As many as 4,733 traffic accidents occurred nationwide killing 2,761 people and injured 3,078 others in five months between December 15, 2021 and May 14, 2022, the Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee said on May 24.

During the period, the number of cases was down by 800, or 14.46 percent while the number of deaths and the injured decreased by 30 and 875, equivalent to 1.07 percent and 22.14 percent, respectively, from the same period last year.

Of the accidents, 4,683 cases happened on the road, claiming 2,699 lives and injuring 3,068 others, falling by 14.42 percent, 1.57 percent and 22.19 percent, respectively.

Thirty railway accidents claimed 20 lives, down 9.09 percent and 23.08 percent, respectively. Nine people were injured in the accidents, unchanged from the same period last year.

Accidents on the waterway were down 30.43 percent to 16 cases, wounding one but killing 30 people, doubling the figure recorded in the same period last year. Meanwhile, four maritime accidents left 12 dead and missing.

During one month from April 15 to May 14, as many as 925 accidents made 485 dead and 647 wounded.

The figures represented year-on-year declines of 10.28 percent, 6.91 percent and 10.26 percent, respectively.

Second bear rescue centre to be built in Vietnam

Animals Asia is carrying out a plan to build its second bear sanctuary in Vietnam which has just been approved by the local Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

According to Animals Asia, the new centre will be built in the Bach Ma National Park, located between the cities of Hue and Danang. It will be a home for 300 gall bears. With this new centre, Animals Asia hopes to rescue these last 300 Vietnamese gall bears, bringing a memorable end to the bear bile industry in Vietnam.

The new centre will have a total area of 12.7 hectares with 12 houses for bears and 12 semi-wild areas. The project has an investment of about USD 10.50 million funded by AAF and is expected to be completed by 2026.

The second bear sanctuary is planned while the first one located in Tam Dao National Park in northern Vinh Phuc Province is getting overloaded after being opened 14 years ago.

Animals Asia started their bear rescue activities in Vietnam in 2007. As many as 239 bears have been rescued so far in the country and 192 are being cared for in Tam Dao National Park.

Statistics from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that there are some 310 bears being kept at farms nationwide. The ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with Animals Asia to completely end bear farming in the country and move all the bears to their rescue centres.

Military officers promoted to rank of Senior Lieutenant General

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Ngo Minh Tien and Political Commissar of the National Defence Academy under the Ministry of National Defence Luong Dinh Hong, have been promoted from the rank of Lieutenant General to Senior Lieutenant General.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is also Commander-in-chief of the People’s Armed Forces and Chairman of the Defence - Security Council, handed over the promotion decisions to the officers at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 24.

Vietnam, China exchange experience in trade union activities

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) on May 24 shared their operational experience and agreed to step up their exchanges.

During their talks, VGCL Standing Vice President Tran Thanh Hai and ACFTU Vice Chairman Jiang Guangping mentioned trade union activities during the engagement in free trade agreements (FTAs), and stressed the need to intensify the Party leadership in trade union activities in the new situation.

Both expressed their hope for enhanced high-level meetings to boost mutual understanding and the establishment of trade union relations between localities, especially those along the border line.

Jiang briefed his Vietnamese counterpart on the operations of the ACFTU, which has developed more than 3.5 million members in new employment areas and is working hard to protect rights and interests of labourers.

Hanoi greets nearly 31,500 foreign tourists during SEA Games 31

Hanoi welcomed 700,000 domestic tourists and 31,448 foreigners who visited or participated in events of the recently concluded SEA Games 31, the municipal Department of Tourism announced on May 24.

As of May 23, 18 hotels in Hanoi had accommodated more than 5,600 Vietnamese and foreign delegates, referees, athletes and reporters. In addition, other accommodation facilities stood ready to welcome tourists travelling to Hanoi during the Games.

The Department of Tourism asked relevant agencies to roll out new tourism products at the capital city’s famous attractions such as the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian zone, Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Bat Trang pottery village. 

Images of Hanoi and preparations for SEA Games 31 were promoted on the department’s portal and websites on Hanoi tourism as well as TV channels and social media.

France-Vietnam job fair held in Hanoi, HCM City

The seventh France-Vietnam Job Fair (FVJF) has been held in Hanoi, serving as a bridge connecting Vietnamese, French and international companies based in Vietnam to graduates with international profiles.

The fair will move to HCM City in the next few days.

FVJF is an annual event that CCIFV has organised for over 10 years. It is an opportunity for international companies to promote activities in the local market and showcase their recruitment offers to qualified candidates in Hanoi and HCM City.

About 40 big names participated in the sixth job fair in 2019, offering nearly 500 jobs. Due to the pandemic it was postponed in the two following years and was rebooted in 2022, thanks to the country's reopening. Around 40 companies participated in the FVJF 2022 in Hanoi, offering 450 vacancies to job-seekers. The FVJF 2022 in HCM City is slated for May 28.

Players named for men’s football at 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup

Head coach Gong Oh-kyun has announced a list of 25 football players to compete at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup final, which will take place in Uzbekistan from June 1 to 19.

More than half of the list are key players of the squad winning the goal medal at the freshly ended SEA Games 31 hosted by Vietnam. They include goalkeeper Van Toan, defenders Viet Anh and Thanh Binh, midfielders Ly Cong Hoang Anh and Le Van Do, and strikers Nguyen Van Tung and Nham Manh Dung.

The remainder groups faces highly evaluated by Gong during a recent training in Hanoi, such as defenders Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Ha Trung Hau, midfielders Vo Dinh Lam and Khuat Van Khang, and strikers Le Minh Binh and Tran Danh Trung.

According to the draw results, Vietnam is in Group C with the Republic of Korea (RoK), Thailand and Malaysia. The team will play the opening match against Thailand on June 2, then meet the RoK on June 5 and Malaysia on June 8.

Seven art works, items to be auctioned to raise funds for mountainous schools

Winners of the 2022 “De Men” (Cricket) Award for Children will be announced at a ceremony on May 31, during which seven art works and items will be auctioned to raise funds to build or repair schools in mountainous areas.

They include the jersey with all signatures of the Vietnamese national football team that championed the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, the jersey of player Duy Manh – Ambassador of the “Schools for children” programme, a silk painting by artist Bui Tien Tuan, an oil painting by Pham An Hai, another by Pham Duy Quynh, a watch branded Ernest Borel GS8380C-22, and a Vespa motorbike decorated by painter Le Kinh Tai.

US-Vietnam Cooperation Centre inaugurated in capital

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy on May 24 co-organised a ceremony to inaugurate the US-Vietnam Cooperation Centre at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV)’s campus in Hanoi.

The new centre is an outcome of the partnership between the embassy’s Public Affairs Section and the DAV which highlights not only the importance of the nations’ relationship but also the close cooperation between the embassy and the university.

This space, open for academics, researchers, faculty, students, and the public, is set to be a platform for educational and cultural programming, research support, and academic services.  It will support DAV’s American Studies programme, English language studies, and leadership development, as well as provide information about the US and its foreign policy.

Vietnam helps raise level of SEA Games: regional media

Vietnam has left a strong impression on the regional media by its hosting of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), which wrapped up with a ceremony imbued with Vietnam’s cultural identity in Hanoi on May 23 evening.

According to Ramon Fernandez, head of the Philippine sports delegation to SEA Games 31, Vietnam has helped raise the level of SEA Games by including Olympic sports in the regional event.

The sports news Inquirer Sports of the Philippines quoted Fernandez as saying that the host country has been very open and tried to create a fair game, contributing to raising the level of SEA Games.

Other delegations also responded that they were able to bring many athletes in Olympic sports to the Games and received good results.

Meanwhile, Thairath newspaper cited a Thai reporter working at the SEA Games, who expressed thanks for the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to organise SEA Games 31 despite many obstacles, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.

The successful organisation of SEA Game 31 is the foundation for Vietnam’s development in the future, the newspaper said.

According to an article on news.yahoo.com, despite the pandemic, SEA Games 31 - the largest sports event in the region - has been taking place with the thrills, all the pageantry and determination of the participating delegations.

The Straits Times of Singapore said many sports tournaments had to be postponed or even cancelled in the past two years because of the pandemic. SEA Games 31 also faced a similar risk. However, the host country Vietnam has been doing all its best to ensure that the event takes place safely but still with a strong sports spirit.

The Star of Malaysia also summed up the SEA Games 31 journey of Malaysia’s sports delegation, and praised the host country Vietnam for ensuring a "safe" Games for their athletes.

Another thing that impressed the media of ASEAN countries when reporting the 31st SEA Games is the passionate love for sports of the Vietnamese people, and their enthusiastic support for the sports delegations at the Games.

The Viet Tri stadium in Phu Tho province and Thien Truong stadium in Nam Dinh province were always full of audiences to cheer for the football teams, even in matches without U23 Vietnam.

Manager of Thailand's football teams Madam Pang expressed “very surprised” about the festival-like atmosphere at the Thien Truong stadium, which showed the friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people. She thanked Vietnam for hosting the Games this year.

Not only venues for football, those for other competitions in this Games were always also full of spectators. Philippine billiards legend Efren Reyes cannot forget the support of Vietnamese fans for him. He said that he was happy simply because of the love Vietnamese fans showed him.

Foreign reporters working at SEA Games 31 also were also surprised by the enthusiasm of Vietnamese fans. They said that whether there were Vietnamese teams competing or not, fans still watched the competitions and gave their best cheers in every sport.

The professional and safe organisation of SEA Games 31 and the enthusiasm of Vietnamese fans have left a good impression among friends around the world.

SEA Games 31 has contributed to create a beautiful image and conveyed a strong message to friends from all countries in the region about the love for sports, friendliness and hospitality of Vietnamese people. 

2nd detachment of Level-2 Field Hospital No. 4 leave for UN peacekeeping missions

A send-off ceremony for the 2nd detachment of Level-2 Field Hospital No. 4 to perform duties in the UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan was held on May 24 in the military airfield of Division 371 of the Air Defence – Air Force Service.

The hospital was launched in November 2021 with 63 official members, including 12 female soldiers. It was deployed to replace Level-2 Field Hospital No.3 in an UN mission in South Sudan.

The hospital will focus on applying science and technology in medical examination and treatment, thereby learning from experience to work on scientific research, and continue to do well in preventing and control diseases in the harsh environment.

Earlier, Vietnam's Engineering Unit Rotation 1 and Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 departed for the UN peacekeeping missions in Abyei and South Sudan on April 27, 2022.

Gia Lai repatriates 18 sets of remains of fallen martyrs from Cambodia

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai held a ceremony at the martyrs’ cemetery in Duc Co district on May 24 to rebury the remains of 18 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia.

Their remains were brought to Gia Lai on May 16, with a requiem held for the fallen soldiers and experts taking place on May 23.

During the 2021 – 2022 dry season, the search and repatriation team K52 of the provincial Military Command launched its 21st campaign in Cambodia from January 4 to May 16. Nearly 70 personnel joined the search across the Cambodian provinces of Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear.

Since its establishment in 2001, the team has brought home the remains of close to 1,500 martyrs from Cambodia.

IPEF discussion should aim at cooperation for people’s benefits: PM

The discussion of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) should aim at a framework that brings practical benefits to the people, stated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the launch ceremony of the IPEF on May 23.

Participating virtually at the hybrid event held in Tokyo, Chinh said it should be an open, inclusive, and balanced process in line with international law and meeting the lawful and legitimate interests of parties involved.

The leader affirmed that Vietnam will work with other ASEAN member countries and relevant partners to continue discussing and clarifying the content of IPEF pillars, bringing about a positive, effective, and feasible economic agenda for the region and for each nation; as well as for peace, stability, cooperation, development and prosperity in the region ang the world at large.

The formal rollout of the IPEF saw in-person and remote participation of leaders of many countries, including US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PM of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol, Thai PM  Prayut Chan-o-cha, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, and PM of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern.

Sensational Saigon River tour attracting tourists

Leaving the pier, the boat passes Landmark 81 Tower, the tallest tower in Ho Chi Minh City, and Saigon Pearl, one of the most luxurious urban areas in town. This is the best way for tourists to admire the beautiful sights of Ho Chi Minh City by night.

Passing Nha Rong Wharf, built in 1863 by French colonialists and where the Ho Chi Minh Museum is now located, tourists will see Saigon Port and watch the city’s inhabitants go about their business.

The tour cost around 85 USD for adults on trips taking two and a half hours and runs every weekend.

Savouring a deluxe afternoon tea and fine champagne while enjoying the cool breeze on the Saigon River is an intriguing experience for both local people and visitors to the city.

Waterway tourism is expected to become an advantage of the city’s tourism sector, providing new experiences to tourists to the metropolis.

Food bank opens warehouse in Mekong Delta

The non-profit organisation Food Bank Vietnam has set up a warehouse in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre.

It will be used to store food for donating to disadvantaged people in Ben Tre and neighbouring provinces.

The food collected from food organisations, and corporations, supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers will be stored in the warehouse for distribution to those in need. The first warehouse was opened in HCM City last January.

Founded in 2016, Food Bank helps not only relieve hunger but also reduce food waste.

Nghe An, Laos’ Xiangkhouang work to grow ties

The central province of Nghe An has taken a series of measures to comprehensively foster its relations with Laos’ Xiangkhouang province.

Nghe An has supported the Lao locality in training athletes and developing high-quality human resources by granting scholarships. About 90 local businesses are investing in projects worth over 200 million USD in Laos.

It has also implemented the construction of the 200-bed Xiangkhouang friendship hospital at an estimated cost of 497.25 billion VND (21.45 million USD). Training has also been given to Lao medical staff from the province.

Assisting Xiangkhouang’s COVID-19 prevention and control, Nghe An has sent aid packages of food and medical equipment valued at over 1.1 billion VND in total.

Meanwhile, Xiangkhouang has worked with Nghe An’s search team in finding, gathering, and repatriating of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in the area. To date, the sides have repatriated a total of 12,478 sets of remains.

Vietnam attends education forum in UK

Education is one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s priorities and the Education World Forum (EWF) is a great opportunity for the ASEAN countries to learn about cooperation between the UK and other countries in the region, not only in the field of education but also economy, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long has said.

He made the statement on May 23 while attending the EWF 2022 which is taking place in the UK.

The four-day forum,  themed “Education: Building forward; stronger, bolder, better”, is drawing the participation of education ministers from over 100 countries as well as international and non-governmental organisations.

The diplomat said Vietnam wishes to cooperate with the UK to fulfill the commitments made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), as well as in the field of skills development.

RoK helps Hue city develop smart tourism

The People’s Committee of Hue city in central Thua Thien-Hue province, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on May 23 jointly kicked off a project to build Hue city of culture and smart tourism.

The project, which is funded by the Republic of Korea (RoK) Government, aims to build a smart tourism information system, develop an urban cultural tourism centre and expand walking zones in Hue city in order to boost tourism in the former imperial capital.

It will also cover the installation of smart lighting and surveillance camera systems along the banks of Huong (Perfume) River and building public administration capacity in tourism development and urban management.

Deputy PM addresses 78th session of ESCAP

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam addressed the opening of the 78th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held in Bangkok on May 23, which he is attending at the invitation of Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

Guided by the theme “A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the annual session brought together leaders, senior government officials and about 700 representatives of 51 countries and territories which are ESCAP members, and President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

During the session, the Vietnamese Deputy PM met UN Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

He affirmed support for the Bangkok announcement adopted at this year’s session, including the introduction of a common agenda with specific courses of action to promote sustainable development in the region.

Dam asked ESCAP to help developing countries, including Vietnam, in speeding up the realisation of SDGs.

For her part, Armida spoke highly of Vietnam’s role in and contributions to ESCAP, affirming that the Commission stands ready to support the country in realising SDGs, especially via training and data empowerment.

HCM City reports rise in hand-foot-mouth disease and dengue fever cases

The number of children infected with hand-foot-mouth disease, as well as dengue fever, in Ho Chi Minh has been on the rise over recent times, according to the municipal Center for Disease Control (CDC).

During the first four months of the year, the southern city recorded 8,481 dengue fever cases, up 28% over the same period last year. From May 13 to May 19, there were 943 cases with most of them requiring hospitalisation in order to undergo treatment.

Regarding the hand-foot-mouth disease, the southern metropolis has recorded a total of 2,562 cases, with 96% of infections being children aged one to five years old.

Most notably, 882 patients were found last week, several times higher than the average seen during the previous four weeks.

Vietnam to host ASEAN Film Week 2022

Moving forward, ASEAN Film Week 2022 in Vietnam is scheduled to take place in two major cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, between May 27 and June 2, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The organisers have selected seven films from ASEAN member countries to be premiered during the event, such as “Filosofi Kopi 2: Ben and Jody” of Indonesia, “Pad Thai: The Secret Recipe” of Thailand and “Mắt biếc” of Vietnam.

In Hanoi, the motion pictures will be screened at the National Cinema Centre from May 27 to June 1. In Ho Chi Minh City, screenings will take place at CineStar complex in District 1 between May 28 to June 2.

The tickets will then be distributed for free at local cinemas. The regional event is one part of a range of celebrations to mark the 55th founding anniversary of ASEAN.

HCM City to host Vietnam-US friendship concert

A friendship concert is scheduled to take place on May 28 at the Saigon Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 27th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties.

The concert will be led by Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji and will witness the participation of pianist Vincent Adragna and violinist Chuong Vu who is the concert-master of the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra in Texas.

The event is jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) and the Vietnam-US Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Deputy PM Minh to attend 27th Asia Future Conference

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh is scheduled to attend the 27th International Conference on the Future of Asia, titled “Redefining Asia’s role in a divided world,” from 26 to 27 May 2022.

His attendance is made following an invitation of Tsuyoshi Hasebe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nikkei Inc. The Deputy PM Minh is also set to pay a working visit to Japan on the occasion.

Initiated in 1995, the Conference on the Future of Asia (FOA) is one of the most prestigious annual forums in Asia, hosted by Nikkei Group of Japan, capturing the attention of many senior leaders, politicians, scholars, businesses from Asian countries, as well as representatives of major economic groups globally.

Heavy rains hit northern localities, flooding many areas

Heavy rain has plagued the northern and northern-central regions over the past few days, seriously flooding many areas and killing at least one person.

Lâm Đình Hiệp, 37, from Hàm Yên District of mountainous Tuyên Quang Province, died after a landslide triggered by the storm buried his house on Tuesday morning.

Downpours, measuring up to 200mm per hour, also injured two other people in the province's Yên Sơn District.

Provincial authorities reported that 37 houses were damaged; nearly 1,000ha of rice and crops were flooded; and almost 600 animals and fowls were killed. Heavy rains also flooded many roads and schools. Total property loss is estimated at over VNĐ3.7 billion (US$160,000). 

Rain caused the water level of many rivers in the province to rise sharply. The water level of Lô River in Tuyên Quang city increased to 21m. 

The authorities have asked departments and agencies to proactively take measures to prevent further damage and help locals to recover from the consequences. 

In Hà Nội, heavy rain flooded many areas, causing traffic congestion for hours on Tuesday morning. 

Rain was measured at 40-150mm per hour, according to the Hà Nội Sewage and Drainage Company. Water levels in rivers of the capital city increased, affecting the rainwater drainage. The water level of Tô Lịch river was measured at 4.38m on Tuesday morning, Lừ river (4.08m), Cầu Bây river (4.16m) and Nhuệ river (5.39m).

The company's Deputy Director-General, Nguyễn Việt Hương, said it assigned workers to flooded areas to help guide traffic and set up warning signs to help people avoid dangerous areas as well as remove rubbish and operate pumping stations to improve water drainage. 

Bắc Ninh Province experienced flooding of up to 0.8m in many areas due to downpours. 

In Điện Biên Province, landslides occurred along some sections of Tây Trang Ppass of National Highway 279 on the way to Tây Trang International Border Gate, blocking traffic. 

The National Hydrometeorological Foreacast Centre said heavy rain hit many localities and warned of possible floods and landslides, particularly in Lai Châu, Sơn La, Điện Biên, Hòa Bình, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Phú Thọ, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, Vĩnh Phúc, Thái Nguyên, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An.

In some localities, like Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Cao Bằng, Bắc Kạn, Vĩnh Phúc, Thái Nguyên, Hòa Bình and Thanh Hóa, the rainfall was measured up to 100-130mm.

Large-scale downpours in the north and northern-central regions are expected to reduce from Wednesday, according to the centre. However, it is forecast to continue hitting northern mountainous provinces in the next few days.

HCM City scraps health declaration requirement

HCM City has temporarily suspended the need for health declaration to enter public facilities, which has been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago.

The People’s Committee has instructed local authorities to notify office buildings, restaurants and hospitals about the lifting of the requirement.

But health facilities still need to be prepared to admit COVID patients and ensure visitors follow all pandemic prevention guidelines.

The Ministry of Health earlier instructed provinces and cities to scrap the need for medical declaration at all border gates from April 30 after reports of long lines due to the need for officials to examine the medical forms.

The form contained basic personal information, travel history over the past 14 days, potential exposure to people with suspected COVID symptoms, and vaccination status.

According to the ministry, COVID is well under control in the country, with caseloads and fatalities down significantly. 

HCM City plans major transport infrastructure projects

HCM City had laid out plans for eight major transport infrastructure projects from now to 2025.

The list includes the HCM City-Moc Bai Expressway project with an investment of VND16 trillion (USD689.65 million) and VND9.98 trillion Can Gio Bridge.

Other projects comprise a VND6.2 trillion inland container depot, the VND5.3 trillion Thu Thiem Bridge 4, the VND1.33 trillion HCM City-Chon Thanh Highway, a VND1.76 trillion road to link Vo Van Kiet Highway to HCM City-Trung Luong Highway.

However, funds for the Belt Road 4 project has not yet been disclosed. The Department of Transport has been asked to conduct feasibility studies on all the projects.

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