Police in Hanoi, a venue of myriad events within the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games, have issued a related plan to manage traffic for all types of vehicles.

From May 6 to 23, the opening, closing ceremonies and events of 25 sports are expected to take place at 19 locations across the capital’s 14 districts.

The traffic plan covers routes for foreign sports delegations to reach their hotels in Hanoi’s districts of Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Dong Da, Ba Dinh, Tay Ho, Hoan Kiem, and Hai Ba Trung.

There are also planned routes for them to go to competition venues in other northern localities – Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam, and Nam Dinh – during the biennial tournament.

Serving the opening ceremony at the My Dinh National Stadium on May 12 and closing ceremony at the Indoor Games Gymnasium on May 23 in Hanoi, the police will conduct traffic management and restrict the movement of trucks from 500 kg as well as passenger cars with 16 seats or more on a series of routes around the venues. Spectators are encouraged to use public transport to reach the 19 locations for games.

Doping analysis contract at SEA Games 31 signed

The Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) on May 4 held a ceremony to ink a doping analysis contract at the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), according to the Organising Committee.

The ceremony was attended by Nguyen Van Phu, deputy head of a subcommittee on health and doping test and Director of the Doping Centre and Medical Health at the VSA; Buranaratt Songpanthu from the National Doping Control Centre of Thailand; and representatives of Vietcontent, which is among the sponsors of the regional event.

Doping tests at SEA Games 31 must ensure fairness and discipline. The organising committee will collect about 1,100 blood and urine samples for testing and the number could rise depending on competition schedule.

Large area of sample collection, difficulties in storage and transport of the samples, especially aboard, are major challenges in the work.

Samples will be sent to laboratories meeting requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to guarantee accuracy and fairness. All the tests will be under the supervision of the SEA Games Federation, the Organising Committee and representatives of regional sporting delegations.

Phu Tho, Nam Dinh ready for SEA Games 31

The northern provinces of Phu Tho and Nam Dinh, which house the venues for male’s football qualifying matches at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), have completed their related preparations, ready for the regional biennial tournament, according to the national SEA Games 31 organising committee.

Phu Tho, about 80km north of Hanoi, has spent 44 billion VND (1.9 billion USD) on upgrading playing fields and training areas serving participating regional teams. The local Viet Tri Stadium, where Group A matches and a semifinal one will take place, boasts good standards and can accommodate 18,000 seats.

Host Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor Leste are placed in Group A.

Meanwhile, Nam Dinh, about 100km south of Hanoi, has finished preparing its Thien Truong Stadium, ready for competitions of Group B squads – Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia – from May 7 to 22.

Other preparation workloads regarding logistics, security, transport, and health, among others, have also been completed in the two provinces.

SEA Games 31 male’s football fixtures are scheduled to be between May 6 and 22.

SEA Games 31: 300 volunteers to support sports delegations in Quang Ninh

The northern province of Quang Ninh, one of the 12 localities hosting the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), has mobilised more than 300 volunteers to support sport delegations attending the biggest regional sports event.

The volunteers are students of Ha Long University who can communicate fluently in English and Chinese. Some can also speak other languages used in Southeast Asia. They are all fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The students have received trainings on SEA Games 31 as well as regional nations and hospitality activities and support to delegations and athletes in medical facilities, airports, hotels and tourist sites.

Quang Ninh will host competitions in seven sports from May 6 – 22. It expects to welcome more than 1,200 athletes, referees and coaches during the games.

SEA Games 31: Ministry issues badges for vehicles

The Ministry of Transport has issued a set of badges for identifying the vehicles serving the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

It said on May 4 that it has asked the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security to inform its relevant units about the badges so as to guarantee smooth traffic during the regional sports event.

Meanwhile, its Directorate for Roads was ordered to notify the Vietnam Expressway Corporation, investors of the build-operate-transfer transport projects, and relevant businesses in the localities hosting competitions in order to open toll booths and control traffic for the priority vehicles.

National conference seeks to improve efficiency of support for UXO victims

A national conference was held by the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) in coordination with the Ministry of National Defence and the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) to look at ways to support victims of explosive remnants of wars in ASEAN countries.

The project to enhance the efficiency of the programme to assist victims is among the solutions initiated by ARMAC in coordination from regional countries and funding from the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Government and the ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Fund. The conference was one of the project’s first activities aimed at forming a system of regional-level facilities to provide support to victims.

Executive Director of ARMAC Prum Suonpraseth said that the development and implementation of projects to support the victims in ASEAN member countries is crucial, helping create more conditions for them to overcome countless barriers in the process of accessing necessary services such as education and employment. He added that the project is one of four ongoing projects in the mine action programme conducted by the centre to address humanitarian issues.

Tran Huu Thanh, head of the division for external relations at VNMAC, said that it is necessary to design a coherent legal system in the support of the victims with specific decentralisation and delegation of power.

Vietnam News Agency launches special website on SEA Games 31

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on May 4 launched a special website on the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) at http://seagames.vnanet.vn.

The SEA Games 31 website of VNA provides latest information in numerous forms, from text, photo, video clip to infographic and other new media forms, in two languages – Vietnamese and English.

As a communication partner of the Information-Communication Sub-Committee of the SEA Games 31 Organising Committee, the website is also linked to the official website of SEA Games 31.  

The VNA’s website is designed using a convergent model. It is linked with the multi-media system and the content management network of the VNA, and the website of the Organising Board of SEA Games 31 for the timely update on official information about the event.

With a modern and highly-interactive interface, the website offers not only latest news on the regional sport event, but also information about the 30 previous SEA Games.

Vietnamese petanque team aims for at least one gold medal at 31st SEA Games

Vietnamese national petanque team is striving to fulfill the task of winning at least one gold medal at the 31st Southeast Games, according to the national SEA Games 31 organising committee.

According to coach Dang Xuan Vui, the 19-member team convened in March in preparation for the Games. They will compete in eight categories.

Prior to the Games, athletes only participated in two domestic tournaments, which were the national and the club championships.

To deal with the issue, the coaching staff tried to create many competitions among them to help them have competitive feelings.

Vui said that as far as he knows, during the 31st SEA Games, Thailand will also send a squad to attend the world championship in Denmark, which means their force in the sport will be stretched thin. This is also an advantage for other teams, including the Vietnamese team but this is not a prerequisite, he went on, adding that the most important thing is how the players promote their efforts and strength.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam names 20 players of men’s U23 football squad

Head coach Park Hang-seo on May 4 named a final squad of 20 players for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Following his decision, four players – defender Dang Van Lam, midfielder Nguyen Duc Viet, and strikers Le Xuan Tu and Tran Van Dat will return to the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre to continue training with the Olympic team. Goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang will further train with the final squad as a standby player.

The four excluded in the list and others joining the training with the Olympic team must stand ready to be substitutes at SEA Games 31.

The final list comprises goalkeepers Van Toan and Van Chuan; defenders Luong Duy Cuong, Tuan Tai, Van Xuan, Tien Long, Viet Anh, Le Van Do and Thanh Binh, midfielders Quang Nho, Hai Long, Huynh Cong Den, Hoang Anh and Trong Long, and strikers Van Tung, Thanh Minh and Manh Dung.

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese wushu warrior wants nothing more than gold medal at home

Duong Thuy Vi, one of the best Vietnamese wushu warriors to compete in the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), has affirmed that she would do her utmost to bring home a gold medal, according to the Organising Committee.

Vi said she and her team are in the final stage of an intensive training for the regional sport event, which requires high concentration.

Coaches have regularly conducted tests to assess their preparations, she said, expressing her determination to play in the Games.

Once the athlete avoids making mistakes and well performs in Taolu, which refers to the set routine (form) practice component of wushu, he or she would win the championship, Vi said.

Festival promotes Hanoi cuisine and craft village tourism

The Hanoi Cuisine and Craft Village Tourism Festival is scheduled to welcome visitors from May 12 to May 23 on Le Quang Dao street in Nam Tu Liem district.

This year’s festival is set to be divided into six areas featuring different topics in order to introduce Hanoi’s wide range of traditional cuisine and craft villages.

The culinary section will showcase some outstanding delicacies from the capital, including Hanoi Pho, Thanh Tri steamed roll rice pancakes, Hanoi rice vermicelli noodles with chicken, eggs, and pork, Vong and Me Tri green rice flakes, Phu Thuong sticky rice, egg coffee, and Uoc Le pork pies.

The area for craft village tourism has been set aside to introduce famous local crafts, such as pottery, rattan bamboo handicraft, embroidery, silk brocade, folk pictures, sculpture, and bronze casting.

Vietnamese nurse practitioners in Germany likely to enjoy EUR1,300 salary

Vietnamese citizens who head to Germany to study on a training course in general nursing can receive a salary of EUR1,300 and seize upon the opportunity to settle permanently after working in the Central European country for three years.

The move comes following the Department of Overseas Labor announcing the recruitment of 160 eligible candidates who will go to work in the nursing sector in Germany to take care of the elderly, sick people, and children.

Eligibility requirements of the course are candidates must be Vietnamese citizens aged between 19 and 30 who are graduates in nursing or have completed at least one year of a college or university programme in Vietnam in fields such as nursing, or training to be a practitioner, rehabilitation physiotherapist, midwife, or pharmacist.

Selected candidates will then learn German for 12 months, from July to August, 2023. During this period, they will be exempted from living expenses and receive EUR36 per month to cover the cost of meals.

They will also receive financial support for the first exam in order to get a German B1 certificate, as well as help with fees for their general health examination, visa, and air tickets before arriving in Germany.

Battle of Điện Biên Phủ artwork to go on display in Hà Nội to celebrate 68th anniversary

To celebrate the 68th anniversary of the nation's greatest victory, the battle of Điện Biên Phủ (May 7, 1954), a large-scale oil on canvas painting by Mai Duy Minh will go on display at an exhibition in Hà Nội from Saturday.

The painting “Điện Biên Phủ” is 190x490cm and is the result of ten years of tireless work by Minh, which began with a brainstorming process and finished with the completion of the project at the end of 2021.

This is one of the exhibition’s two feature paintings. The second, named “General Võ Nguyên Giáp”, has a scale of 89x89cm and was completed over four years from 2017 to 2021.

As a person who was born and raised in peace, Minh's trips to Điện Biên to meet with veterans and read documents relating to the nine-year-long resistance war were his way of searching for ideas and inspirations to complete the artwork.

The exhibition also displays 86 of Minh’s sketches made in pencil, ballpoint pens, iron pens and oil in different sizes, showing the artist's long journey.

Vietnamese idols to perform in musical series

Singers Trần Nguyễn Uyên Linh and Bùi Nguyễn Trung Quân, who have become stars after competing in the Vietnam Idol singing contest, will open Amo La Musica, a music series that kicks off in Hà Nội on May 20.

Amo La Musica, which means “love music” in Italian, is expected to take place twice every month at The One Building, located at No 2 Chương Dương Độ Street, Hoàn Kiếm District.

The first programme in this music series, with the theme Tháng Năm Mình Có Nhau (When We Have Each Other) will feature love songs performed by two Vietnamese Idols, Uyên Linh and Trung Quân.

The second programme of the series will feature singer Thanh Hà and the Chilies band and the third will include songs by musician Đức Trí, performed by singers Lân Nhã, Thuỳ Chi and Hoàng Quyên.

Songwriter and music producer Dương Cầm will act as music director of the series.

Inter-regional traffic connections key to unlocking growth

HCM City's Ring Road No 3 and Capital Region Ring Road No 4 are crucial to regional linkages and spurring economic growth.

Participants discussed the crucial role played by the roads during an online seminar titled "Connecting inter-regional traffic - key to breakthrough developments" organised by the Vietnamese Government Portal on Wednesday.

Experts and officials answered questions and debated important traffic and transportation projects.

Infrastructure development is one of three strategic breakthroughs identified by the Party and the Government, and the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress made it clear that Việt Nam will build a synchronous and modern infrastructure system to benefit both the economy and society. One of the targets set in the 2021-25 period is to complete 2,000km of highways, on top of the 1,000km already completed.

The Ring Road No 3 project in HCM City and the Ring Road No 4 project in Hà Nội are two of the key traffic projects that are actively being invested in. The two projects will be submitted for consideration and decision on investment policies at the 3rd session of the 15th National Assembly.

The Ring Road No 4 project for the Capital region is invested heavily with a mix of public investment and public-private partnership investment. According to Tuấn, the total investment of the project is VNĐ85.8 trillion (US$3.7 billion), divided into three segments. Of which, segment 1 is for site clearance, segment 2 is for the lower urban road project and group 3 is for one project under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, of which investors are responsible through a BOT contract. Investment funding of segments 1 and 2 shall be covered by the central and local budgets, while segment 3 is undertaken by BOT investors with a total investment of VNĐ29.4 trillion.

The central and local budgets have been relatively balanced in the medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-25 period. Accordingly, for the Government, the balance is expected to be VNĐ28 trillion. The balance for Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh and Hưng Yên will be over the VNĐ28 trillion mark, of which the priority of the budget goes to Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh and Hưng Yên respectively.

The three localities that are implementing lower urban road projects should likely have capital until 2026, and the investment progress must be consistent with the process of constructing the whole Ring Road route. The PPP-BOT project with a scale of VNĐ29.4 trillion must be completed by 2025.

But the difficulties of Capital Region's Ring Road No 4 project lie mostly in the site clearance part, with the area of clearance remarkably large: 1,341ha of land that costs VNĐ19 trillion to clear for the three aforementioned localities.

Huế needs to speed up relocation around Imperial Citadel

The Imperial Citadel area in Huế City of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province has been seriously affected by the slow progress of relocation and site clearance for many years.

The situation has badly affected the beauty of the relic area. Huế Imperial Citadel is a massive and unique military architecture that harmoniously combines oriental cultural elements with the style and layout of 19th-century European fortresses.

Experiencing the ups and downs of history, when the Nguyễn Dynasty ended in 1945, people migrated from many areas of Thừa Thiên-Huế and other provinces to live and build makeshift houses around the Citadel. This seriously infringed upon the city’s relics.

In 2019, a project on relocation and site clearance in the Imperial Citadel area was launched with two phases. The first phase implemented in the 2019-21 period focused on relocating people.

After more than three years of implementing the Phase 1, the People's Committee of Huế City has completed the relocation of 3,187 people living in Thượng Thánh, Eo Bầu and Hộ Thành Hào (protection of the canal surrounding the citadel) relics.

However, in reality, the handover of land was very slow, far below the set plan.

Many households have moved to new resettlement areas, leaving behind unfinished dismantled houses, while many others have not yet handed over their premises to the authorities for various reasons.

This created a sprawling landscape, causing the urban beauty of the tourist city to decay.

Ho Chi Minh City earns over 1.6 trillion VND in tourism revenue during four-day holiday

Ho Chi Minh City earned over 1.6 trillion VND in tourism revenue during the four-day holiday from April 30 to May 3 in celebration of the Liberation of the South, National Reunification Day, and May Day.

According to the municipal tourism department, the city welcomed around 420,000 visitors, including 13,200 foreigners, on the occasion.

Visitors to the city during the holidays were offered new tourism products including helicopter tours, which allow holidaymakers to view the metropolis from above, and Saigon River tours.

The newly launched tours are among the highlights of the “Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City” programme, which is being held from March 15 to September 15 to promote the city’s tourism.

Riverway tourism routes have been put in operation in Ho Chi Minh City with the aim to promote local waterway transportation and provide visitors with a new option to explore the city.

HCMC People's Procuracy issues indictment of case of fatal abuse of girl

The HCMC People's Procuracy has issued an indictment stating that Vo Nguyen Quynh Trang, 27 has been accused of manslaughter and the abuse of people, and Nguyen Kim Trung Thai, 37 who is convicted of an accessory charge in the death of his eight-year-old girl.

Trang came from Gia Lai Province and is living in Binh Thanh District. The woman is being accused of beating and torturing her lover’s daughter, N.T.V.A, an eight-year-old girl to the point of death. It is said that she was angry at Thai’s parents who have not allowed them to get married while the man does not want to have children with her.

The Investigation Agency said that V.A and father are living in the apartment building, Topaz 2 Saigon Pearl in Binh Thanh District’s Ward 22 after her parents divorced. V.A was harshly treated and became a victim of Trang who used physical punishment and inflicted pain on the child after she came to live with them.

On the afternoon of December 22, V.A. was brutally and repeatedly abused for four hours before her death. Thai did not report it to the police and deleted all the data in the family’s camera.

HCMC plans to recruit top universities graduates

The HCMC Party Committee's Commission for Organization on May 4 sent a document on receiving students with excellence in graduate education from now to 2025 to departments, units, Thu Duc City, and districts in the city.

Accordingly, the localities and State agencies have been asked to create a list of recruiting job titles and send it to the HCMC Party Committee's Commission for Organization before May 30.

The decision aims to adopt decree No. 140/2017/NĐ-CP on policies of attracting and creating the resource of officials from excellent graduated students, young scientists; and the decision No.5784 issued by the HCMC People’s Committee to implement the decree No.140.

The localities and State agencies need to coordinate with universities in the city to select those who meet all the criteria.

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