The European Union (EU) will continue its sturdy support for Vietnam’s efforts towards the target of net zero emissions by 2050, said Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission (EC)’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships.

Speaking at a media briefing in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan on May 29, Ferran said the Global Gateway strategy is an important initiative of the EU implemented through a Team Europe approach and aiming to promote sustainable development, peace, and stability around the world.

Its goal is to promote smart, clean, and secure links worldwide and assisting partner countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, she noted, saying the strategy’s priorities include digital technology, energy, transport, health, education, and research.

This strategy generates numerous cooperation chances for Vietnam and the EU in the areas of shared interest, she said.

The official emphasised that Vietnam is an important partner of the EU, which will keep helping with the country’s target of net zero emissions by 2050, adding the EU has been assisting Vietnam on the path of energy transition through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

In Ninh Thuan, the Bac Ai pumped-storage hydropower project is a typical example and a key project in the Global Gateway strategy. The EU and its member states pledge to provide preferential loans and aid packages to give technical support to this project so as to build the first pumped-storage hydropower plant of Vietnam in the province, according to Ferran.

During their visit to Ninh Thuan, Ferran and other members of the EU delegation made a fact-finding trip to learn about opportunities and challenges of the province as an energy transition centre.

Speaking highly of local energy and renewables development, she said that despite numerous difficulties caused by climate change impacts, Ninh Thuan has managed to turn challenges into potential and advantages to establish itself as an energy and renewables centre of the country.

To carry out the Global Gateway strategy, the EU and the French Development Agency (AFD), with support from the KfW Development Bank of Germany and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), have supplied funding for the Bac Ai pumped-storage hydropower project.

The 1.2GW project, invested by the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) group, has total investment of 21 trillion VND (824.9 million USD). It was launched in early 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2029.

Aside from this project, the EU has also assisted Ninh Thuan in the fields of green and digital skill education and training./.

Vietnam attends 77th World Health Assembly

A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong is attending the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 28 to June 1.

Huong told the Vietnam News Agency’s reporters in Geneva on the sidelines of the session that the COVID-19 pandemic shows that many countries have yet to make good preparedness for a global-scale epidemic, and warned that another epidemic would happen at any time, requiring all countries to strengthen their capacity and readiness for it.

Countries also need to cooperate and act together to best respond to and minimise global health security threats, and respond quickly and effectively to all possible health risks, Huong suggested.

She pointed to several challenges to public health care, including climate change, the illness and mortality burden by non-communicable diseases, inequal access to health services, and the risk of re-emergence of infectious diseases, especially those that can be prevented by vaccines.

Within the WHA77 framework, countries will consider adopting the Pandemic Treaty and Amendments to International Health Regulations (IHR), whose contents include provisions on enhancing cooperation and information sharing, and promoting the access to production technology and disease prevention products. Once these documents are approved, this will be a breakthrough for the global health system in preventing and responding to epidemics and medical emergencies.

Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other international organisations in Geneva, said that these documents will be a great opportunity for countries around the world, especially developing countries like Vietnam, to access medical services, equipment, vaccines and biological products, thereby helping create a major breakthrough in more effectively preventing future pandemics, and saving more lives, towards a healthy and equal world./.

First Vietnamese language course opens at Thailand’s Vietnamese studies centre

The centre for Vietnamese studies at the Udon Thani Rajabhat University in Udon Thani province, northeastern Thailand has opened its first Vietnamese language course from May 7-14.

The course is part of a project to develop expertise and increase multi-cultural experiences for foreign students of the Udon Thani Rajabhat University and the Thai Nguyen University’s Lao Cai branch.

It attracted learners of different ages and professions who want to learn Vietnamese to meet their job requirements and daily life.

The centre plans to offer such course monthly to meet demand of people in Thailand, particularly overseas Vietnamese children./.

Coastal provinces’ efforts in IUU fishing prevention and combat pay off

The south-central province of Binh Thuan has recorded positive results in preventing and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Nguyen Van Chien, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported to a working group from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) at a working session on May 29.

Chien said that the province has mobilised the engagement of the whole political system in the work, focusing on urgent solutions following the Prime Minister’s directions.

Thanks to the close supervision of local fishing vessel fleet, especially those with high risks, the province has seen no fishing vessels violating foreign waters since early 2023, Chien said.

The official said that so far, 1,942 operating boats out of 1,953 local fishing vessels with a length from 15m and above have installed Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). The remaining 11 vessels are currently out of service.

The locality has updated the data of 5,935 fishing boats with a length from 6m and above to the national fishing vessel registration system Vnfishbase, while issuing fisheries exploitation licences to 3,290 vessels. The remainders are waiting for new licences as their old licences expired on April 30.

Besides, the province has applied strict punishments on violations of IUU fishing regulations. Last year, the provincial Sub-Department of Fisheries sanctioned 378 cases and collected a total fine of 3.5 billion VND (137,484 USD), while the provincial Border Guard Command sanctioned 197 cases with a fine amount of 650 million VND.

Addressing the working session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, deputy head of the National Steering Committee for IUU Fishing Prevention and Control asked Binh Thuan to work harder in the work, especially in dealing with violations.

He explained that from now until September, drastic actions are needed to have the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” warning, which has imposed on Vietnamese seafood exports, lifted.

Earlier, the MARD's working group inspected IUU prevention and control at two fishing ports and a number of agencies in Binh Thuan.

Meanwhile, the central province of Nghe An, which has a coastline of more than 80km and nearly 3,400 fishing vessels, has also shown strong performance in IUU fishing prevention and combat.

Currently, 2,450 local fishing vessels with a length of 6m and above have been registered, reaching 97.69% of the total number of vessels subject to registration.

The province has issued a plan to specify targets, tasks and solutions stated in the Government’s Resolution No. 52/NQ-CP on the action programme and plan to realise the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Directive 32-CT/TW on strengthening the Party leadership over IUU prevention and combat and boosting sustainable development of the fishery sector.

Under the plan, the provincial People’s Committee asked local administrations at all levels, agencies, organisations and individuals to join hands in preventing violations of IUU prevention and control regulations from early, while closely managing the local fishing boat fleet and strictly handing violations.

Local authorities were requested to monitor 100% of operating fishing vessels and conduct regular patrols at sea. Organisations and individuals failing to complete their tasks will receive strict punishments, according to the plan./.

Hanoi fair promotes choice products

Nearly 100 enterprises have brought their products of customers' choice in 2024 to a fair held by the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade in Nam Tu Liem district.

The fair, opened on May 29, is showcasing a wide range of products, including consumer goods, industrial and agro-forestry-aquatic products, handicrafts, organic food, and "One Commune-One Product (OCOP) items of Hanoi and other localities.

Nguyen The Hiep, Deputy Director of the department, said the fair is among the activities that the city has been taking to recover and boost its socio-economic development, facilitate production and trade, stimulate consumption, promote trade connectivity, and bring Vietnamese goods closer to consumers.

It will run until June 2 at the Vinhomes Smart City urban area./.

Nam Dinh vows to facilitate Australian investments

Nam Dinh province always welcomes Australian investors and creates the most favourable conditions for them, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Pham Gia Tuc told Australian businesses on May 29.

As part of his visit to Australia, Tuc and his delegation had a working session with representatives from Unified Capital Partners (UCPS) - an independent boutique provider of financial services - and the Australian Investment Network; and attended a conference on Nam Dinh’s trade and investment promotion in the country. The conference attracted the participation of representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and nearly 100 enterprises, educational organisations and investors in Sydney.

The official highly valued the Australian market, saying that the investment fields that Nam Dinh province is interested in are also the strong fields of this Oceania country.

He introduced to Australian investors the province's potential, strengths as well as incentives for foreign investors when they meet all conditions of Vietnamese law, and affirmed that Nam Dinh always wishes partners to invest in industrial parks, green economy, and circular economy.

Australian businesses proposed several cooperation initiatives with Nam Dinh province in various fields such as trade, infrastructure, education and training, green energy, circular economy, and other strong areas that both sides share concerns and priorities.

They also raised many questions related to legal procedures as well as difficulties they may encounter when investing in Nam Dinh, and got appropriate answers from the provincial leader.

Within the framework of the conference, the provincial People’s Committee signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in building and implementing the province's growth strategy in the near future with the Saigon Telecommunications and Technologies Corporation (SaiGonTel) and the Australia Global Consulting Ltd.

The Cat Tuong Group and the Australian Wool Growers’ Association also inked an MoU on factory investment at Nam Dinh’s Rang Dong industrial park in the coming time. The Australian association committed an investment of 100 million AUD (66.1 million USD) in the Vietnamese province./.

Vietnam Day held at Russian university

A programme was held at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PREU) of Russia on May 29, during which Vietnamese culture and cuisine were introduced to Russian friends.

The first-ever Vietnam Day drew a large number of students from PREU and other universities with an exhibition of paintings and art works, as well as folk games and quiz on Vietnamese history and traditions.

Within the programme, a seminar on the Russia-Vietnam relations in the new political situation was held with the participation of representatives from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, scientists and businesses of the two countries, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Association in Russia, as well as PREU lecturers and students.

PREU Rector Ivan Lobanov said that the Vietnam Day not only contributes to reinforcing the relations between the two countries, but also affirms their close cooperation in education and training.

He said PREU is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in such economics majors as digital economy and green economy, and in exchange and collaboration among Russian and Vietnamese scholars.

At the event, PREU and RV-Exim Solutions company signed a cooperation deal in student training.

In his greetings letter to Rector Lobanov on this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi affirmed that the Vietnam Day targets not only PREU lecturers and students but also Russians and Vietnamese. The diplomat praised the university’s traditional cooperation with Vietnam and its important role in strengthening education and training cooperation and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Participants also had a chance to enjoy art performances by Vietnamese and Russian students.

Currently, about 400 Vietnamese students are studying and conducting research at PREU, making it the Russian university hosting the highest number of students from the Southeast Asian nation./.

Vietnamese firms join Asia Tech X Singapore 2024

IT companies from Vietnam are participating in the ongoing Asia Tech X Singapore (ATxSG) 2024, introducing their advanced products and seeking partnerships.

Outstanding technological products from Vietnam include artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, and smart homes integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Visiting the country’s exhibition area, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung said it demonstrates the integration of domestic enterprises into the global market. He also expressed his hope that Vietnamese businesses will increase their presence in similar events and achieve more outcomes, connecting with international friends, learning, and sharing experiences.

Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Information and Communications' ICT industry department and the head of the Vietnamese delegation to the event, noted this year, it is remarkable that participating Vietnamese businesses have already engaged in most major markets worldwide, from Asia and Europe to the Americas. Many of their products feature new and advanced technologies, with applications in AI and IoT successfully attracting numerous customers worldwide.

Lasting from May 29 to 31, the Asian flagship tech event is jointly organised by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Informa Tech, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board. It features two main segments – AtxSummit and ATxEnterprise./.

Japanese prefecture to launch new health insurance for Vietnamese workers’ family members

Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture has announced that it will launch a new health insurance system for family members of Vietnamese guest workers in the locality as a move to attract more Vietnamese labourers.

The NHK World Japan television reported that the new insurance system will start receiving applicants in June.

On May 24, Yamanashi prefecture's authorities held an online Q&A session about the new insurance policy, with more than 20 companies that employ Vietnamese people in the prefecture attending.

According to a Vietnamese company that uses the insurance service, with the new health insurance regime, Vietnamese workers’ relatives such as parents or spouses will pay only 10% of the medical check-up and treatment costs.

A representative of the Yamanashi government said for companies that provide insurance support for workers, the prefecture will subsidise a certain amount.

Irikura Yukiko, head of the department of gender equality and promotion of foreigners' activities in the prefecture, affirmed that the locality wants to create an environment where Vietnamese people can work without worry, thereby helping to resolve its labour shortage./.

Railway faces disruption due to deteriorating tunnels

Vietnam's North-South Railway has faced continuous disruption caused by deteriorating tunnels.

Bai Gio Tunnel in Khanh Hoa Province and Chi Thanh Tunnel in Phu Yen Province have experienced landslides, which have cancelled many trains in the last two months.

Director of Phu Khanh Railway, Le Quang Vinh, said the tunnels had been used for a long time and had deteriorated badly.

"Additional landslides occurred while the tunnels were being restored, and the renovation work took more time," he said, adding that dozens of other century-old tunnels along the route have also shown signs of severe deterioration and faced the risk of landslides, especially during the rainy season.

Recent landslides at the Bai Gio Tunnel on the North-South Railway recently cost Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) VND50 billion (USD1.97 million) due to the disruption of services.

Vietnam Railways spent VND22.3 billion repairing the tunnel, while the remainder was due to loss of revenue.

During the 10-day suspension, the railway sector had to provide replacement transportation for over 30,000 passengers booked on 110 trains between Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen stations.

VNR said that repairs on the North-South railway had affected the firm's revenues. The corporation has proposed a 50 percent discount on infrastructure usage fees until all the repairs to the Hanoi-HCM City railway line are completed.

The Chi Thanh Rail Tunnel in Tuy An District in the southern central province of Phu Yen also experienced a landslide on May 21. Work to consolidate the tunnel was already underway when the landslide happened. Many trains on the route have been cancelled, and workers are still doing repair work, which is expected to finish by May 30.

Vietnam Railways said 22 tunnels on the north-south railway were constructed between 1927 and 1935, and the tunnels' walls had cracks.

"We carried out repairs at some tunnels since 2000," Vietnam Railways head Tran Thien Canh said. "Twelve tunnels need urgent upgrades, and we've allocated nearly VND4 trillion for the work during 2021-2025. We've also proposed to upgrade 27 other tunnels during the 2026-2030 period with an estimated investment of between VND2.50-3 trillion."

Talented students to compete at 11th Hong Kong music festival

Vietnamese young students will take part at the 11th Hong Kong International Music Festival (HKIMF) in August from 15 to 21.

The students are the winners from Việt Nam regional finals held in Hà Nội by Polaris Art & Music School.

"The Việt Nam final round is a chance for the young music talents to perform at an international-level festival," said the President of HKIMF in Việt Nam.

The winners were judged by international and Vietnamese artists including Chinese professors Yang Yan Di, Zhao Xiao Hong and violinist Wang Yuan, Russian professor Ivan Mishunin, Bulgarian violist Peter Kutin and Malaysian pianist Ian Goh.

Participating at the HKIMF final round in Hong Kong, the three top students Dương Anh Đức, Giàng A Hảng and Trần Nhật Minh will be performing on the guitar, Chinese woodwinds and on the piano, respectively.

Đức is studying the sixth year at Việt Nam National Academy of Music. He is aToyota scholarship recipient and has been placed at the top at Alma Hà Nội International Competition, the Hannabach Việt Nam International Competition and the Sakurai Hà Nội International Guitar Festival.

Coming from the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai, Giàng A Hảng is studying the bamboo flute at Lào Cai College's Department of Culture and Arts.

Other Vietnamese students on stage in the final qualifying round will be playing the violin, the drums, singing, as a pop band and in the electronic music category in August.

The first HKIMF was in 2013, with about 3,000 participants. This year, the 11th, it is expected that 4,000 musicians will take part with the focus on how music can promote mutual learning, appreciation and respect among music lovers worldwide.

Art performers promote Sơn Trà Reserve conservation

College students, volunteers and children from Hoa Mai Orphan School are joining in an art performance show – Voọc Ơi, Khỉ Ơi (Hi Langurs, Hi Monkeys) - to promote conservation awareness in the city’s Sơn Trà Nature Reserve on National Children’s Day, June 1.

The show, which was organised by the Đà Nẵng-based Centre of Biodiversity Conservation (GreenViet) along with Sơn Trà district’s people’s committee, will be staged across four sites including Sơn Trà district, Thọ Quang, An Hải Bắc and Mân Thái wards in the buffer zone of the reserve.

The performance, a combination of dance, drama, story telling and singing, will involve the participation of more than a thousand children and local residents.

The show, which is directed and produced by Tony Lê Nguyễn of Lê Nguyễn Productions in Melbourne, Australia, aims to send a message to the community of the importance of conservation and protection of the two primary species -- the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), an old world monkey and the endangered red shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus), both living in the 4,400ha reserve.

Lê Nguyễn, who is also a volunteer at GreenViet, works as a drama lecturer in Australia, in Hà Nội, HCM City, Cần Thơ and Đà Nẵng in Việt Nam. 

The performances join to tell stories of the beauty of the primary forest of Sơn Trà and the lives of the endangered primary species monkey and langur families in the peninsula.

To date, more than 35,000 school students, teachers and local residents have given educational tours by the GreenViet-managed Sơn Trà Nature Education Centre in the reserve. 

Hundreds of children with disabilities from junior secondary and primary schools in the city had free lessons and field trips organised by the Nature Education and Experience Centre.

The reserve, just 10km from the city’s downtown, is home to more than 1,300 of the red shanked douc langurs and more than 1,000 plant and 370 animal species.

Seminar discusses President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology in Vietnam-Angola relations

A seminar looking at President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology in Vietnam's relations with Angola took place at the headquarters of the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in Luanda on May 28.

In his remarks, Nguyen Trong Nghia, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, said during his lifetime, the President always paid attention to, supported, and encouraged the struggles for independence of African peoples, especially those from Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Ghana, Algeria, and South Africa.

Co-chairing the seminar, Manuel Domigos Augusto, Politburo member and the secretary in charge of the MPLA’s foreign affairs, noted that while fighting for the liberation of Angola, the party encountered many difficulties and challenges, but achieved the ultimate victory thanks to the CPV’s solidarity and support.

The victories of the Vietnamese revolutionary cause under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV have inspired oppressed peoples worldwide to strive for the lofty goals of peace, national independence, democracy, and human progress, he added.

Phan Xuan Thuy, deputy head of the commission, shared insights into the study and emulation of the ideology, morality, and lifestyle of the late leader, which the CPV highly values and increasingly incorporates into the political system and society.

In his speech, Esteves Carlos Hilário, Politburo member and the secretary in charge of the MPLA’s information and communications, affirmed that presentations on the background, career, and ideology of the President are valuable documents and profound lessons for future generations of young party members.

Vietnam seeks stronger human resource cooperation with Japanese region

A forum to step up cooperation in training and supplying high-quality human resources between localities and businesses in Vietnam and the Kyushu region of Japan was recently held by the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka prefecture.

Upon addressing the event, Consul General Vu Chi Mai underlined the key role by high-quality human resources in boosting socio-economic development, improving competitiveness, and building a sustainable future for each country in the context of globalisation and the 4th Industrial Revolution.

According to Chi Mai since 1992, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese workers have been dispatched to the East Asian nation to work under various programmes. As the second-largest foreign community in Japan, Vietnamese workers have been making remarkable contributions to the host country’s socio-economic development and become bridges for the close relationship between the two nations and their peoples.

The annual rapid and steady increase in the number of Vietnamese labourers working in Japan shows the popularity and adaptability of Vietnamese workers to the lifestyle, work environment, and culture of Japan, as well as the Japanese side’s satisfaction and desire to receive Vietnamese labourers, the diplomat said.

Mai expressed her confidence that through the forum, parties involved will find suitable partners to meet the demands of the modern, high-quality labour market.

Representatives of localities and businesses from Vietnam provided detailed introductions about the potential for supplying high-quality human resources, as well as incentives aimed at promoting cooperation with Japanese partners.

Representatives from Fukuoka's administration and Japanese businesses greatly valued the quality of Vietnamese human resources, as well as the increasing contributions by Vietnamese workers to the Japanese locality’s socio-economic development.

Many Japanese businesses in the Kyushu region said they hope that similar activities will be launched to enable them to access reliable and useful information in the recruitment of workers from various localities in Vietnam.

At the event, Consul General Mai and leaders of Fukuoka witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnam and Information Technology Association in Kyushu (VITAK) and the GAG Japanese Language Institute on Japanese language training for Vietnamese IT engineers, and a labour supply contract under the technical intern training programme between Vietnam’s JHL Group and Ohama Group of Japan.

Tra Vinh Province announces emergency of riverbank erosion

The People’s Committee of Tra Vinh Province yesterday announced an emergency case following a riverbank erosion incident along the Co Chien River.

The erosion spans approximately 100 meters, with two sections directly adjacent to the Co Chien River passing Hung My Commune of Chau Thanh District. The affected area is the site of an office and a warehouse to store equipment used for search and rescue operations by the Tra Vinh Provincial Border Guard Force.

The People’s Committee of Tra Vinh Province has asked the Command of the Tra Vinh Provincial Border Guard Force to install sufficient warning signs and to deliver notices of the incident so that all local residents and soldiers are aware of that.

This aims to help them more flexible in daily operation and manufacturing activities accordingly to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, preparation must be made as to materials, local equipment, and manpower to promptly address any further erosion in the future.

2024 Vietnam Int’l Fashion Week to start on June 13

The 2024 Aquafina Vietnam International Fashion Week (AVIFW) will take place at the Military Zone 7’s Indoor Sports Complex in HCMC’s Phu Nhuan District on June 13-16.

The fashion show will kick off with a collection titled “Masterpiece of Water” by fashion designer Vo Cong Khanh.

The 17th AVIFW featuring the meaningful message of “Contributing a drop of water to making the mighty ocean” focuses on developing sustainable fashion to build a community of fashion enthusiasts who are interested in eco-friendly fashion.

The must-attend event for fashionistas and trend addicts will unveil the collections of the latest designs made from environmentally friendly materials by around 15 popular fashion designers.

The Aquafina Vietnam International Fashion Week (VIFW) was launched for the first time in 2014 with the goal of promoting Vietnamese fashion to international friends, connecting Vietnamese designers to the world’s fashion industry, and bringing the trend of world fashion closer to Vietnamese people.

It is one of the largest events of its kind in the country and Southeast Asian region, ranking 4th place after International Fashion Week in Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai.

Beware of 'accidental' bank transfers: new scam targets residents

The police of Thu Duc City (HCMC) yesterday warned citizens against a new scam involving 'accidental' money transfers to bank accounts.

Accordingly, scammers are using personal information to deliberately transfer money into people's accounts.

They then pose as debt collectors from a financial company and contact the victim to demand the return of the 'mistakenly' transferred money as a loan.

Alternatively, these ill-intention people may claim to be living abroad and want to receive the 'mistakenly' transferred money from the victim, requesting them to use an international money transfer service through a provided link.

If the victim enters their account information into the link provided by the scammer, all the money in their account will be withdrawn.

Therefore, the police advise city residents first not to spend the money 'mistakenly' transferred into their accounts. Instead, they should contact their bank to report the incident, request a bank account statement, and wait for the bank to verify and return the money to the rightful owner.

Second, when receiving calls from the bank regarding this 'accidental' transfer, people should verify the caller's identity by checking that the phone number is indeed from the bank.

They should never transfer money back to strangers without a third-party witness, and they should not transfer money to an account other than the one to which the money was 'mistakenly' transferred. Then they should wait for the bank to resolve the issue before taking any further action.

Vietnam police return nearly VND100 million to Ukrainian tourist

The police force at Tan Son Nhat International Airport said that a Ukrainian tourist had just written an emotional letter thanking officers and soldiers upon receiving nearly VND100 million in assets.

Previously, while monitoring the entry quarantine area, Major Nguyen Huynh Duc discovered a leather wallet containing 3,300 EUR and RMB100 (nearly VND100 million ) and one bank card. Major Duc took the initiative to ask passengers waiting nearby; however, no one accepted their assets.

By employing their professional work, the airport police determined that the passenger who dropped it was Ukrainian tourist Poliachenko Artem. This young Ukrainian guy was on flight ZH8017 from China to Ho Chi Minh City and had gone through immigration procedures.

On the evening of May 26, the authorities returned all assets to the young Ukrainian traveler at the immigration area of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The foreign man was touched when he received the money; he wrote a letter of gratitude to the airport police force.

Railway tunnel repair delayed after another landslide

Repair work on the Chi Thanh railway tunnel has been extended indefinitely following another landslide, delaying the resumption of normal railway services.

The resumption of the Chi Thanh railway tunnel has encountered significant challenges due to obstructions from previous repairs and a substantial mass of soil and rocks from the latest landslide.

Originally, the repair was scheduled to be completed by May 26. However, the new landslide has caused further delays, pushing back the completion date to an undetermined time.

Over the past few days, more than one hundred workers and numerous vehicles have been mobilized to expedite the tunnel repair.

The Chi Thanh railway tunnel, about 325 meters long, had already seen 300 meters of its shell reinforced. However, during the demolition of the old tunnel shell on May 21, a landslide occurred, involving an estimated 260 cubic meters of soil and rocks.

This incident has disrupted North-South railway services, with train passengers being transported by cars from Tuy Hoa to La Hai stations. Meanwhile, freight train operations have been halted.

Five-year-old children to get free education from September

Public schools will provide free education to five-year-old children from the 2024 - 2025 school year that starts in September.

The government previously applied the policy for children in difficult areas like remote mountains or islands.

Vietnam has made elementary school compulsory and tuition-free for all children aged six to 11.

The northern city of Hai Phong is the first locality in the country to provide free education for children from kindergarten to middle school levels from the 2020-2021 school year and those in high school starting the 2021-2022 school year.

The central city of Danang also approved free schooling from kindergarten to high school from the 2023-2024 academic year.

Sóc Trăng students create system for locating trapped fire victims

A system that can locate trapped apartment residents during fires has won second prize at the Sóc Trăng Province Science and Technology Competition 2023-2024 for high school students.

Created by Lâm Bảo Trân and Lâm Hùng Vĩ, 11th graders from Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai High School for the Gifted (Sóc Trăng Province), the project assists firefighters and rescue teams in locating and promptly rescuing people during fires.

A sensor will be placed on the ceiling of each apartment, and a monitoring system will be set up in the management room of the apartment complex, Lâm Hùng Vĩ told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper.

“The two systems connect and transfer data using WiFi.”

When there is a fire, the system will identify the whereabouts of the unusually high heat and signal the sensor.

Then, the monitoring system will automatically alert apartment managers and rescue personnel and provide guidance to residents.

It also helps find and locate those that are stuck through a human-identifying sensor, a high-heat sensor, and an emergency button placed in each household.

Residents can press the emergency button, and information such as who the resident is, room number, and floor level, will be sent immediately to the management system.

There are also speakers attached to the system for rescue personnel to guide residents to evacuate safely. 

To optimise the user experience, the students also designed a web page that can easily be accessed via smartphones or computers with wifi connection. It operates and alerts users just like the monitoring system.

If there is no wifi due to power outages, the system has a backup power source that produces enough wifi for the system to run smoothly, said Lâm Bảo Trân.

“Since each system only costs an estimated VNĐ2 million (US$78.4), I believe every household can afford this to improve their safety. It is also very easy to use,” she said.

“This system performed very well during testing. It is very practical, easy to control, and user-friendly. Its hardware components are also designed to be easily mass-manufactured,” colonel Bùi Văn Hồng, deputy head of the provincial Police Department of Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue, said.  

Winners of comic contest to participate in biggest French comic festival

The Kim Dong Publishing House and the French Institute in Hanoi jointly launched a comic contest to seek Vietnamese comic book writers and artists and further develop Vietnamese comic books.

The contest is open to both professional and amateur creators aged 18 years and over and accepts entries on any theme and subject that are tied to children aged 13 and over.

Submissions can be sent to the organization board from June 1st to November 1.

The winner of the contest will have an opportunity to participate in the Angoulême International Comics Festival which is the biggest French comics festival and one of the biggest in Europe. The Angoulême International Comics Festival is scheduled to take place in early 2025.

The Kim Dong Publishing House and the French Institute in Hanoi previously launched a comic contest titled “Astérix plays sports with Vietnamese Youth” on the occasion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The Kim Dong Publishing House also released the comic book Astérix at the Olympic Games.

The “Astérix plays sports with Vietnamese Youth" comic contest is for those who love French literature aged between five and 18. Submitted artwork and caption must be original works that have not been previously published or submitted to any publisher. The winners will be announced in July 2024.

Ho Chi Minh City calls for joint dengue prevention efforts

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has called on individuals and communities to join forces in a campaign aimed at preventing and controlling dengue fever to mark the 14th ASEAN Dengue Day on June 15.

Upon addressing the launching ceremony in the southern city’s Tan Phu district, Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the department, said dengue fever is one of the most rapidly spreading infectious diseases.

The mosquito-borne disease remains a serious public health threat that can cause death, Dr. Chau said. The city is one of the most dengue affected localities nationwide, with a total of 3,251 cases of dengue recorded throughout 22 districts and Thu Duc city from the beginning of the year to May 19, he added.

Binh Chanh, Tan Phu, and Binh Tan districts all reported a high incidence rate of dengue infections per 100,000 people.

The department predicts that the number of infections will likely to rise from the rainy season that began in May until November.

The most effective measure to prevent dengue is to kill mosquitos and destroy their larvae wherever it is found at home or in workplaces, Dr. Chau said.

The involvement of individuals together with the health sector is also needed to fight the spread of dengue, he said.

The awareness raising campaign will serve to mobilise resources for measures to prevent and control dengue disease.

Tight race for top spots and relegation battle as V.League 1 nears end

After 21 matches, Hà Nội FC and Bình Dương are tied at 33 points, sharing the third and fourth positions. Given the current table it seems almost inevitable that Nam Định will win the championship.

With a gap of up to eight points compared to the second-ranked team Bình Định, and with only five matches left in the season, Nam Định are close to winning the 2023/24 V.League 1 championship.

After two straight losses, Nam Định showed their determination to beat Thanh Hóa 5-2 to return to their familiar winning streak and remain firmly at the top of the rankings.

After 21 matches, Hà Nội FC and Bình Dương both have 33 points, but given the current table it seems highly likely that Nam Định will win the championship.

Meanwhile, the 1-2 loss to Thể Công Viettel over the weekend caused Hà Nội Police to extend their losing streak under interim coach Trần Tiến Đại to three, gradually pushing them out of the championship race. This loss caused the defending champions to fall to sixth place in the rankings with 31 points.

In the race to avoid relegation, Khánh Hòa's hope of staying in the V.League 1 continue to fade as they lost 1-2 to Bình Định. This result keeps Khánh Hòa at the bottom of the table and with only 10 points and they may be relegated after the next game.

The race to avoid the play-off position is also intense. Sông Lam Nghệ An (SLNA) have a series of four consecutive unbeaten matches, putting Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh and Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) under additional pressure.

In the next matches on Thursday and Friday, the game between Nam Định and SLNA at Thiên Trường Stadium and Hà Nội FC's match against Khánh Hòa at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, will attract a lot of attention. Hà Nội FC are expected to continue their pursuit of the championship by securing three points against the struggling Khánh Hòa. Meanwhile, SLNA's recent positive results will make their away trip to Thiên Trường Stadium an exciting prospect.

HAGL will welcome Thanh Hóa at their home ground in Pleiku, a key match for coach Vũ Tiến Thành and his team in their efforts to avoid the play-offs.

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