Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh is scheduled to begin a State ¬visit to Vietnam on November 1 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong.

During his five-day stay, Khurelsukh will hold talks with Thuong and meet with other senior Vietnamese leaders to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

He will also attend several important events, including a Vietnam – Mongolia business forum.

Vietnam and Mongolia have maintained traditional friendly and cooperative relations since their establishment of diplomatic ties in 1954, through a refular exchange of delegations and efficiency of cooperation mechanisms.

Economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Mongolia has been promoted over the years, with two-way trade increasing from just US$5-6 million in 1994-1995 to about US$50 million in 2020.

According to the latest statistics, trade exchanges between the two countries reached US$85 million in 2022, and the figure is expected to keep rising in coming years as there is still much room for both sides to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Senior leaders of the two countries have signed many cooperation documents, such as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on economic and trade cooperation in 2021, an MoU on cultural cooperation in 2022, an MoU on cooperation in the field of immigration management, and an MoU on agriculture cooperation in 2022.

Vietnam and Mongolia are also working on new agreements, including an agreement on investment promotion and protection, and an agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders.

Vietnam, Indonesia hold third defence policy dialogue

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien and Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence Lieut. Gen Donny Ermawan Taufanto co-chaired the third Vietnam-Indonesia defence policy dialogue in Hanoi on October 31.

At the dialogue, Deputy Minister Chien affirmed that Vietnam consistently follows the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, multilateralisation and diversification of ties, and the defence policy of "four nos", including no partaking in military alliances, no siding with one country to act against another, no foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory or using Vietnam as leverage to counteract other countries, and no use of force or threatening to use force in international relations.

Taufanto, for his part, described defence ties as one of the pillars in bilateral comprehensive cooperation and pledged to reinforce mutually beneficial defence ties that match the significant potential of both countries.

The two sides shared the view that bilateral collaboration based on agreed contents at the second dialogue has brought about important results in various areas, including the exchange of delegations at all levels, maintaining consultation and dialogue mechanisms, cooperation between different military branches, training and mutual support at multilateral forums led by ASEAN. 

The Vietnamese side spoke highly of the signing of an agreement on joint training procedures in December 2021 between the two navies, and an MoU on cooperation in maritime security and safety between the two coast guard forces in December 2022, laying the foundation to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement cooperation activities at sea.

Host and guest also commended the outcomes of the fifth meeting of the joint working group on defence-military cooperation and the third meeting of the joint working group on defence industry cooperation held the same day.

About future cooperation orientations, they reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing result-oriented and effective bilateral defence cooperation, to contribute to the two countries' efforts toward upgrading their ties to comprehensive strategic partnership, with a focus on the exchange of all-level delegations, effective consultation and dialogue mechanisms, practical and effective coordination between naval forces, coast guards, defence industries, training and strategic research, and areas of their strengths and needs.

They agreed to offer mutual support at multilateral forums and mechanisms, particularly those led by ASEAN, and support events hosted by the other country.

On global and regional issues of shared concern, the two sides spoke highly of the role of ASEAN and the mechanisms led by the bloc, and affirmed their joint efforts to actively contribute to strengthening ASEAN's solidarity and centrality in the regional security architecture.

The two sides also underscored the importance of ensuring freedom, security and safety of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. They stressed the need to step up commitments and the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), work for the early completion of negotiations and signing of a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Prime Minister hosts CFO of Samsung Group

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on October 31 for Chief Financial Officer of Samsung Group Park Hark Kyu.

PM Chinh congratulated Samsung Vietnam on its business results in the first nine months of this year with revenue of over 48 billion USD and export turnover of nearly 42 billion USD, making a significant contribution to Vietnam's trade value.

He said Samsung Group's projects in Vietnam have been implemented rapidly, helping to transform Vietnam’s economic structure, boost exports, develop the supporting industry, generate jobs and contributing to Vietnam's economic development. He also welcomed Samsung's investment in research, development and human resources training in the country.

With the spirit of "harmonising interests and sharing risks", PM Chinh said Vietnam attaches importance to improving its business environment and commits to protecting legal and legitimate interests as well as creating favourable conditions for foreign enterprises, including Korean companies and Samsung, to operate stably, efficiently and in a long term in Vietnam.

He said the Vietnamese Government is actively considering ways to work with Samsung to remove any obstacles in line with regulations.

The PM suggested that the group continue expanding its investment in high technology, electronics, semiconductors, as well as digital transformation, green growth, and circular economy, contributing to quality human resources training in Vietnam.

He wished that Samsung would continue considering Vietnam a strategic production base, a hub of research, development and production of key products for international markets.

The Samsung CFO hailed Vietnam's socio-economic development amidst the complicated global situation.

He said Samsung Vietnam strives to earn 57 billion USD from export this year, and promised that he and Samsung will continue accompanying Vietnam in its development.

Partnership helps improve digital skills for teachers, students

A cooperation agreement on equipping teachers and students with knowledge of Internet safety and improving their digital skill was inked between the Ministry of Education and Training’s Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES), Vietnet Information Technology and Communication Centre (Vietnet-ICT) and Meta Group in Hanoi on October 31.

The agreement aims to bring greater benefits to the education of digital skill in Vietnam, contributing to the development of the country and the Government's efforts in providing the best training, and developing necessary skills in cyberspace for a generation of digital citizens today and in the future.

VNIES Director Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh said the Ministry of Education and Training has paid special attention to improving the digital capability for students nationwide, adding that the institute has collaborated with a number of units to build a digital competency framework for Vietnamese students with detailed surveys to provide practical solutions.

According to Vinh, initiatives of the Meta Group and efforts made by Vietnet-ICT in recent times are consistent with VNIES’s goals and visions. Therefore, the agreement will create a safe technology environment for users, helping young citizens become smart and responsible users in the digital environment.

VNIES, Vietnet- ICT and Meta Group have coordinated to successfully implement many activities to improve digital skills and provide knowledge of Internet safety for teachers and students through the programme “We Think Digital”, which is a long-term commitment of Meta in Vietnam.

Since 2019, the programme has directly trained 9,000 teachers of secondary and high schools in 41 provinces and cities across the country.
A total of more than 690,000 students have been equipped with digital skills and and knowledge of Internet safety through empowering local teachers and student ambassadors of the programme.

Workshop seeks solutions to preserve, promote feudal dynasty’s cultural heritage

The Thua Thien-Hue Science and History Association on October 31 organised a workshop on the values of the cultural heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty.

A performance of Hue Royal Court Music at a programme taking place on the evening of June 17, 2023 to celebrate 30 years and 20 years since the Hue Monuments Complex and the music respectively recognised by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage
At the event, experts and researchers focused on discussing and clarifying the typical values of the Nguyen Dynasty culture, the influence of its culture on Hue people, and ways to preserve and promote its values in the national development and international integration.
  
Participants that the activities to preserve and promote the values are still limited due to the shortage of policies, human resources and investment for conservation and restoration work.

Dr Tran Duc Anh Son from Dong A University said that to effectively promote the cultural heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty, more management policies are needed together with appropriate investment for restoring relics. Moreover, communication activities are also important to promote relics and cultural heritage in Hue.

Besides authorities’ efforts, it’s necessary to engage the community, particularly the young generation, in studying about the cultural heritage.

Established as the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945.

Hue is now home to the most important cultural heritages left from the dynasty, both tangible and intangible including the architectural complexes of citadels, mausoleums, palaces, shrines, pagodas, royal festivals, royal court music, royal dances, cuisine, and historical data system.

Over the past time, with domestic efforts and international support, the work of preserving Hue's cultural heritage has recorded great achievements. Notably, nearly three decades since its recognition as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1993, the Complex of Hue Monuments have passed the stage of emergency rescue and is transitioning to one of stability and sustainable development.

So far, Hue is home to five UNESCO-recognised heritages, namely the complex of Hue monuments (1993-tangible heritage), court music - Vietnamese royal music (2003-intangible heritage), woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty (2009-documentary heritage); documents of Nguyen Dynasty (2014-documentary heritage), and literature on Hue royal architecture (2016-documentary heritage).

Climate change-resilient pond handed over to residents in Dak Lak

A climate change-resilient pond was handed over to local people in Thanh Binh hamlet, Ea Kenh commune, Krong Pac district, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on October 31.

The activity was part of the project "Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and south-central coast regions of Vietnam", known as SACCR project.

The 2021-2026 project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and is carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the People's Committees of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan provinces.

UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Ramla Khalidi said it is one of the 70 ponds being handed over in this round, out of a total of 260 ponds to be delivered in Dak Lak. The 70 ponds cover over 60,000 cu.m and have an irrigation area of more than 52 ha.

It is expected that by 2026, a total of 1,507 climate change-resilient ponds will be built, handed over, and put into operation. In Dak Lak alone, the project will build 917 new connecting systems, construct and renovate 260 climate change-resilient ponds, support the installation of 2,335 on-farm water-saving irrigation systems, provide climate-adaptive agriculture training through Farmer Field Schools for 5,838 households, supply agricultural materials to 2,335 households, and improve the access to market information, credit, and climate-related agricultural information for 29,980 agricultural production households.

Over 129 tonnes of rice allocated to Binh Phuoc's disadvantaged students

The People’s Committee of southern Binh Phuoc province has decided to allocate over 129 tonnes of rice to more than 1,700 students in especially disadvantaged communes and villages during the 2023-2024 school year.

The border district of Bu Gia Map will receive the largest quantity of rice with 97 tonnes while the border districts of Loc Ninh and Bu Dang will obtain more than 15 tonnes each. Three other districts will be given about one tonne each.

Binh Phuoc shares a 260km borderline with Cambodia, spanning three districts of Bu Gia Map, Bu Dop and Loc Ninh. The province has 15 border communes, 9 communes and 55 villages with extreme difficulties. Its total population stands at around 1 million people, with nearly 20% belonging to various ethnic minority groups, representing 41 different ethnicities living together in 11 communes, wards and towns.

Each year, students in the especially disadvantaged communes and villages in Binh Phuoc receive rice aid allocated by the Ministry of Finance.

Workshop seeks solutions to preserve, promote feudal dynasty’s cultural heritage

The Thua Thien-Hue Science and History Association on October 31 organised a workshop on the values of the cultural heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty.

At the event, experts and researchers focused on discussing and clarifying the typical values of the Nguyen Dynasty culture, the influence of its culture on Hue people, and ways to preserve and promote its values in the national development and international integration.

Participants that the activities to preserve and promote the values are still limited due to the shortage of policies, human resources and investment for conservation and restoration work.

Dr Tran Duc Anh Son from Dong A University said that to effectively promote the cultural heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty, more management policies are needed together with appropriate investment for restoring relics. Moreover, communication activities are also important to promote relics and cultural heritage in Hue.

Besides authorities’ efforts, it’s necessary to engage the community, particularly the young generation, in studying about the cultural heritage.

Established as the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945.

Hue is now home to the most important cultural heritages left from the dynasty, both tangible and intangible including the architectural complexes of citadels, mausoleums, palaces, shrines, pagodas, royal festivals, royal court music, royal dances, cuisine, and historical data system.

Over the past time, with domestic efforts and international support, the work of preserving Hue's cultural heritage has recorded great achievements. Notably, nearly three decades since its recognition as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1993, the Complex of Hue Monuments have passed the stage of emergency rescue and is transitioning to one of stability and sustainable development.

So far, Hue is home to five UNESCO-recognised heritages, namely the complex of Hue monuments (1993-tangible heritage), court music - Vietnamese royal music (2003-intangible heritage), woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty (2009-documentary heritage); documents of Nguyen Dynasty (2014-documentary heritage), and literature on Hue royal architecture (2016-documentary heritage).

Vietnam Football Federation nominated for AFC Diamond of Asia award

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is among the top three nominees for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Diamond of Asia accolade presented to its best member association of the year at the upcoming AFC Annual Awards.

The other two nominees in this category are the Kyrgyzstani and Lebanese football federations.

The VFF said in its October 31 announcement that after a four-year hiatus, the annual awards will return to honor outstanding individuals and associations in Asian football last year. The awards ceremony is set to take place in Doha, Qatar, on October 31 (local time).

Its nomination is a recognition of Vietnam's remarkable achievements in 2022 which saw its national women's team qualifying for the World Cup 2023 for the first time and the national men's team securing a spot in the third round of the World Cup 2022 qualifiers and becoming the sole representative from Southeast Asia in this stage.

The VFF, meanwhile, successfully organised domestic and international tournaments, such as the AFC Cup, the AFC Champions League group stage, and the 31st SEA Games’ football events, in the "new normal" conditions after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dien Bien Province to complete national relics site restoration

Visitors at the A1 Hill relic site on Điện Biên Phủ battlefield.

The northern province of Điện Biên will complete the restoration of the special national relic site of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory in December.

It is a part of a major project on conserving and promoting the values of historical sites, towards the goal of long-term preservation of the special national relic site of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory and investment in the associated auxiliary constructions.

"About 65 per cent of the project has been completed," said Nguyễn Anh Đạo, director of the provincial Relic Site Management Board. "Relevant units are implementing the project simultaneously at relic sites as well as supervising construction work to ensure the quality and progress as set.

"The original design and construction shape will be maintained through the restoration."

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has invested a total of nearly VNĐ20 billion (US$800,000) in the project to repair and renovate 12 out of 45 component relic sites.

Key relic sites are being refurbished including Hill A1, the command bunker of French General De Castries, the headquarters of the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign, Điện Biên Phủ Victory Monument, Him Lam Resistance Centre and the Mường Thanh Bridge.

Hill A1 was the symbol on the military map of the Việt Nam People's Army. As a high point in the defensive system in the eastern hills, it had the most important position and was considered the last shield to protect the central group of Điện Biên Phủ fortresses.

The Điện Biên Phủ Campaign lasted from March to May 1954 under the command of General Võ Nguyên Giáp. The victory on May 7, 1954, led to the signing of the 1954 Geneva Accords in which France agreed to withdraw forces from its colonies in Indochina.

The former battlefield has become a major tourist attraction in Điện Biên Province.

The restoration of the historical relics aims to contribute to improving the landscape and ensuring project safety to attract tourists to visit on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory. 

Landslides threaten farmland in Đắk Nông Province

At least six severe landslide locations have been reported on farmland in Nâm N’Đir Commune in Krông Nô District in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông in the past few months.

This situation has posed a significant threat to numerous local transportation and infrastructure projects, as well as the supply of water to over 1,000 hectares of farmland for the upcoming spring-winter crop.

The People's Committee of Nâm N’Đir Commune and the Krông Nô District’s Section of Agriculture and Rural Development said that over the last few months, several road sections and irrigation canals have been eroded and collapsed into the Krông Nô River.

These structures, located between 15-20 metres from the Krông Nô River’s edge, were built approximately ten years ago.

At the first landslide in Nam Ninh Hamlet in Nâm N’Đir Commune, around 30 metres of the concrete road alongside the river have been broken, and several sections of it have eroded into the river.

Traffic has been blocked, and there is also a risk of a nearby irrigation canal collapsing into the river at any moment.

Local authorities said this was the most serious landslide location on the Nâm N’Đir farmland.

Currently, the total length of the riverside road at risk of erosion is approximately 200 metres.

Local authorities said that if appropriate solutions were not implemented promptly, agricultural activities through this road would be disrupted during the upcoming spring-winter crop season.

The second landslide is situated in Nam Giao Hamlet in Nâm N’Đir Commune. A section of the irrigation canal to the farmland eroded and collapsed into the river. Additionally, various parts of the footpath alongside the river have eroded away.

Similarly, at the third landslide situated between Nam Giao and Nam Ninh hamlets in Nâm N’Đir Commune, dozens of metres of irrigation canals are at risk of collapsing into the Krông Nô River. A pump station located nearby is also in danger.

Doãn Gia Lộc, head of the district’s Section of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that apart from the three landslide sites, there were three other severe landslide locations on Nâm N’Đir farmland. These sites have also experienced severe erosion but do not directly border roads or irrigation canals that serve the farmland.

Regarding the causes of the landslide situation, the People's Committee of Krông Nô District reported that there were many factors, including natural water flow, the geological weakness of the riverbank soil — primarily sandy soil, prolonged heavy rainfall, the operation of hydro-electric power plants causing the river water level to rise consistently at high levels, and the impact of sand mining activities.

The committee has recommended that relevant agencies promptly conduct a detailed survey to identify the specific causes of these landslides and propose timely solutions and recommendations.

It has asked the People's Committee of Nâm N’Đir commune to urgently install warning signs in landslide-prone areas.

The committee has proposed the provincial people's committee allocate funds for temporary measures to address landslides, protect essential infrastructure, and maintain stable irrigation for farming during the upcoming spring-winter crop.

In the long term, the district has proposed that the provincial people's committee request allocation ofthe State budget for a riverbank landslide prevention project.

The Krông Nô River flows through six communes in Krông Nô district in Đắk Nông Province, with a total length of over 50 kilometres.

In 2020, the province invested in two landslide prevention projects along the Krông Nô River with a total budget of VNĐ60 billion (US$2.68 million). The two projects are expected to limit landslides, protect production areas and households on both sides of the river, and ensure traffic safety on National Highway No 28.

Mekong Delta hospitals struggle blood shortage

Up to 74 hospitals in the Mekong Delta region have faced a serious blood shortage over the past eight months.

Tran Van Hop from Can Tho City’s Thot Not District was taken to Can Tho Central General Hospital on October 23 for kidney failure treatment. But so far  he has not yet received a blood transfusion because the hospital has run out of blood reserves. Hop was then prescribed medicines to help increase his red blood cells at a cost of nearly VND300,000 per dose instead.

“Waiting for the blood transfusion costs me more and my family is facing financial difficulties,” Hop said. 

Huynh Van Loc from Soc Trang Province has been staying at Can Tho Central General Hospital for one week, but is still waiting for a blood transfusion.

According to Doctor Ngo Huynh Quang from Soc Trang Paediatric Hospital, a woman was hospitalised due to postpartum hemorrhage with alarming symptoms, but the hospital lacked blood for the treatment. The hospital had to urgently contact Can Tho Paediatric Hospital for support.

Soc Trang Paediatric Hospital needs around 800-1,000 units of blood per month, but the hospital has received just 200 units per month. This blood is used for patients in critical conditions. Therefore, in many cases, the hospital has to seek help from other hospitals.

By October 17, the hospital’s blood reserves had run low and they were only able to treat a few patients. So far this year, it has ensured 50-60 percent of the blood demand for emergency cases. Many surgeries had to be suspended because of the blood shortage.

Can Tho Central General Hospital has been left in the same situation. Doctor Le Hoang Phuc from the hospital said that the blood supply to the hospital has dropped by half over the past six months from a total of around 6,000-7,000 units per month. The hospital contacted Cho Ray Hospital and Kien Giang General Hospital for help. However, over the past two weeks, Cho Ray Hospital has also lacked blood products. So, the hospital has sought assistance from the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion.

Co Tho Haematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital specialises in providing blood and blood products to 74 hospitals in the Mekong Delta region. But it has also run out of chemicals and medical supplies for blood screening and testing, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

According to the Director of the Can Tho Haematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital, the cause of the blood shortage is difficulties in procurement, purchasing supplies, screening reagents, and blood testing.

The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion to co-operate with several hospitals to assist the blood supply for hospitals in the Mekong Delta region.

Can Tho Haematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital have been asked to rapidly take measures to deal with the blood shortage.

Viettel experts win at world’s leading cyber-attack contest

A team of Viettel Cyber Security, a member of Viettel Group, won the Pwn2Own Toronto 2023, the world’s leading contest in cyber-attacks.

According to the results, the Viettel team, which consists of 16 members, won the Master of Pwn Award with 30 points,  ranking in first place in the leaderboard. They also received a cash prize of US$180,000.

Viettel has participated in the competition for six years and recorded several achievements. This comes after IT experts of Viettel won at Pwn2Own Tokyo 2020, Pwn2Own Vancouver 2021, and Pwn2Own Vancouver 2022.

The annual Pwn2Own represents the world's largest and most prestigious cyber-attack competition and is sponsored by security firm TrendMicro and has held by the Zero Day Initiative since 2007. Famous technology companies bring their products as targets for hackers to showcase their skills to attack and exploit the software or equipment, through which manufacturers can immediately correct errors and then improve security.

Viettel Cyber Security now has over 400 high-quality IT experts, many of whom have been recognised at international network security ranking and prestigious organisations such as Microsoft, Bugcrowd, and Google.

Local players to compete at 18th World Xiangqi Championship

Vietnamese chess players are set to depart for Houston in Texas of the United States this November to vie for titles at the 18th World Xiangqi Championship.

The tournament will see the participation of Lai Ly Huynh and Nguyen Thanh Bao who won gold in the men's standard xiangqi team event at the tournament last year.
  
In addition, Bao took a bronze medal in the men's individual standard xiangqi. Their junior teammates secured three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes in the U16 and U12 boys' and girls' classes during the 17th edition of the championship. 

The 2022 version marked the country’s most successful participation in the competition at a world level.

At this year’s tournament hosted by the US for the first time, Vietnamese athletes will compete against more than 120 world-class players from some 30 countries and regions around the world in the men's individual, team, women's individual, and junior events.

The total prize money for the competition is more than US$70,000. The World Xiangqi Championship was first held in Singapore back in 1990 and has been organised every two years since 1991.

This year the 18th World Xiangqi Championship is scheduled to take place in Houston in Texas of the US between November 19 and November 25.

Hanoi to host ASEAN-RoK tourism exhibition

An ASEAN-Republic of Korea (RoK) tourism exhibition is scheduled to take place in Hanoi on November 1 as part of the ASEAN-Korea Day.

The event is jointly organised by the foreign ministries of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, and ASEAN member states with the aim of promoting their culture and tourism around the globe.

The exhibition offers a gateway to the diverse, culturally rich, and enchanting destinations that are located across ASEAN member states and the RoK, according to the organisers.

Furthermore, the occasion will provide an opportunity for travel firms to find out more about markets, whilst also building tours which are capable of meeting tourists’ demand.

The exhibition is set to get underway at the Hyatt Regency West Hanoi Hotel on November 1.

#Run4Turtles tournament for wildlife conservation to open in Hanoi

A "#Run4Turtles" event will be held in Hanoi in early December to raise community awareness of the threats facing turtles and to encourage turtle protection in Vietnam.

This is the 8th Hanoi Half Marathon and will be held in Ciputra Urban Area after the success of #Run4WildlifeHN themed "Wildlife is not medicine" held in November 2022 attracting 350 athletes from 25 countries.

Organized by Sporting Republic with the support of Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) and the Department of Fisheries Inspection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), this year's tournament will feature different categories, namely 21km half marathon, 10km challenge, 5km run/walk for families, and 1km for children.

In addition to participating as individuals, participants are encouraged to run in groups and highlight them with their unique style. All registrations can be made online at https://hanoihalfmarathon.com/register, with a deadline of November 12.

In addition to being a social event to foster physical fitness, this year's annual run also aims to raise community awareness and funds for turtle conservation activities in Vietnam.

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about turtles, visit turtle photo exhibits, take selfies with turtle mascots, participate in a costume photo contest on the race course, have their faces painted, and play games to win prizes, among other activities.

Besides five species of marine turtles, Vietnam is also home to 26 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles. Twenty-three of them are listed as endangered or critically endangered (IUCN Red List). Of these, eight species are strictly prohibited from exploitation and commercial use.

Although strictly protected by law, most of these native turtle species are threatened with extinction in their natural habitat due to human activities. Turtles are often poached and traded for the purpose of keeping them as pets, "releasing" them as a religious practice or using them as food.

Seventh ASEAN Media Forum debates regional issues

The 7th ASEAN Media Forum (AMF) kicked off at the ASEAN Secretariat’s headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 31, offering a venue for regional media leaders and policymakers to discuss regional issues.   

In his remarks at the forum, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn affirmed that the ASEAN Secretariat always considers the AMF as one of the leading events that gathering famous media leaders and editors-in-chief of major English newspapers in ASEAN, policymakers, officials, key members of ASEAN, and academics and business leaders.

The AMF provides a platform for ASEAN to convey key messages on the region's goals, achievements and challenges to media leaders, while promoting discussion of pertinent regional and global issues.

He stressed that this forum helps enhance media editors' understanding of how ASEAN works and how the media can play a key role to better convey the ASEAN story to the people.

In the process of building a community, ASEAN continues to make multi-dimensional efforts to promote connections among ethnic groups in the bloc, he said, noting that this is a crucial factor for the success of the regional integration process.

He underlined the need for media to effectively and accurately convey what regional integration entails to all stakeholders, saying that this is why the ASEAN Secretariat must engage the media to raise awareness, promote understanding and correct misinformation about the ASEAN agenda during the bloc’s integration process.

Addressing the event, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated that her country encourages the group to continue these meaningful activities to provide accurate information to the people, while creating a communication network with government officials, policymakers, and scholars in the region and around the world to promote discussion of global and regional issues.

The AMF helps all participants gain deeper insight into the future of ASEAN community building, she stressed.

Scholars and officials from ASEAN countries and regional media focused their discussion on a number of topics, including Timor Leste’s accession to ASEAN.

AMF has been implemented with the support of the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) since 2017.

Malaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association expands role

The Malaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association (MVFA) and the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on October 31 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a new step forward in the cooperation between the association and the Malaysian business community.

Under the MoU, the signatories will work together to increase trade and culture exchange between the two countries. They will also co-organise and attend joint events such as workshops, trade fairs and exhibitions to promote trade connection, and propose initiatives to further step up bilateral economic activities. 
     
ACCI President Sohaini Shahadan expressed hope that based on the newly signed MoU, ACCI and MVFA will accompany in trade connection events. 

Meanwhile, President of MVFA Tran Thi Chang said that her association will do the best to promote Vietnamese products in Malaysia and support Vietnamese businesses which are looking for opportunities to export goods to the country.

The MoU signing was organised within the framework of the announcement ceremony of the Malaysia-ASEAN International Trade Expo 2024 (MASTEX 2024) which will be hosted by the ACCI at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) from January 23-26 next year.  

The MVFA was set up on March 8, 2022 and now has 200 members. The association represents the Vietnamese community in Malaysia and connects the community with the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.

Vietnam treasures relations wih Russia: Prime Minister

Vietnam always attaches importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, and considers Russia one of its top priority partners, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told visiting Russian Minister of Internal Affairs General Kolokoltsev Vladimir Alexandrovich in a meeting on October 31 in Hanoi.

During the reception for the Russian minister, PM Chinh said Vietnam wants to continue practical and effective cooperation with Russia across fields for mutual benefits of the two peoples, and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese people always remember the wholehearted support provided by Russian people for Vietnam in its struggle for national liberation and reunification in the past and in the national construction and development at present.

The PM briefed the guest on Vietnam's foreign policy and "four nos” defence policy, proposing that in the coming time, the two countries should enhance the exchange of all-level delegations, effectively deploy existing cooperation mechanisms, and discuss and remove bottlenecks in cooperation in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing difficulties, thus further expanding cooperation.

Host and guest acknowledged with their pleasure that political and diplomatic relations between the two countries have been intensified with high trust, and that economic and trade cooperation plays an important role in bilateral relations, but trade exchange still remains modest.

Oil, gas and energy cooperation between Vietnam and Russia has recorded positive results. The two countries officially resumed direct flights between Hanoi and Irkutsk and are considering specific plans to soon reopen direct flights connecting their capital cities. The Russian side always facilitates and ensures security for the Vietnamese community to live, do business and study stably in Russia.

The Russian minister affirmed that Vietnam is always a priority in his country’s foreign policy, and Russia wishes to continue to further deepen the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in politics, economics, trade, people-to-people exchanges, tourism, experience sharing and training human resources.

He informed PM Chinh about the results of his talks with Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, General To Lam, saying that the two sides agreed to strengthen the exchange of delegations at all levels, and enhance cooperation and exchange of experience in crime prevention and control. The two sides will consider the possibility of establishing a coordination mechanism in protecting citizens of the two countries, and support each other at multilateral forums, he said.

PM Chinh spoke highly of the outcomes of the talks, asking the Russian side to issue e-visas to Vietnamese citizens; and resolve legal issues and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live, study and do business in Russia.

He also suggested the two countries beef up partnership in energy, education - training, science - technology, cyber security, and digital transformation.

Vietnam, Egypt exchange experience in green finance attraction

The Vietnam Embassy in Egypt on October 31 held a hybrid workshop to exchange experience in attracting green finance between the two nations, as part of activities marking the 60th founding anniversary of their diplomatic relations (1963-2023).

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung held that the Vietnamese and Egyptian Governments are committed to stepping up green growth, considering it a sustainable development path amid the global economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and unexpected developments in international relations.

The diplomat briefed participants Vietnam's national green growth strategy for the 2011-2020 with a vision for 2050, adding that the country made a commitment at COP26 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The cost of the green transition and carbon reduction process is estimated at around 17 billion USD per year and requires significant external resources, he noted.

Dung said to fulfill and meet their commitments to sustainability, it is crucial for Vietnam and Egypt to leverage climate diplomacy serving the attraction of green financial resources.

For his part, Ambassador Rao'f Saad, Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Environment, highlighted the crucial role of climate diplomacy in mobilising funds for green projects.

He held that Vietnam and Egypt have a golden opportunity to initiate a new phase in their bilateral relations by enhancing climate diplomacy, strengthening cooperation in technology research and transfer for mutual benefits.

Showcasing theoretical and practical aspects of climate diplomacy, speakers stressed the importance of collaboration in developing domestic technologies to reduce dependence on those from developed nations, and promoting green growth and technology self-sufficiency. They also discussed cooperation in the fields of banking, finance, and business startup to ensure that the Vietnamese and Egyptian economies successfully carry out green growth policies.

KinoFest 2023 screens the latest films in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region

Seven current movies will be shown at the annual German film festival held in Hà Nội, HCM City and Bình Dương Province from November 1.

Initiated by the Goethe-Institute Southeast Asia, with the participation of Việt Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Timor-Leste and New Zealand, German film festival - KinoFest 2023 includes recent award-winning films from German cinema and recognised at the Berlinale Film Festival.

This year, KinoFest features a diverse selection of German films, including dramas, documentaries, comedies, fiction and thrillers. These films touch on important themes such as connections, immigration and cultural interference in contemporary life of Germany.

Toubab will open the festival at BHD Star Vincom Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Hà Nội on November 1 at 7.30pm.

The movie is said to be an attempt to strike a precarious balance between the serious and the funny. The comedy tells the story of Babtou, who has just been released from prison. After his release from prison, Babtou is looking forward to a fresh start, enjoying his freedom and never dealing with German authorities again.

However, he finds himself facing deportation when a spontaneous welcome home party goes awry. The work raises issues of migration with cultural clashes, identity conflicts, and how people face identity crises in the new era.

Toubab has received nominations and awards at German and international film festivals, and won Audience Award - Feature Film at Warsaw International Film Festival 2021.

Highlight of the festival is Till the End of the Night. It is a smart, subtle blend of genre and auteur cinema by Christoph Hochhäusler featuring an intricate exploration of love and identity, a nostalgic soundtrack, dark romantic atmosphere and an excellent ensemble cast.

It won Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at Berlin International Film Festival 2023. It will be shown on November 6.

Other films include We Might As Well Be Dead (2022), Sisi and I (2023), Love, Deutsche Mark and Death (2022), Elaha (2023), and The Ordinaries (2022).

We Might As Well Be Dead won best cinematography at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and Sisi And I took the Audience Award at the German Film Fest Madrid.

Love, Deutsche Mark and Death, the title of Cem Kaya's documentary, is inspired by a song by the Berlin band Ideal. A German director with Turkish roots, he shows in his latest work how the waves of migration of Turkish citizens to Germany contribute to the development of Turkish pop music industry, quite remarkably, in both countries.

At the beginning of the 60s, people from Turkey brought not only their manpower to Germany but also their language, culture and music.

A lively music scene emerged which had its roots in Anatolia, but its heyday was in Germany. It’s still present today. Director Kaya’s gripping documentary was awarded the Panorama Audience Award at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

The documentary will be screened on November 4. All the shows begin at 7.30pm with English and Vietnamese subtitles. Tickets can be purchased at the cinema.

Following its screenings in Hà Nội between November 1-7, the festival begins in HCM City at Cinestar Hai Bà Trưng, at 135 Hai Bà Trưng Street, District 1 from November 8-14 and at Cinestar Sinh Viên, Dĩ An City, Bình Dương Province from November 9-11. 

Boat services to Ly Son Island suspended due to bad weather 
 
The speedboat service linking Sa Ky Port to Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai has been suspended due to bad weather.

Quang Ngai Port Management and Inland Waterway Port Authority announced on Tuesday that the service will be halted until further notice. Boat tickets that have been purchased can be returned or rescheduled.

Besides, waterway services between Ly Son Island to An Binh Island have also been suspended until further notice.

According to the Quang Ngai Hydro - Meteorological Centre, the province witnessed heavy rains on October 30-31 with average rainfall of between 50-160 mm, and up to 200mm in some areas, making water level in local rivers and lakes to have sharply risen.

Boat services to Ly Son Islands are often suspended by bad weather during the flood season, affecting the lives of over 4,000 islanders. Local authorities have advised local people and traders to store goods and necessities during this time.

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