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Immediately after the signing ceremony, the Steering Committee for implementing the project convened its first meeting, during which members discussed the implementation of the project in the coming time, and the centre’s operation plan in the first year.
Vietnam joins global action for blue ocean
Vietnam is joining international efforts to protect blue ocean in response to World Ocean Day 2022.
Themed “Revitalisation: Collective Action for the Ocean”, this year’s day highlights the importance of coordination activities between nations and organisations to revive degrading ocean and marine ecosystems, and preserve marine environment and natural resources for sustainable development goals.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said that with a high determination in action, Vietnam is stepping up economic restructuring in association with the development of digital economy, blue economy and circulation economy to effectively use and preserve natural resources and protect people’s living environment and health.
In May 2020, the Government issued Decision No. 647/QD-TTg approving an international cooperation project on sustainable marine economic development of Vietnam to 2030. The project affirms that international collaboration on sustainable development of the marine economy must ensure the consistent implementation of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation; as well as the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese nation and people./.
Hue develops green urban model
The Thua Thien-Hue Institute for Development Studies, in coordination with the Danish Embassy in Vietnam, on June 7 organised the “Cycling – The story of a green road”, an activity aimed at turning the ancient imperial capital of Hue into a cultural, eco-friendly and smart city.
The event drew the participation of Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Højlund Christensen, leaders of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and hundreds of people who cycle through many roads of the city.
An exhibition, entitled “Copenhagen – livable city – bicycle city”, also took place on this occasion.
According to the diplomat, the event is part of the campaigns intended to spread the cycling culture in cities and urban areas of Vietnam.
The images displayed at the exhibition reflect efforts of the Danish capital to become the most livable and cyclist-friendly city in the world over the past 20 years, he said, adding he hopes Hue will soon realise the goal of becoming a "bicycle city".
Earlier, a public bicycle-sharing project was launched on June 5 in the city by the municipal People’s Committee, the German Development Cooperation Organisation (GIZ), and Vietsoftpro software solution company.
Accordingly, more than 120 bicycles have been arranged at seven bike rental spots along the city's famous Huong (Perfume) River.
People can hire the bikes using a smartphone and pay via QR code to unlock the vehicles.
Peace, friendship insignia conferred upon Australian Ambassador
The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on June 7 bestowed its “For peace and friendship among nations” insignia upon outgoing Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie for her contribution to promoting mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation between the two nations.
Presenting the honour to the diplomat, VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said during her second tenure in Vietnam, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Mudie has played a pivotal role in strengthening all-round relations between Vietnam and Australia.
According to Nga, Mudie has made a very important contribution to promoting the bilateral cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control. As of December 2021, Australia had committed to provide a comprehensive support package worth 60 million AUD and more than 4.1 million doses of vaccine, becoming Vietnam's second largest vaccine donor.
The Australian ambassador has also dedicated to the countries’ collaboration in increasing Vietnam’s engagement in UN peacekeeping activities, gender equality promotion, and women empowerment, Nga said.
She hoped Mudie will continue such significant contributions to Vietnam-Australia ties in her future posts.
Expressing her honour, the diplomat said she is grateful for the assistance she received while in Vietnam.
She wished the two nations’ relations will grow robustly in the future.
Over 16.7 million people join social, unemployment insurance
More than 16.7 million people nationwide joined social insurance and unemployment insurance as of the end of May, equivalent to 33.81 percent of the total workforce, an increase of over 507,000 people over the same period in 2021.
According to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), over 1.46 million people are expected to participate in compulsory social insurance and nearly 980,000 in voluntary social insurance in the remaining months of the year.
The social insurance sector will coordinate with other sectors and localities to focus on developing the number of participants, especially those joining voluntary insurance forms.
Attention will be paid to speeding up administrative reform, applying information technology in management and administration activities in order to make it easier for people and employees to access and benefit from insurance policies, the VSS said.
Vietnam-Italy Joint Commission convenes 7th meeting in Hanoi
Vietnam and Italy convened the 7th meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation in Hanoi on June 7, during which the two sides discussed various aspects of the bilateral economic partnership.
Co-organised by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the meeting was chaired by Minister Dang Hoang An on the Vietnamese side and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio di Stefano on the Italian side.
The event was attended by regulators, enterprises and business associations from both countries.
The two sides exchanged views and reviewed economic and trade cooperation in numerous areas, including energy, agriculture, textile and garment, footwear, science and technology, transportation, culture, tourism, communications, and environment and natural resources.
They also agreed on multiple plans to be implemented in the coming time and discussed barriers to the implementation of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to lift the economic ties between Vietnam and Italy to a new height.
Proposed minimum wage insufficient to make ends meet
As the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has been gathering comments on a draft on the minimum wage, insiders said the proposed wages are insufficient to make ends meet.
Under the draft, minimum wages are set by region with an hourly wage of 22,500 VND (0.97 USD) for Region I, 22,000 VND for Region II, 17,500 VND for Region III and 15,600 VND for Region IV. Lawmakers expect the wages to maintain a decent living standard for workers, notably those working part-time.
Le Dinh Quang, Deputy Head of the Labour Relation Department under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), thought otherwise.
Quang said workers are currently paid 18,000-23,000 VND per hour, already low compared to the price level. He opined that minimum hourly wages between 20,000 VND and 30,000 VND would be more suitable for labour contracts.
Tran Van Trieu, Director of the Legal Consulting Centre, shared this view and attributed the low proposed wages to payroll miscalculations.
Specifically, hourly wages have been calculated by dividing minimum monthly wages by total working hours in a month, which are the product of 26 working days per month and eight hours per day.
The director also believed that current minimum monthly wages are not high enough to meet workers' basic needs, so the wages should be adjusted up. He suggested minimum hourly wages increase to 30,000-40,000 VND.
Tran Huu Tin, head of the Tin and Partners Law Office, remarked that full-time workers are entitled to social insurance, healthcare insurance, unemployment insurance and bonuses in addition to wages. Meanwhile, hourly workers are normally eligible for wages only, putting them at a disadvantage. He proposed insurance and bonuses be included in hourly wages to improve workers' incomes.
Vu Minh Tien, Director of the Institute of Workers and Unions, stressed that part-time workers are normally not entitled to benefits, allowances and bonuses like full-time workers.
Accordingly, the minimum wage should be adjusted up to cover such a disparity, ensuring equal treatment for both types of workers.
Nguyen Thi Bong, a full-time worker at Pou Yuen Vietnam JSC., revealed that she often works as a waitress during her free time to make extra money for her family. The part-time job earns her around 16,000-20,000 VND per hour, comparable to the proposed minimum wages.
International resources help ease war bomb consequences in Quang Tri
A total of 34 foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and 23 international organisations are taking part in the settlement of post-war bomb and landmine consequences in the central province of Quang Tri, the most severely contaminated locality in Vietnam.
According to Nguyen Trieu Thuong, Director of the provincial Department for Foreign Affairs, since 2020, there have been 122 NGO-funded programmes and projects in the field launched in the province. Their costs totaled more than 59 million USD.
Earlier, in the 2001-2020 period, Quang Tri mobilised 270 million USD worth of funding from foreign NGOs to conduct 778 bomb alleviation projects. As a result, 25,000ha of contaminated land were cleared. The projects also helped raise mine risk awareness for over 600,000 local people, mostly students, and generate stable jobs for about 1,000 workers.
Quang Tri is the most polluted locality in terms of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Vietnam, with over 82 percent of its land area contaminated. War-left landmines and bombs have killed over 3,430 people and injured 5,100 since the war ended in 1975.
Hanoi Association of Main Industrial Products seeks cooperation opportunities with Italy
Cooperation opportunities between Hanoi’s businesses that offer main industrial products and Italian enterprises were highlighted at a conference in the capital city on June 7.
Through the event, jointly held by the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, the Hanoi Association of Main Industrial Products (HAMI) and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM), Hanoi hoped for the establishment of joint venture partnership as well as tightened cooperation in the sphere, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen.
On this occasion, HAMI and ICHAM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), under which they will exchange information, and introduce products and services to the other.
Religious cooperation beefs up Vietnam-Laos ties
A visiting delegation of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, headed by its Chairman Vu Hoai Bac, held talks to those from the Lao Front for National Development (LFND) Central Committee in the Lao capital of Vientiane on June 7.
During the meeting, the sides exchanged views and experience on religious situation, management and development as well as related policies in their respective nations. They also discussed bilateral cooperation orientations in the time to come.
Agreeing that their past joint works have contributed to the countries’ religious management effectiveness and information exchange and collaboration, they both highlighted the necessity to boost communications campaigns to raise the people’s awareness on the Vietnam-Laos solidarity, special friendship and comprehensive cooperation.
They also agreed to co-organise experience exchange sessions and scientific seminars; team up to train personnel for religious affairs; and step up the special ties shared between units on religious affairs of Vietnamese and Lao localities along the borderline.
The talks were concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two sides for 2022-2026.
Da Nang Summer Festival 2022 to promote tourism recovery
The Enjoy Danang Summer Festival 2022, slated for June 11 to August 15, will give visitors a wide range of large-scale performances and special culinary programmes to enjoy as the country’s tourism industry wakes up from the pandemic hangover.
The highlight of the festival will be a series of events entitled "Take me to the Sun”, the event’s organising board said at a press conference on June 6.
It will feature three main themes, namely Enjoy Da Nang Festival & Music, Enjoy Da Nang Beach and Enjoy Da Nang Delicacies.
Vietnam chairs Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centres meeting
The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations is organising the Annual General Meeting and Workshop of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centres (AAPTC) in a hybrid format from June 6-10.
Themed “Indo-Pacific Actions Supporting United Nations Action-for-Peace Initiative (A4P) Improving Performance in Peace Operations”, the event aims at creating a forum connecting the member countries, helping them consolidate resources to back the A4P and the A4P .
It is also a chance to affirm the role and responsibility of Vietnam – the current AAPTC Chair, increase its international position in peacekeeping cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, and contribute to improving the efficiency of participation in the UN peacekeeping missions of member countries in the region.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends 11th International Art Photo Exhibition
The Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) held a ceremony to present awards of the 11th International Art Photo Contest in Vietnam in 2021 (VN-21) and opened an exhibition of entry photos on June 7.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended and handed over the gold medals and certificates to photographers who won the highest prizes of the contest.
The 11th International Art Photo Contest in Vietnam in 2021 (VN-21) was held by VAPA with the artistic patronage of the International Federation of Artistic Photographers (FIAP), the Photographic Society of America (PSA), and Image sans Frontière (ISF). It was launched on March 31, 2021 and ended receiving photos on July 31, 2021.
A virtual exhibition of the contest’s photos is also being held.
Hanoi to inoculate vulnerable adults with fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines
Hanoi is considering injecting the second booster dose, or the fourth dose, of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable adults or those who jobs put them at high risk for exposure to COVID-19, starting this month.
People eligible to receive the dose include those aged 50 and above, those aged 18 and above who are diagnosed to be moderately or severely immunocompromised, or those with high-risk jobs such as healthcare workers, frontliners and factory workers.
The capital city aims to have more than 95 percent of the eligible adults administered this time.
Vietnam International Defence Expo 2022 to take place in December
Vietnam International Defence Expo 2022 is scheduled to take place in Hanoi in December.
The announcement was made at a meeting of the event's organising board under the chair of Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army.
The expo, which is hosted by Vietnamese Defence Ministry, will showcase means of warfare, state-of-the-art technologies and equipment serving the different military forces.
It is expected to be the place for leading suppliers of defence equipment and services in the world to meet, exchange and evaluate products, technologies and introduce new defence and security solutions for Vietnam and regional countries as well.
Vietnamese professor receives UK Royal Society of Chemistry’s noble prize
Vietnamese Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh has been honoured with the Interdisciplinary Prize of the United Kingdom’s Royal Society of Chemistry for her outstanding achievements in research and innovation.
Thanh, currently working at the University College London (UCL), won the prize for her important contributions to research related to Plasmonic nanoparticles and their magnetism for biomedical applications.
The Interdisciplinary Prizes are awarded for work at the interface between chemistry and other disciplines. The spirit of the prize is to recognise research involving both the broad and evolving subject of chemistry and another discipline.
Large Japanese-funded project launched to strengthen safe agricultural value chains in the north
A project to strengthen the safe agricultural value chains in northern localities has been jointly launched by the National Agricultural Extension Centre (NAEC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The project, at total cost of 3 million USD funded by Japan's non-refundable official development assistance (ODA), will be implemented from 2022 to 2026, covering seven northern provinces of Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Nam Dinh and Son La.
This is the third project on strengthening safe farming value chains in the northern region of Vietnam that the NAEC and the JICA have worked together on. Earlier, the two sides successfully cooperated in building fundamental GAP and make it a technical procedure for safe vegetable farming in 2014 as well as developing selling channels for safe farm produce.
Fencers to compete in regional, world championships in July
The Vietnamese fencing team has no time to rest after the 31st SEA Games, as they get ready for a jet-set month of competitions around the world.
The Southeast Asian and Pacific Fencing Championships will be held on July 4-14 in the Philippines, while the World Fencing Championship tournament event will be from July 15-23 in Egypt.
The national team members who won medals at last month's Games will be attending, including Vũ Thành An (men's single sabre), Nguyễn Tiến Nhật (men's single epee) and Bùi Thị Thu Hà (women's single sabre).
In other fencing news, the Việt Nam Fencing Federation will hold its first congress in July when the first members of the executive committee will be introduced.
HBSO performs Russian classical masterpieces
The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will perform classical masterpieces by Russian composers at the city’s Opera House on June 11.
“A Night of Classical Music” will open with Overture from The Tsar's Bride, an opera in four acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, his tenth opera.
The night will continue with an excerpt from Prince Igor, a four-act opera written and composed by Alexander Borodin, who adapted the libretto from the Ancient Russian epic The Lay of Igor's Host.
The concert will also include Georgy Sviridov’s orchestral composition The Snow Storm, which was originally written in 1964 for the film of the same name.
After the interval, there will be an orchestral work, Festive Overture, composed by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1954 as a celebration of the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution.
The concert will end with Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra by Reinhold Gliere and Symphony No 1, also known as the “Classical” by Sergei Prokofiev.
The performances will highlight talents of the HBSO Symphony Orchestra: tenor Phạm Trang and soprano Phạm Khánh Ngọc, runner-up at the SLO- ASEAN Vocal Competition in Singapore in 2016.
The concert will begin at 8pm at 7 Lam Sơn Square in District 1. Tickets can be purchased at the venue.
Japan-Vietnam opera project select main performers
Organisers of the "Princess Anio" joint-opera project between Japan and Vietnam have announced the main actors and actresses. The project celebrates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.
The main actors and actresses who will take part in the project are singers Đào Tố Loan and Bùi Thị Trang (female soprano) for the role of princess Anio, while two male tenors, Kobori Yusuke and Yamamito Kohei will take the role of Japanese businessman Araki Sotaro.
According to Yamada Takio, Japanese ambassador to Việt Nam, the opera is based on a real story of the love of Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro and Princess Ngọc Hoa [called Princess Anio by Japanese] in Hội An, Việt Nam, during the trading era of the Shuinsen in the early 17th century.
The opera will be performed officially in September 2023 and then will be performed in Hồ Chí Minh City, Đà Nẵng and Hội An.
Exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh before national salvation journey opens in HCM City
An exhibition highlighting the life and career of President Hồ Chí Minh before leaving the country on his national salvation journey is being held in HCM City.
The exhibition, Về Nơi Lưu Dấu Chân Người (Where the President Went), is jointly organised by the Hồ Chí Minh Museums in HCM City and Huế City to mark 111 years since he left the country on June 5, to seek ways to make the nation free.
On display are 150 black-and-white and colour photos and documents dating back to the days he was young, living in Huế till he left the country from the Nhà Rồng Wharf, Sài Gòn (former name of HCM City.
The exhibition is divided into three main parts. The first part includes photos and artefacts telling stories about the youth life of President Hồ Chí Minh in Huế and his journey from Huế to the South seeking ways for saving the nation.
The exhibition will remain open until September 2 at 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4.
HCM City, ILO to improve business performance, working conditions
HCM City will partner with the International Labour Organisation to improve the business performance and working conditions, a city leader has said.
With the pandemic brought under control, the city quickly implemented social protection measures and provided relief packages to migrant workers, Dương Anh Đức, deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said.
More than 98 per cent of businesses in the city had resumed operations partly thanks to these timely support packages, Đức told ILO Việt Nam director Ingrid Christensen at a meeting on Monday.
HCM City and the ILO are implementing two projects: Technical Support for Enhancing the National Capacity to Prevent and Reduce Child Labour in Việt Nam, and Developing a New Industrial Relations Framework in Respect of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
12 new bus routes bolster HCM City public transportation
The municipal transport department has proposed 12 new bus routes that will expand the city’s public transport network, increase inter-locality connectivity and encourage residents to use public transportation.
The proposal has four minibus routes, four “high-quality inner city routes” and four connecting the city with adjacent provinces.
The four minibus routes will run 14-19.5km on small streets to improve residents’ access to public transport. One of these will link Ấp 5 Phong Phú Residential Area in Bình Chánh District with District 7 (People’s Committee) and another will connect the T30 Residential Area in Bình Chánh District with University of Finance and Marketing in District 7.
Two other routes will start from the Bình An Waterbus Station and end at Liên Phường Street in Thủ Đức City and Sài Gòn Bus Station in District 1, respectively.
The city now has 128 bus routes with nearly 2,100 buses, including 91 subsidised routes.
Over 100 households evacuated amid rising floods in Thanh Hoa
More than 100 households in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa's Muong Lat District have been evacuated as heavy rains have caused serious flooding and landslides in the area.
According to Muong Ly Commune People's Committee Chairman Ha Van Tuan, heavy rains started in the area on the evening of June 6, raising the water level at local springs and rivers. Landslides have occurred, isolating some villages.
The northern and central regions of Vietnam have been forecasted to experience more heavy rain in June and July, said a representative from the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
Flock of storks returns to Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park in Tay Ninh Province
Chau Van Van, Director of Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park in the Southern Province of Tay Ninh said that from the end of May 2022 until now, a flock of storks of more than 1,000 animals returned to the Ta Not Trang area of the national park after many years.
The Asian openbill stork, also known as the Co Stork, scientifically known as Anastomus oscitans, is a species of bird in the Crane family. They live in different habitats of freshwater wetlands such as lakes, ponds, canals, rivers, flooded mudflats, and rice fields.
The area where storks appear in Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park during the first half of the year is a strictly protected area, which has many similarities with the wetlands of Dong Thap Muoi in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap.
Over 85,000 workers in HCMC proposed to receive housing rental assistance
After over one month of carrying out the Decision No. 08 of the Prime Minister on the implementation of the housing rental assistance policy for employees, the Ho Chi Minh City Social Security Agency informed that by June 6, there had been 85,495 valid documents of 5,324 units receiving confirmation of contracted workers participating into social security from Social Security Agencies.
From April 29, the HCMC Social Security guided the confirmation process of the list of receiving rental support for contracted workers with an amount of VND500,000 (US$21.5) per month following Decision No.08. The employers will collect and submit the list following form No.02 on Decision No.08 in one, two or three months by August 15 of 2022. Besides, employees returning to the labor market will receive financial support of VND1 million (US$43) a month.
The employers will summarize the list following form No.03 on Decision No.08 and submit the documents in advance of the 15th day of each month by August 15 of 2022. The above-mentioned employees shall receive such assistance for a maximum period of three months.
HCMC witnesses surge in dengue cases
The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) yesterday said that in the first five months of 2022, the city has recorded 11,722 cases of dengue fever, an increase of 66.5 percent over the same period last year with 7,039 cases.
Worse, the southern metropolis has reported 209 severe cases, an increase of more than seven times compared to the same period in 2021 with 28 cases. From May 27 to June 2, the city had 1,504 cases, an increase of 329 cases ( or 28 percent ) compared to the average of four weeks ago. Dengue fever cases increased in both inpatients and outpatients. Luckily, no deaths have been recorded during this time.
Since the beginning of the year, seven people succumbed to the disease. The city recorded 111 new outbreaks in 79 wards and communes in 20 districts and Thu Duc City.
Vietnam becomes fourth most searched country worldwide
From the beginning of 2022, the number of international searches for aviation to Viet Nam has been increasing rapidly. In early April 2022, the increase was about 663 percent year-on-year. It was 1,114 percent in late April and 2,000 percent in May, compared to the same period in 2021.
The search volume of international tourists for Viet Nam's tourist accommodation establishments increased by 103 percent in April and 450 percent in May in comparison with the same periods last year.
The 10 most searched Vietnamese destinations are Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Phu Quoc (Kien Giang Province), Da Nang, Hoi An (Quang Nam Province), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa Province), Da Lat (Lam Dong Province), Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan Province), Hue (Thua Thien-Hue Province) and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh Province).
Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes
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