fine Arts College (now the Hanoi Fine Arts University) from Le Tat Luyen and his wife Thuy Khue in 2018.

Soil from Long Thanh airport project wanted as fill material for expy

Project Management Board 85 under the Ministry of Transport has proposed using soil removed from the process of ground leveling at Long Thanh International Airport project as fill material for the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway.

Project Management Board 85 has sent the proposal to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which is the investor of the airport project.

The board and contractors would conduct a review on the quality of soil removed from the Long Thanh International Airport project site before the soil is used as fill material for the foundation of the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway.

The 53km expressway will connect Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. The 34km section passing through Dong Nai Province would require nearly 5.7 million cubic meters of soil for filling.

The expressway is designed to have four lanes for vehicles and consists of three components. Component 1 and 3 will be developed by Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces respectively, while Project Management Board 85 is the investor of component 2.

Construction work for the three components began on June 18, and the entire expressway is expected to be opened to traffic by 2026.

Tra Vinh’s ambitious plan to eliminate plastic waste

Annual beach clean-ups are among Trà Vinh Province’s plans to reduce plastic waste. – Photo tapchitaichinh.vn

Trà Vinh Province has been making efforts to tackle plastic pollution, and has ambitious goals.

By 2025 it aims to reduce plastic on beaches by more than 50 per cent, collect 50 per cent of discarded fishing tools and ensure 80 per cent of tourist attractions and places of accommodation do not use single-use plastics.

There will be at least one annual beach clean-up campaign.

It hopes to become free of plastic waste by 2030 and have more than two annual beach clean-ups.

To reach these goals, the province has been raising public awareness of single-use plastics through the media, promoting recycling and upcycling, and encouraging users to opt for environment-friendly alternatives.

Besides, training courses on minimising plastic use and disposing of plastics have been organised for locals, fishermen, ship captains, organisations, and enterprises.

It has had trash bins set up along beaches and tourist attractions and proper waste disposal areas to easily collect and sort plastic waste at source.

Policies regarding plastic collection and disposal have been implied in tourism activities, beach services, seafood farming, and other ocean economic activities, with regular inspections to timely handle violations.

The province has also been promoting garbage segregation among locals and enterprises, and adopting proper plastic management strategies.

It has been seeking international collaborations to develop plastic processing technologies, including with ocean-related organisations on managing plastic waste and facilitating investment in effective sorting and recycling models.

Besides its action plan, Trà Vinh has also organised meetings and programmes and set up clubs to spread awareness and promote environmental protection.

In May this year a programme called “Exchange plastic for gifts” was organised by the Women’s Union of Tập Sơn Ward in Trà Cú District.

The waste collected through the programme was sold to recyclers with the funds used to help underprivileged and elderly local people.

In Lưu Nghiệp Anh Ward of Trà Vinh, the Women’s Union set up the “Segregating and managing household waste” club in April to encourage domestic sorting of waste and reusing organic waste for agricultural purposes.

Phan Thị Kiều Tiên, chairwoman of the Women’s Union, said each household was provided with three trash bins, one each for plastic and recyclable waste, regular household waste, and inorganic and hazardous waste.

On June 4 the province held an event titled “Solutions for plastic pollution” which involved setting up a plastic collection model in the provincial central park and several environmental activities.

Nguyễn Văn Liệu, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said fighting plastic waste and environmental problems would help avoid burial of trash and overflowing landfills, improving the living environment and preventing water and soil contamination.

According to a province survey in 2021, tourist attractions and traditional markets were the main sources of plastic waste, from 13.3 to 83.3 per cent and from 23.3 to 45.2 per cent, respectively.

Large amounts of plastics also came from seafood farming due to fish feed packaging and plastic chemical bottles, it found.

HCMC applying digital map to maintain security

The scientific project ‘Applying Digital Map at the Command Center of HCMC Public Security Department for Administrating and Assigning Patrol Teams to Ensure Security’ has received much appreciation thanks to its practicality.

Ho Chi Minh City is a mega one with a population of over 10 million, one-tenth of whom come from other regions to work and study, making it a lucrative venue for crimes and a hot spot of severe traffic congestion.

To ensure peaceful life for city dwellers, in 2018, HCMC Public Security Department formed its patrol team named Task Force 363 to frequently monitor public security and order and fight against criminals. Since its beginning, the team has greatly contributed to maintaining security in the city. However, due to limited application of technologies, information exchange and update among team members was not as effective as expected.

In 2022, the Party’s Committee and the Board of Directors of the Department proposed research activities to implement IT and digital transformation in the task force’s daily operation to actively detect and stop criminals in the city. The mission fell upon the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the Department.

After much study, a digital map was established, consisting of a surveillance camera system, a data transmission line, an online video conferencing system connecting the HCMC Department of Public Security with Thu Duc City and all districts, a system of radio switchboards and wired phones, a system of necessary databases, and technical facilities for IT covering the whole city. The map has been installed and piloted in 10 teams of Task Force 363 – HCMC level and 57 teams of Task Force 363 – district level.

The introduction of this digital map has immensely changed the operation, administration, and coordination styles of the Task Force. An order is timely delivered from the Command Center, along with suitable coordination of teams in Task Force 363 to increase patrols on troublesome roads or areas as to public security.

Data sent back to the Command Center help the officers here better understand the situation and assign more staff if necessary. Thanks to that method, all 57 teams of Task Force 363 have been able to improve their performance and are always ready to aid localities when needed and vice versa.

The map has been used in the whole Task Force since the beginning of this year, helping them to timely stop over 15,000 potential criminals and perform regular patrols and armed control in complicated areas. The teams of Task Force 363 have detected and handled nearly 1,600 law offenders as to public security.

Statistics from HCMC Public Security Department reveal that in the first 5 months this year, the number of crimes regarding public security dropped by 3.28 percent compared to this time last year. In particular, street crime rates fell by 9.28 percent while the detection rate of drug-related criminals was 25.44 percent.

The quantity of traffic accidents decreased according to all three criteria. 570 violation cases of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) were identified, contributing to reducing traffic accidents caused by drunkenness.

“Thus, around 39 tonnes of trash were released daily into the environment, of which plastic waste accounted for 2.11 tonnes.”

He said effective management would prevent and limit the amount of plastic waste, contributing to the success of the national strategy for integrated management of solid waste to 2025, vision to 2050.

KOICA donates equipment to support people with disabilities in Vietnam

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on June 26 handed over classroom facilities valued at US$11,400 to the Will to Live Center in order to support people with disabilities in Vietnam.

The donation consists of air conditioners, multi air conditioners and automatic doors. The Will to Live Center (WLC) is a non-profit organization based in Hanoi, Vietnam, that provides free computer and life skills training courses to people with disabilities to help them have better access to employment prospects and easily integrate into society.

Ngo Thi Huyen Minh, director of WLC, highly appreciated KOICA’s support for disadvantaged people, noting KOICA provides not only financial support but also Korea’s valuable resources and experiences, which enable us to build an effective vocational training model, contributing to building an equitable and inclusive society.

Meanwhile, Cho Han-Deog, country director of KOICA, emphasized that the Korean agency is always willing to offer assistance to disadvantaged groups through the KOICA Club.

“We strive for promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in society through sharing and inspiring activities as well as development resources assistance,” said director Cho.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Pham Minh Son, rector of the Academy of Journalism and Communication, affirmed the Academy’s commitment to community activities through joint charity activities with KOICA.

“The classroom facilities handed over to the WLC are not only of material value but also an expression of love, sharing and respect for the members of WLC,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Son.

The rector, who is also president of KOICA Club, expressed his belief that the cooperation between the Academy, KOICA and WLC will be further promoted in the coming years to "bring happiness while alleviating the sorrow of the less fortunate".

HCMC praises winning disabled athletes, coaches at 2023 ASEAN Para Games

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City yesterday held a meeting to commend athletes with disabilities and coaches for their high achievements at the 2023 ASEAN Para Games, officially known as the 12th ASEAN Para Games.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, on behalf of the city's leaders, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc said that he is proud of Vietnamese athletes who made efforts to achieve outstanding achievements beyond the expectation.

Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc said that in the past time, the city has always cared about creating conditions to support athletes. City leaders always appreciate the contribution of athletes and coaches to contribute to the city; moreover, they hoped that athletes and coaches to continue training to bring glory to the country.

The 2023 ASEAN Para Games, officially known as the 12th ASEAN Para Games, and commonly known as Cambodia 2023, was a biennial Southeast Asian multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities held from 3 to 9 June 2023 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Vietnamese disabled athletes captured 66 gold medals, 58 silver medals and 77 bronze medals, ranking third.

Athletes with disabilities in HCMC have excellently contributed 57/66 gold medals accounting for 86 percent of the total number of gold medals, 27 silver medals and 44 bronze medals.

On this occasion, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City awarded certificates of merit to 67 coaches and athletes who achieved excellent results at the sports event. In addition, sponsors also presented cash and gifts worth about VND2.5 billion to winning athletes.

Vietnam, Indonesia step up legislative ties

Ha said the countries, sharing a bilateral traditional friendship which was upgraded to strategic partnership in 2013, have boosted their high-level and all-level exchanges, maintained and promoted their effective cooperation mechanisms, and coordinated policies in line with Indonesia's priorities for the region, especially during its 2023 ASEAN chairmanship.

He stressed that the Vietnamese NA wishes to deepen and enhance the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia via further strengthening cooperation with the legislative bodies of Indonesia, particularly in delegation exchanges and teamwork between the sides’ specialised committees and friendship parliamentarians' groups.

The Vietnamese NA also looks forward to promoting the exchange of information and experiences with the Indonesian parliament on law building and inspection work related to post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery and global issues such as digital transformation, he added.

The official said in the time to come, Vietnam and Indonesia need to continue improving the legal framework for cooperative activities and maximising the effectiveness of their joint committee on economic, scientific, and technological cooperation to facilitate trade and investment flows.

The two countries should explore and seek opportunities for collaboration in such new areas as digital transformation, clean energy, capitalising on the opportunities brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For his part, the Indonesian diplomat stressed that Indonesia values its strategic partnership with Vietnam and is committed to making every effort to promote their friendly cooperation.

Agreeing with Ha’s assessment regarding the strong ties between the two countries in various fields, the ambassador suggested that the Vietnamese and Indonesian legislative bodies further promote these cooperative relations and increase their exchange of high-level delegations.

Ministry pledges optimal conditions for Honda to operate in Vietnam

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will create the best possible conditions for Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda to operate in the country, Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai affirmed on June 29.

At a reception in Hanoi for Toshio Kuwahara, President and CEO of Asian Honda Motor & Head of Regional Unit (Asia and Oceania), Hai hailed Honda Vietnam for its contributions to the Vietnamese economy, especially the auto industry, helping tighten the relations between the two countries.

For his part, Toshio thanked the official and the MoIT for their support for Honda Vietnam, presented difficulties facing the company, and raised proposals to help the domestic industry roll out suitable, timely policies in support of manufacturers in general and Honda in particular.

Established in 1996, Honda Vietnam Company is a joint venture between Japan Honda Motor Company, Thailand Asian Honda Motor Company and Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation.

Honda Vietnam has one automobile manufacturing plant and three others for motorcycle manufacturing in the Southeast Asian nation.

National Park sees better protection thanks to eco-tourism

Situated around 30 kilometres to the northwest of Tay Ninh city, Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park is home to an abundance of rare fauna and flora. It has also been better protected thanks to a boost in local eco-tourism.

There are 934 different species of plants, along with 42 species of mammals, 203 bird species and 53 reptile species that have been recorded across the park’s area of 30,000 hectares.

It is also in the Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park that scientists found the nepenthes thorelii, or Thorel pitcher plant, which was thought to have been extinct for 100 years and is now classified as an endemic species.

The park also saw a rare flock of more than 1,000 storks migrate to the forest last summer. There haven't been many flocks of this size that stayed at the park for an extended period of time.

To protect this rare flock of storks, the park’s management board has closely monitored the situation and arranged patrols and provide guidance to minimise noise and negative effects on the birds, said Pham Xuan Thanh, director of the park’s Centre for Education and Forest Environment Services.

Several other rare animals residing in Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park include the black-shanked douc langur, the Indochinese silver langur, the sun bear, the red wolf, and the small loris, as well as the stump-tailed macaque, the lesser adjutant, the grey-cheeked tit-babbler, among others.

In addition to wildlife rescue, the park’s Department of Conservation Science and International Cooperation also takes care of several pheasants and Indian peafowls for research and educational purposes.

Thanh told Nong nghiep (Agriculture) newspaper: “We are not only working to conserve the existing species but also receive rescued wildlife, taking care of them and releasing them back to nature at Lo Go - Xa Mat.”

The national park also offers a wide range of activities for visitors, including sightseeing around the signature forest habitats, cycling along a 24km route through the woods, and learning about the wartime Central Office for South Vietnam, which was based in the forest area.

Thuy, one of the 30-people group travelling to Lo Go - Xa Mat said: “Life is full of hustle and bustle, so being in the forest calms us down and lets us immerse ourselves in nature.”

Having walked through 10km in the national park, Bich Hong is still full of energy and excited about the experience.

According to Au Phuoc Quy, chief of the local forest rangers, the national park is better protected thanks to tourism activities.

Since the locality boosted tourism to the national park in 2016, forest violations have witnessed a significant decrease and are not as alarming as in the past.

The People’s Committee of Tay Ninh province has also approved two projects on eco-tourism and on developing the buffer zone of Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park in the 2023-30 period.

The objective is to invest and effectively utilise the tourism potential of the area, while also preserving its natural values and ecological environment.

Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park expects to welcome 40,000 visitors per year by 2023, which is estimated to bring in 52 billion VND (2.2 million USD) in annual revenue.

HCM City promotes child protection models

The Ho Chi Minh City Welfare Association in collaboration with the Vietnam-Denmark Friendship Association on June 28 reviewed a project on protecting children and preventing child abuse in the southern city.

The project aims to protect children from risks of maltreatment via activities to increase social awareness on child care and protection, nutritional support, education and health care for disadvantaged children.

Luong Thi Thuan, Chairwoman of the association, said the project provides direct support forms for vulnerable children and teenagers to prevent domestic violence, and sexual and labour abuse, among others.

The project has established a club to support people with HIV, organised sports and enjoyment events for impoverished children, and provided consultation for young families with special circumstances.

The work has expanded direct fund raising activities and popularised children’s rights on social platforms, helping to solve social issues relating to child protection and prevention from several types of abuses while meeting goals on sustainable development of the United Nations.

Deputy PM directs fight against IUU, smuggling, drug trafficking in Mekong Delta

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang chaired a teleconference in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on June 28 to direct the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; boundary demarcation; prevention and control of crimes, drug and human trafficking, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

At the event, the Deputy PM required 13 regional cities and provinces to exert the greatest possible efforts towards the primary goal of ensuring no vessels are detained abroad due to illegal fishing from now to October.

Local authorities should intensify management of their fishing fleets to prevent illegal fishing in foreign waters and coordinate with competent agencies to investigate and punish violations of fishing regulations, he said.

Quang instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete amendments to Decree 42/2019/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the fisheries sector in July. 

He particularly urged local authorities to carry out the two long-term tasks assigned by the Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development, which are promoting occupational transition for fishermen to have alternative livelihoods, and increasing aquatic resources through boosting aquaculture.

Regarding the fight against smuggling and trade fraud, the Deputy PM underlined the three most outstanding problems of fake fertilisers, cross-border smuggling and illicit trafficking of petrol products via seaway.

Women footballers get bonus to inspire, encourage

The national women's football team received a 1 billion VND (42,440 USD) bonus from TCP Vietnam for their gold medal success at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia in May.

The team also earned remarkable results recently, leading them to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup next month in Australia and New Zealand.

Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team just returned home from a three-week training course in Europe which saw the team's 1-2 defeat to the world's number two Germany in a friendly match.

The Vietnamese women's team surprised the world with their performance against a rival who was 30 steps higher than them in the world rankings.

Forward Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha scored a superb goal in additional time in the match, marking a milestone in her career.

Online meeting discusses Vietnam-RoK cooperation in television, animation

The Korea Creative Content Agency Vietnam Office (KOCCA Vietnam) has launched an online seminar to promote content cooperation between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The 2023 BizMatching Agent Online B2B Meeting, held from June 27-28, aims to support the collaboration between Vietnamese and Korean content, as well as to help Korean content companies enter the Vietnamese market.

The event was specifically focused on the fields of television and animation and attracted 28 companies from both countries. It provided a platform for these companies to conduct business consultations, exchange knowledge and expertise, and explore potential opportunities for collaboration.

Following the State visit of the RoK President to Vietnam, the meeting was held with even higher expectations and attracted more companies, demonstrating the continuing popularity of Korean content.

One notable aspect of this BizMatching Meeting was the participation of a majority of Over-The-Top (OTT) platform companies that are expanding in Vietnam. The platform is a type of media streaming service that delivers video, audio, and other forms of content over the Internet, without requiring users to subscribe to a traditional cable or satellite television service.

Director of KOCCA Vietnam Hong Jeong Yong said: “'To provide the most practical assistance to South Korean content producers, we must expand the network of content buyers in Vietnam and continuously strive to support content companies in both countries to operate when they invest in Vietnam in the future.”

KOCCA Vietnam is currently preparing for two Biz-matching events that are expected to take place in August and September, as well as the upcoming Korean-Vietnamese Character Festival, which will be held in the southern province of Binh Duong from September 14-17.

KOCCA is a government agency dedicated to promoting the development of the RoK's content industry, including television, animation, music, and games, among other things.

Trees destroyed in forest firefighting exercise in Quảng Nam

A controversial forest firefighting exercise in Quảng Nam Province’s Thăng Bình District has caused some forest trees to be partially burned, leading to kickback from the public.

On June 26, Quảng Nam’s Forest Protection Department coordinated with Thăng Bình District to conduct the exercise in a coastal protected forest in Bình Sa Commune.

One day later, local residents found forest trees that were cut close to the base. Before the exercise, they also saw that there were people coming to cut trees and thought they were loggers destroying the forest. The locals then reported this to the commune authorities.

Explaining this, Châu Quang Anh, Chairman of Bình Sa Commune People's Committee, said that the location for the exercise was selected by the Provincial Forest Protection Department, adding that this location is very sparse and the trees that were sawed had dried up and died.

On Wednesday, the Provincial People's Committee Office of Quảng Nam province confirmed that they had received an explanatory report from the Provincial Forest Protection Department regarding the incident.

Thăng Bình District was chosen to represent the characteristic situation of forest fires in the province, which have been more common in recent years. The district has experienced five incidents resulting in a forest area loss of 46 hectares.

Hà Phước Phú, Deputy Director of the Quảng Nam Provincial Forest Protection Department, said the firefighting exercise is an annual activity. In the past, it was organised in mountainous areas, but for the last two years, the eastern region of the province has been experiencing frequent forest fires. Therefore, they chose this area for the exercise.

According to the report from the Quảng Nam Provincial Forest Protection Department, the exercise area covered approximately 400 square metres and had sparse vegetation.

The Department affirmed that all activities in the exercise strictly adhered to the designated scenario.

To ensure a successful practical exercise, the firefighters cleared the area thoroughly beforehand. They conducted clearance and water spraying to prevent the fire from spreading into the forest.

Additional fuel materials were added from fallen, dead, and dry trees around the exercise area. Some standing dead trees were also cut to prevent the possibility of the fire being spread by the wind, which could lead to it spreading beyond the exercise area.

A provincial leader of Quảng Nam said that the local People's Committee will soon hold a meeting to evaluate the recent forest firefighting exercise. This will allow the leaders to have more understanding of future exercises and conduct on-site inspections.

An Giang Province declares erosion emergency

The An Giang Province People’s Committee declared an erosion emergency on the northern bank of the Rạch Giá – Long Xuyên Canal in Long Xuyên City on Tuesday (June 27). The eroded bank is in Mỹ Khánh Commune.

On June 12 a 45-metre section was washed away along with half the width of the road along the canal, affecting 110 households.

The province has assigned the city People’s Committee to mobilise personnel to relocate affected households to safer areas and provide financial support as regulated.

It has also instructed the city to repair the eroded road for people to travel, install barriers and mobilise financial sources to repair the area.

The city has had 66 cases of erosion along rivers and canals since 2010, including two along the northern bank of the Rạch Giá – Long Xuyên Canal.

An Giang is situated in the upstream area of the Mekong, has a dense river and canal network, and has suffered increasingly from erosion in recent years because of both natural and human factors.

It had 68 cases of erosion last year alone, which affected 3,279m of banks and 40 houses.  

Ha Nam garment company fined for discharging wastewater

The Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee has just issued a fine of nearly VND2.65 billion on the Vu Bang Textile Garment Company for discharging untreated wastewater into the Chau Giang River.

Ha Nam Environmental Police Department found that Vu Bang Textile Garment Company in Hoa Hau Commune, Ly Nhan District was discharging untreated wastewater into the Chau Giang River through a plastic pipe on April 18.

Earlier on April 18, Ha Nam Environmental Police Department found that Vu Bang Textile Garment Company in Hoa Hau Commune, Ly Nhan District was discharging untreated wastewater into the Chau Giang River through a plastic pipe.

The pipe which was 1.40 kilometres in length and 63mm in diameter was placed under some canals and buried under some rice fields and a cemetery before ending at the Chau Giang River.

Police seized the pipe for an investigation before issuing the fine on the company.

Vu Bang Textile Garment Company has also been asked to fix the pollution caused by their illegal discharge.

Prime Minister chairs June law building session

The Government convened the monthly specialised session on law building under the chair of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 29.

Cabinet members discussed the proposals on building a law on teachers, the draft amended Law on Archives, a law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Chemicals, and a law amending and supplementing the laws that include regulations on investment and budget to tackle hindrances to public investment projects.

In his opening remarks, PM Chinh said that since 2022, the Government has maintained monthly law building sessions during which it has focused on removing institutional obstacles.

He highlighted the increasingly improved law building quality and stronger coordination with the National Assembly (NA) in this regard. Thanks to that, draft laws submitted to the parliament have won high consensus.

Draft laws and regulations must be relevant to the reality and feasible, remove bottlenecks to facilitate development resources and concentrate on the three growth drivers (investment, consumption, export), step up decentralisation, and increase supervision and examination, the PM added.

Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5, Engineering Unit Rotation 2 deployed to UN missions

A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 29 to deploy Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5 and Engineering Unit Rotation 2 of Vietnam for peacekeeping operations in the United Nations missions in South Sudan and Abyei.

The event saw the presence of President Vo Van Thuong, Commander of the people’s armed forces and Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council.

Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5, which will replace Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 in South Sudan, consists of 63 members, including 11 females. Meanwhile, Engineering Unit Rotation 2, replacing Engineering Unit Rotation 1 in Abyei, has 184 members, including 19 females.

In his speech, President Thuong affirmed the Party and State’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and diversification and multilateralisation of external relations for regional and global peace, cooperation, and development. He stressed that the country's political commitment is to stay ready to join hands in settling difficult issues and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for cooperation and development.

So far, the country has sent 533 officers and professional soldiers to UN peacekeeping operations, and they have properly fulfilled their tasks. The achievements by the UN peacekeeping force of Vietnam have been highly valued, helping with the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Millennium Development Goals of the UN.

The State leader affirmed that the Party and State always put trust in the Vietnamese peacekeeping force, are proud of the force’s achievements, and also believe that the deployed units will build up attainments of their predecessors and bring into play their mettle, wisdom, and capabilities during the performance of the noble duties assigned by the Party, State, army, and people to meet requirements of the UN.

President Thuong also took this occasion to thank the UN, international partners, and peace-loving people around the world for their precious assistance for Vietnam’s national construction and safeguarding, as well as preparations for and deployment of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions.

MoIT, China’s market regulation agency strengthen cooperation

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien on June 28 met with head of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Luo Wen to discuss ways to further cooperation between the ministry and the administration.

The meeting was within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh’s official visit to China and attendance at the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC) of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

At the meeting, Minister Dien said that Vietnam and China share a border with many pairs of border gates and crossings that create favourable conditions for bilateral trade, but also pose risks of smuggling.

In addition, the growing border trade between the two countries and e-commerce cause difficulties and challenges for their market management agencies in dealing with trade fraud and issues relating to intellectual property, food safety, and consumer protection. Therefore, the formation of a cooperation mechanism between the two sides is very necessary, Dien said.

He suggested that the two sides strengthen cooperation in experience exchange and sharing in institutional building and policy mechanisms; share information and coordinate to handle wrongdoings in intellectual property, commercial fraud, consumer protection, and food safety; and promote cooperation in human resources training.

The Chinese official agreed with Dien’s suggestions, adding his office is willing to share experiences with Vietnamese agencies in commercial fraud prevention, intellectual property protection, food safety management, and online catering services.

Earlier, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation.

Coast Guard seize 60,000 litres of smuggled diesel

The Coast Guard has seized more than 60,000 litres of smuggled diesel from a ship 309 nautical miles south-east of the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.

It said on Wednesday (June 28) its Reconnaissance Unit No 2 on June 25 stopped fishing vessel TG 93698 TS registered in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang and found the oil of unknown origin.

The vessel’s captain, Huỳnh Tấn Kiệt, 42, of the central province of Quảng Ngãi, and three crew members were on board.

Kiệt failed to furnish documents proving the origin of the oil, and none of the crew had the qualifications or certification required to be a sailor.

The Coast Guard brought the vessel shore and handed the case over to the Coast Guard Region No 3 in Vũng Tàu city for further investigation. 

Low pay drives Central Highlands forest rangers away in droves

A string of forest rangers in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have resigned due to low pay and high pressure, prompting local authorities to scramble for recruits. 

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Gia Lai Province has just announced the recruitment of 69 forest protection staff to fill vacant positions.

In the short term, the department would allow staff on duty in remote areas to work near their families, provide a travel allowance and increase their bonuses.

The department also proposed provincial authorities consider raising salaries and improving working conditions for forest rangers to avoid mass resignations.

The resignation of forest protection officers has increased pressure on forest management boards in Gia Lai.

Bac An Khe Forest Protection Management Board protects more than 10,300 hectares of forest, spanning the four localities of An Khe, Mang Yang, K'Bang and Dak Po districts.

However, the board has only nine members. In the past two years, six of its employees have resigned.

Phan Thanh Hai, head of the management board, said many quit due to mounting pressures made worse by the fact they were unable to make ends meet on their low salaries.

Employee Ho Vinh Tuong, 33, said he now receives a monthly salary of VND4.4 million (USD186.35) while his two co-workers earned over VND3 million a month.

Hoang Vinh Thuan, deputy head of Ia Meur Forest Protection Management Board, said the forest protection job means harsh living conditions and high stress.

Many forest protection staff also face threats from loggers.

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