Localities within the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are devising strategies to tackle the anticipated early onset of saltwater intrusion, projected to occur soon.

These strategies aim to secure adequate water for the winter-spring rice harvest and reduce the damage inflicted by drought and salinity.

The rainy season this year is predicted to have remained in the Mekong Delta only during the previous and the current month, concluding midway through next month.

Consequently, throughout the dry spell of this year and the next, the intrusion of saltwater is expected to appear a month sooner than the multi-year average, commencing in mid to late December.

Director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (SIWRR) Tran Ba Hoang said that the total rainfall this year was forecast to be about 1,350mm, only one% higher than 2015 (the year of severe drought), and about 13% lower than the average of many years.

A fresh water shortage is forecast in an area of 66,000 hectares in Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces.

Hoang said that this year's rainy season was forecast to end early, so water shortage could occur in the 38,000-hectare rice and shrimp production area in Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces.

The two provinces should pay attention to additional water source solutions for aquaculture.

Meteorological experts predict that water levels in the lower Mekong River region this month will likely be 5-15% higher than the average for many years, and next month will be 10-20% lower compared to the average of many years in the same period.

From December this year to February next year, it will be 15-30% lower than the average of many years.

In the 2023-24 winter-spring rice crop, the Mekong Delta region will sow nearly 1.5 million hectares with an expected output of more than 10 million tonnes.

The SIWRR defined that El Nino would likely last until the end of this year and into early next year.

Besides the above localities directly affected by saltwater intrusion, drought is likely to affect areas which are about 30-70km far from the sea.

If saltwater intrusion comes early and lasts for a long time with high salinity concentration, some areas along the Tien and Hau rivers in Vinh Long, Can Tho, Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces may experience saline drought for rice and orchards.

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent expert on the Mekong Delta ecosystem, said El Nino was happening but it was still unclear how strong it would be.

In case this year's El Nino is as strong as in 2015-16 and 2019-20, the drought and salinity situation early next year may be very severe, and saline intrusion will penetrate deep into coastal areas.

In the extreme El Nino, salinity prevention is only effective at the beginning of the dry season. By the middle of the dry season, from February next year and onwards, even if the people prevent saltwater intrusion, there will still be a lack of fresh water inland.

Experts predict that in the dry season months of 2023-24, the water level in the Mekong River upstream will be strongly influenced by tides.

Hoang warned that 43,300 hectares of fruit trees in different provinces in the Mekong Delta could be affected.

Localities need to pay attention to storing water from the beginning of the dry season for use throughout the season.

The winter-spring crop of 2023-24 needs to be sown early, and should be basically finished by the end of this year.

The Ca Mau peninsula needs to build temporary dams and dredge canals before the end of the rainy season.

To avoid drought and saltwater intrusion, besides arranging reasonable crop schedules, people can also use short-term rice varieties.

Instead of using 110-day varieties, they can use 95-day or 100-day ones.

Deputy Director of Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Hoang Nhat Nam said that the provincial agricultural sector would closely monitor and inspect water source quality, water level, salinity in canals and in fields.

It will provide regular information to people for timely response.

For fruit growing areas, Tien Giang province constructed six culverts connecting the Tien River to ensure salinity prevention.

As for the eastern region, it plans that wherever salinity is, it will prevent salinity there.

In Dong Thap province, water-saving rice cultivation models are being conducted.

Currently, the province has about 100 green agricultural models.

Experts believe that to overcome the El Nino challenge, an indispensable solution is to raise people's awareness of the risks and impacts of saltwater intrusion.

Deputy Director of the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Van Tham said that the province has flexibly coordinated with districts and cities to train local people about natural disaster prevention and control.

Information and guidance on natural disaster prevention and response are broadcast on mass media.

HCM City’s construction sector announces procedures to provide online public services

Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Construction in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications on October 4  announced administrative procedures to provide online public services with a view to encouraging local people, organisations and businesses to go online for the settlement of administrative procedures.

Director of the Department of Construction Tran Hoang Quan said the application of online public services is part of the efforts to deliver on the city’s digital transformation programme in 2023, describing it an important tool to support state agencies to handle procedures in a more convenient fashion, while promoting transparency of administrative procedures, helping bolster the city's socio-economic development.

Stakeholders are now able to carry out necessary administrative procedures without visiting government offices, helping save time and travelling costs, he said, adding they can keep track on their dossiers’ status as well.

During the January – September period, the Department of Construction received 13,276 dossiers, 12,467 of which were handled, while 809 in the process of settlement.

The department is providing online services for 22 administrative procedures at https://dichvucong.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/vi/.

Of the total, 17 administrative procedures are conducted fully online, covering the fields of building materials, construction activities, and construction testing. Meanwhile, five others in technical infrastructure, realty business, building material testing are made partially online.

Stakeholders should contact hotline 028.39.329.575 for further instruction.

HCM City targets all of its administrative procedures made online by the end of this year. Accordingly, the city will work to complete the digitalisation for settlement of administrative procedures, including instructions for receiving dossiers, handling dossiers and returning results, digital signatures, payments, and evaluation on users’ satisfaction.

Canadian-funded project helps reduce gender bias barriers

A meeting to review the implementation of the “Advancing Women's Economic Empowerment in Vietnam" (AWEEV) project in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang was held by Care International Vietnam (CARE) and the provincial People’s Committee on October 5.  

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Gia Long, the AWEEV project, which was funded by the Canadian government through CARE, benefited ethnic minority women in Quang Binh district.

Positive results of the project have contributed to promoting sustainable economic development and reducing gender bias barriers in women's participation in economic activities.

Long expressed his hope that the Canadian government and CARE will consider expanding the project to other areas and sponsor other relevant programmes and projects in the locality.

The provincial authorities pledge to continue close coordination with CARE and related units to effectively implement the project, he said.

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Perry Steil showed his appreciation for Vietnam's development and the bilateral relations between the two countries in recent years, affirming that the Canadian government will continue prioritising assistance to ethnic minority women in mountainous areas of Vietnam in general and in Ha Giang in particular.

The diplomat urged the provincial authorities to continue collaboration and enhance its responsibility and efforts in achieving the overarching goals of the project, contributing to promoting the economic development rights of women and empowering their autonomy.

Implemented from 2021 to 2025, the AWEEV project aims to support 2,635 ethnic minority women and men in six communes of Ha Giang and three communes of the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau. Its total budget is over 4.5 million CAD (over 3.27 million USD).

In Ha Giang, as of May 2023, the project had supported 150 ethnic minority women in Quang Binh district in implementing livelihood models involving poultry, pig, and goat breeding, and peanut cultivation, which have helped improve the income and economic well-being of beneficiaries.

In addition, the project also supported the upgrading of boarding classrooms and utensils at 10 preschools with a total funding of over 2 billion VND in the district.

Thanks to the project, the amount of time men spend on family care and housework has increased from 2.9 to 3.4 hours per day, while the time women designate to economic activities to create income has risen from 8.2 hours to 11.1 hours per day.

Efforts made for a green Ha Long city

The Party Committee of Quang Ninh province’s Ha Long city has issued a directive on strengthening leadership and improving the effectiveness of urban order maintenance and environment hygiene, aiming for a green city.

After four months of implementation, the urban landscape has seen a facelift with spacious sidewalks and improved roads.

So far, over 3,300 ornamental pots, nearly 2,500 foam boxes used for planting, and around 600 garbage containers placed on sidewalks have been relocated. Some 100 advertising signs and banners, over 2,700 sq.m of awnings and canopies have been removed, and 910 sq.m of obstructed view coverings have been dismantled.

The competent authorities inspected 290 construction projects and found out 56 violation cases. They initiated penalty proceedings for 38 cases, mandated the removal of structures in three cases, and enforced measures to rectify the consequences in four cases. Various violations in other areas such as environment, urban planning and construction have also been fined.

Recently in Hong Hai ward, the authorities dismantled works along the Hai Ha, Hai Loc, Hai Thinh, and Hai Phuc canals due to deviations from urban planning. Many of them misused land for purposes that were not previously approved. They had encroached on pedestrian sidewalks for displaying plants and other goods, and improperly placed advertising signs and tall trees, obstructing visibility.

The removal of these works has reclaimed space for the community and received welcome from the local residents.

Pham Tung, 42, a native of Hong Hai ward, said since the works along Hai Loc and Hai Thinh canals were dismantled, the urban space has become more open. People have found parking spaces, and some even engaged in outdoor exercises. Children could play in this area, which is now much closer to their homes and safer.

In addition to creating open spaces along roads, streets and sidewalks, Ha Long city has focused on dismantling iron cages, also called "tiger cages", and various structures built on drainage system and emergency exits located in the empty spaces between two rows of houses, which were encroached upon by households to build auxiliary facilities.

In Hong Ha ward, the local authorities and mass organisations held numerous meetings to disseminate the directive to the residents. They also developed plans to establish a drainage system and build exit routes. Around 100 households have voluntarily dismantled encroachments.

As many households still violate or re-offend in various areas related to environment, urban order, construction and planning, Ha Long city will continue to improve the quality of management, planning, and build regulations on the use of road and sidewalk spaces.

The city will focus on reviewing and adopting solutions to fix the existing violations of construction order in projects and urban areas. It will also complete the renovation of 50 waste collection and transfer points that fail to meet urban aesthetics and environment hygiene standards.

Ha Long city is home to Ha Long Bay, which was twice recognised as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1994 and 2000.

Earlier, a master plan to develop the city into a world-class tourism and service hub by 2050 was approved.

Under the plan, Ha Long will be converted into a civilised and friendly sea tourism city with synchronous and modern socio-economic infrastructure systems.

Nearly 5 million vehicles attached electronic toll collection tags

More than 4.96 million vehicles nationwide have been attached electronic toll collection (ETC) tags, equivalent to 96% of the total number of vehicles registered to use the service, the Ministry of Transport has reported.

According to the ministry, all 155 toll gates in the country have been equipped with non-stop ETC devices across a total of 893 toll lanes.

The ministry said ETC systems are operating smoothly and steadily, helping vehicles pass through toll gates more quickly, con attributing to reducing congestion even during peak times.

The Department of Roads of Vietnam (DRVN) has just suggested the Ministry of Transport propose the Prime Minister to allow ETC service providers to pilot the service at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports for a period of six months.

The pilot is expected to maximise the investment effectiveness of the non-stop ETC system, and provide a basis for assessing and finalising the relevant legal framework, the DRVN said.

Warning issued for Quang Ninh Party Committee’s Standing Board in 2015 - 2020 tenure

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chaired a meeting of the Politburo and the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat in Hanoi on October 5 to consider and issue disciplinary measures against the Standing Board of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee in the 2015 - 2020 tenure and some persons involved.

After considering the proposals by the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, the Politburo and the Secretariat found that the Standing Board of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee in the 2015 - 2020 tenure had violated the Party’s principles and regulations and the working rules; shown lax leadership and direction; and lacked examination and supervision, thus enabling the Party delegation at the provincial People’s Council, the Party’s civil affairs board at the provincial People’s Committee, the provincial People’s Committee, and many subordinate Party organisations to break the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws.

The violations by the Standing Board of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee in the 2015 - 2020 tenure caused serious consequences, with many officials and Party members under the Standing Board’s management committing wrongdoings to an extent that requires disciplinary measures, and some Party members investigated, thus stirring public concern and eroding the Party organisations’ prestige.

Nguyen Van Doc, former Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, former Secretary of the Party delegation at and former Chairman of the provincial People’s Council, former Secretary of the Party’s civil affairs board at and former Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, violated the principle of democratic centralism, the Party’s regulations, and the working rules of the provincial Party Committee and the Party’s civil affairs board at the provincial People’s Committee, the regulations on the things Party members must not do and the responsibility of leading good examples. He signed and let his subordinates sign some documents with content infringing the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws, lacked a sense of responsibility, showed lax leadership and direction, lacked examination and supervision, thus letting many wrongdoings occur at the projects and bidding packages carried out by the Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC) and the FLC Group Joint Stock Company, leading to great losses to the state budget.

The violations and shortcomings of Doc caused very serious consequences and negatively affected the prestige of the local Party organisations and administration, according to the Politburo and the Secretariat.

Meanwhile, some other incumbent and former officials of Quang Ninh were also found to have committed wrongdoings related to the projects and bidding packages of AIC and FLC.

After considering the content, nature, level, consequences, and causes of the wrongdoings, basing on the Party’s regulations on disciplinary measures against violating Party organisations and members, the Politburo decided to give a warning to the Standing Board of the Quang Ninh provincial Party Committee in the 2015 - 2020 tenure.

The Secretariat decided to strip Doc and a number of former senior officials of Quang Ninh from all Party-related positions. Those former officials included Nguyen Duc Long – former Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Dang Huy Hau – former member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee; Vu Xuan Dien – member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee, head of the provincial Party Committee’s board for internal affairs; Vu Thi Thu Thuy – former member of the provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Ngoc Thu – former member of the provincial Party Committee; and Tran Van Hung – former member of the provincial Party Committee.

The Politburo and the Secretariat also required relevant agencies to take timely administrative disciplinary measures in accordance with the Party's measures.

Communications campaign about President Ho Chi Minh to be promoted abroad

A conference was held in Hanoi on October 6 to review the three-year implementation of a conclusion issued by the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on the continued promotion of communications about President Ho Chi Minh to the international community.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was attended by representatives of ministries, sectors, and localities and connected with 45 heads of Vietnam’s overseas representative agencies via videoconferencing.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, said that over three years ago, as the body responsible for coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to carry out the plan on honouring President Ho Chi Minh, a national liberation hero and a great man of culture, abroad, the MoFA reviewed the 10-year implementation of this plan and put forth proposals to continue organising activities to honour the great leader abroad more effectively.

Basing on the review, on August 19, 2020, the Secretariat issued Conclusion No. 85-KL/TW on the continued promotion of communications about and honouring of President Ho Chi Minh to the international community.

Conclusion No. 85-KL/TW has become a lodestar for the introduction of President Ho’s life, career, ideology, morality, and style to the international community, he noted.

The conclusion implementation over the last three years have helped international friends gain a better understanding of the leader’s greatness, ideology, and dedication to the national liberation and the struggle for peace, development, and progress in Vietnam and the world. It has also helped enhance patriotism among overseas Vietnamese, especially the young, Ngoc said.

At the meeting, participants suggested some measures for strongly reforming the content and methods of communications.

Deputy Minister Ngoc held that as changes in the international and regional situations will generate both opportunities and challenges for Vietnam in the coming time, ministries, sectors, and localities should keep actively introducing and honouring President Ho’s wisdom, virtues, and ideals abroad, thereby helping intensify Vietnam’s multifaceted relations with other nations, promote the country’s stature and prestige, and strengthen the patriotism and solidarity among overseas Vietnamese people.

Basic administrative procedures in education turned online

A database of over 24 million teachers and students, accounting for 98% of the total, has been verified and linked to the national population database, making the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) among the first agencies to complete the database connection, said director of the ministry's Information and Communication Technology Department Nguyen Son Hai.

Hai said that the ministry has mostly completed its database, including data of all schools nationwide from pre-schools to high schools (nearly 53,000) with profiles of 1.6 million teachers and education managers.

The ministry also collected data on learning performance and health conditions of 24 million students and its database is connected with those of over 17,000 schools across the country. 

The ministry has deployed the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), collecting and digitising data from 442 training establishments, more than 152,000 lecturers and more than 2.1 million students as well as data on scientific research, facilities, finance, cooperation with businesses, and international cooperation.

Moreover, the mobilisation of social resources to the field is not as effective as expected, he said.

St. Petersburg honours individuals for contributions to Russia-Vietnam friendship

The Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg on October 5 presented certificates of merit to several individuals who have made contributions to the Russia-Vietnam friendship.

They contributed importantly to the inauguration of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh to mark 100 years since President Ho Chi Minh first set foot in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) (June 30, 1923-2023).

Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg Alexander Belsky said that the inauguration of the statue was an important step in developing friendship between St. Petersburg and Vietnam.

Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Russia-Vietnam cooperation support fund called “Tradition and Friendship”, expressed his honour to receive the award, adding that President Ho Chi Minh was the person who laid the foundation and made valuable contributions to the relationship between the two countries.

Coast guard forces of Vietnam, Japan share experience

A delegation of the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) visited the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre and patrol vessel SETTSU of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) on October 5.

The activity was part of an exchange visit to Kobe city by the VCG’s vessel CSB 8004, the Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) daily reported.

At the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre, Kono Minoru, deputy commander of the centre, introduced the centre’s system for managing and monitoring waterway vehicles on the bay to the VCG delegation.

This centre is responsible for providing support information and managing the flows of vessels on Osaka Bay to ensure traffic safety, protect the marine environment, and protect equipment and facilities at sea from incidents caused by vessel operations.

 The VCG delegation and crewmembers of patrol vessel SETTSU pose for a group photo. (Photo: qdnd.vn)
The same day, the VCG delegation visited patrol vessel SETTSU, which is 105.4m long, 14.6m wide and 29m high at the maximum, and has the maximum speed of 18 nautical miles per hour. The 3,304 DWT ship with 50 crewmembers is in charge of conducting patrols to prevent piracy and armed robbery. It also engaged in an exchange visit with the VCG in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang in February 2023.

Leading the VCG delegation, Col. Le Thanh Hai, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Region 1, said that he hopes the visit to the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre and vessel SETTSU would help the Vietnamese side gain precious experience in safeguarding maritime safety and security, and improving the capacity of deploying vessels to perform tasks.

This was also a good chance for the two sides to share maritime law enforcement experience and enhance cooperation and mutual understanding, he added.

Water quality degradation affects lower Mekong countries: forum

The 13th Mekong River Commission (MRC) Regional Stakeholder Forum (RSF), a platform for relevant parties to get updated on hydropower and other developments along the Mekong River — Southeast Asia’s largest river, was held in the Lao city of Luang Prabang on October 5.

The event brought together representatives from MRC member countries, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, agencies operating in energy, environment, fishery and irrigation, among others, and the MRC’s dialogue partners – China and Myanmar, as well as the private sector and development partners of the MRC. 

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Truong Hong Tien, Permanent Deputy Chief of Office of the Vietnam National Mekong River Committee.

The participants looked into a draft document on the situation of the Mekong River Basin, the main findings of which show that climate change has impacted the flow of the Mekong River, the average temperature on the entire basin has risen 1.4 degrees C over the past 50 yeears and the numbers of days with big and medium rains have decreased in countries in the region.

According to the MRC’s 2023 report, the flow of the river has changed significantly, higher than the average during the dry season and lower than the average level during the rainy season.

The lower flow in the rainy season has reduced the reversal flows in the Tonle Sap Lake, leading to the increasing area of saltwater intrusion in the Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) region. Besides, sediment loads at MRC’s monitoring stations have decreased remarkably, resulting in riverbank instability and coastal erosion.

Experts said apart from changed flows, the quality and volume of Mekong River downstream flows have also dropped, affecting agricultural production and aquaculture, especially in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.

Nguyen Nhan Quang, former deputy secretary general of the Vietnam National Mekong River Committee, stressed that the Mekong Delta faces more severe erosions due to water quality degradation. In addition, fishing catches in the Khone Waterfall (at the border between Laos and Cambodia) and the Mekong Delta have reduced remarkably.

Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the MRC Secretariat, pointed to challenges to lower Mekong countries, including impacts from rapid development and climate change, saying the MRC always encourages joint projects to handle the problems.

IUU combat: Changes seen in fishermen’s awareness of sustainable fisheries

Tam Hai island commune in Nui Thanh district, the central province of Quang Nam, which owns the strongest fishing boat fleet in Quang Nam, has seen a considerable change in local fishermen’s awareness of fisheries regulations and the prevention and combat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing thanks to effective communications efforts of local authorities.

Nguyen Huu Khoa, Chairman of the Tam Hai Fisheries Union, said that offshore fishing has been a spearhead economic sector of the locality.

The union has 22 fishing vessels with a capacity of 820-1,000CV. In the first nine months of this year, the offshore fishing output of Tam Hai fetched 4,500 tonnes, completing 85% of the yearly target, he said.

Khoa said that all the seafood exploited by Tam Hai fishermen is guaranteed to be legal, have transparent origin of the fishing ground, fishing time, means of exploitation, and preservation equipment.

This is a result of a process of encouraging local fishermen to fully implement regulations in IUU fishing prevention and control, underlined Khoa.

Huynh Van Tam, owner of fishing vessel coded QNa 90667 TS of Tam Hai commune's Thuan An village, said that before leaving and after returning to the port for selling seafood, all vessels, offshore or near-shore fishing, must pass through the border checkpoint and fully comply with the requirements set forth by the authorities.

Thanks to many communications campaigns on IUU fishing prevention and control, so far, all locals in his village are highly aware of the negative impacts of IUU fishing on the fisheries resources and their own livelihood, said Tam.

Meanwhile, Nguyen The Hung, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tam Hai, said that the locality has defined sustainable and environmentally-friendly fisheries as a major economic development direction.

In many years, instead of increasing the number of offshore fishing vessels, the commune has focused on improving the vessels’ capacity, modernising equipment and seafood preservation devices, he said.

Local fishing vessels have installed modern communication devices as well as the vessel monitoring system (VMS), he said, underlining that for many years, no violation of fishing regulations has been seen among local fishermen and fishing vessels.

Head of the Quang Nam Sub-Department of Fisheries Vo Van Long said that the province has a large fishing ground, tens of thousands of marine workers, and the marine economy has become a key economic sector of the locality. Therefore, implementing IUU fishing prevention and control measures is considered an extremely important task of the locality, which has received special attention of the local authorities and fishermen as part of efforts to remove the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning on Vietnam’s fisheries industry, he stated.

According to Long, Quang Nam is home to 2,700 fishing vessels of all kinds. All 1,378 vessels with a length from 12m managed by the sub-department have finished registration, while 98% fishing vessels with a length from 15m have installed VMS, and the remaining are under maintenance. This is an important condition for Quang Nam to improve the efficiency of its efforts to prevent and combat IUU fishing, said the official.

LION Championship 10 sees fierce fights for belts

Việt Nam's largest mixed martial arts series, LION Championship 10, with thrilling bouts will return to the pearl islands of Phú Quốc this weekend.

It is the second time that Phú Quốc will host the competition after the fierce finals last November. This year, there are six fights, two for women and four for men, held at the Corona Convention Centre.

Reigning champion Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc will defend her women's 52kg prize against rising star Hồ Thị Ngọc Bích.

Nicknamed the 'Muay Thai Queen', Trúc proved her Muay Thai talents having topped the national ranking for many years.

Last season, she faced no difficulties to take the title, knocking out two rivals by rear-naked-choke before taking a submission win in the final match.

Although she's only been fighting MMA for two years, Trúc has earned remarkable achievements including a win at the prestigious Angel's Fighting Championship and a bronze medal from the Asian championship.

The 'queen' has well prepared for the title defence for months. She travelled to the Philippines for an intensive course to train at the Layka Club, home to Asian leading MMA fighters.

The fight is an opportunity for Bích to get revenge as she lost to Trúc in last year's qualification round.

One year after her defeat, Bích has become a different fighter. The challenger has improved herself in technique, physique and mental strength.

She took part in the last three events of the LION Championship and won them all. She is considered a worthy rival to Trúc this Saturday.

The second belt bout will be between Vietnamese Nguyễn Thị Hương and American Chelsey Caswell. They will vie for vacant title in the women's 60kg on Satuday. Their match was scheduled for a year ago but delayed because of unexpected reasons.

On the men's side, Asian MMA champion Nguyễn Tiến Long of Việt Nam will fight Brazilian jujitsu champion Felipe Negochadle in the 65kg class. The winner will advance to the final where they face defending champion Nghiêm Văn Ý.

Long, 21, is a star in the national community after he brought home the first Asian title in August.

At last year's Lion Championship, Long overcame strong rivals to take fourth place in the rankings of the 60kg category before he was fought in the final against national No 1 Muay Thai fighter Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhất.

The youngster was close to beating the seven-time world champion, but Nhất successfully escaped a number of locks and fought back to win the title.

Earlier in the season, Long said he was determined to bring the belt home. But his first task was to beat the master of grappling, Negochadle.

Jujitsu black-belt Negochadle is not an easy opponent after he secured two easy submission wins at the LC07 and LC09.

He also collected a big victory at the recent Angel's Fighting Championship 25 in Vũng Tàu City.

In other fights, Ngô Hồng Giang, a bronze casting artist, will face world sanshou silver medallist Phạm Công Minh in the 84kg class. The winner will earn a shot at the belt against Trần Quốc Toản.

Jujitsu artist Phan Thanh Tùng will face 'Ironman' Võ Thanh Tùng in the 56kg pool.

Two fighters Đinh Chí Công and Nguyễn Hợp Hải, who have been promoted to the LC's Class A level, will open the night in the 60kg bout.

The Việt Nam MMA Federation has informed that all doping tests will be conducted at the LC10.

It is the first pro martial art tournament in Việt Nam to test athletes for banned substances.

Organisers said athletes who had positive tests would be fined VNĐ100 million, their results would be cancelled, titles would be stripped of and they may be banned from the tournament. Their clubs would also suffer fines.

Songwriting contest on gender equality launched

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Vietnam launched a songwriting contest on gender equality on October 5 in Hanoi.

According to Caroline Nyamayemombe, acting Interim UN Women Representative in Vietnam, the contest aims to create an opportunity for artists, musicians, and storytellers to use their creativity and talent to challenge existing norms, break down barriers, and inspire a more equitable and inclusive society.

Both Vietnamese and foreign nationals residing in the nation, as well as Vietnamese expatriates, are eligible to enter the contest.

Participants can write songs promoting a sustainable and equal future, where every individual, regardless of gender, is respected and free to pursue their dreams without any prejudice or barriers.

The organising board will receive entries from October 5 to November 16 and the awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in late November.

ASEAN ambassadors’ spouses don Vietnamese Ao Dai for US catwalk

The wives of ambassadors of ASEAN countries in the United States modelled in the Vietnamese Ao Dai (traditional long dress) during a cultural event hosted by the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington D.C. on October 4.      

The group included the wives of the ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with the wives of staff at the Embassy of Vietnam in the US.

The show contributed to spreading love for Ao Dai to international friends, sending a message that women are more beautiful when they wear the dress.

During the cultural event, visitors were able to purchase Desilk silk products or order Ao Dai at booths set by the Embassy of Vietnam.

They also showed a keen interest in the performances of Vietnamese people in Ao Dai with Non La (palm-leaf conical hats).

Visitors also had the chance to taste Vietnamese dishes, helping them to gain a greater understanding of Vietnamese cuisine.

The event was held ahead of Vietnamese Women’s Day that falls on October 20.

It is also a regular event arranged by the ASEAN Women's Circle in Washington D.C. (AWC-DC) monthly and alternately among ASEAN member states, aiming to introduce their culture to international friends.

Vietnam proposes banning kids under 13 from TikTok

The Ministry of Information and Communications has just proposed that TikTok remove accounts of children under 13 years old as well as restrict use time for people under 18. 

The proposal was made after an inspection team from the ministry announced the results of an investigation into the operation of TikTok in the country at a press conference held on October 5.

Speaking at the conference, head of the ministry's Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Le Quang Tu Do, revealed that TikTok’s violations in Vietnam were associated with its provision of social networking and e-commerce services, as well as child protection in the country.

Among the violations, TikTok has stored law-breaching information on CDN servers in Vietnam, including fake and distorted information that incites violence and social evils, or information that is harmful to children. It has yet to produce an effective content censorship process, making it easier for illegal content to spread quickly through user interactions.

The social networking platform has yet to adopt measures or tools to ensure the safety of children’s confidential information and private lives. It has still allowed children under 13 to open accounts even though it is only for people 13 years of age and older.

The inspection team also found TikTok’s violations regarding user rights, intellectual copyright, and management of e-commerce services.

The inspection team made several proposals to both TikTok and Vietnamese government authorities to resolve the issues.

The team urged TikTok to install age warnings for videos on the platform. They also recommended TikTok build a separate app for children.

Notably, the inspection team said that TikTok Singapore, not TikTok’s two legal entities in Vietnam – TikTok Office in HCM City and TikTok Technologies Vietnam Company Limited – were responsible for the issues. The two Vietnam-based entities were not directly engaged in the management and provision of cross-border services in Vietnam through TikTok.com and the TikTok application.

Speaking at the meeting, the head of public policy of TikTok Vietnam, Nguyen Lam Thanh, said that they would coordinate closely with relevant ministries and agencies to properly follow the suggestions of the ministry.

Thanh emphasised that TikTok would abide by the provisions of Vietnamese law when operating in the country. He said the social media platform had complied with many of the requests, and it would take time to respond to the remainder.

“TikTok will work to comply with the inspection team’s requests,” said the TikTok Vietnam representative.

In May Vietnamese authorities began conducting a thorough inspection of TikTok’s operations in Vietnam regarding concerns that the social networking platform spread content that had negative consequences.

The inspection team made up of members of several relevant ministries and agencies originally planned to announce the results of the inspection in July but later delayed the plan, saying the social networking platform had yet to fully clarify its violations.

Festival honoring Southern traditional costumes to be held in Can Tho

More than 4,000 women wearing Ao ba ba (ba ba blouse) and Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) will participate in a parade in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to honor the cultural heritage value of the southern region.
 
The event is part of the Can Tho Ao Dai and ba ba Blouse Festival which will be held in Can Tho City on October 13-14.

The festival aims to promote and preserve ba ba blouse, a traditional Vietnamese blouse of the people in the Mekong Delta region that is a unique cultural product attached to the land in the Southern region, featuring the traditional cultural identities of the locals.

The Can Tho Ao Dai and ba ba Blouse Festival will include a series of events, such as music performances, Miss ba ba blouse beauty contest, a parade of ancient motorbikes, and a countryside fair of the past.

The festival organized for the first time aims to introduce cultural identity and the images of Can Tho City to visitors.

Da Nang employs 142 doctors under talent attraction policy

The health sector in the Central City of Da Nang planned to employ 142 doctors under the talent attraction policy, said Deputy Director in charge of the Da Nang Department of Health Tran Thanh Thuy yesterday.

According to Deputy Director Thuy, 142 doctors will be recruited to work at 17 public medical facilities according to the policy of attracting talents. The City will employ doctors with doctoral degrees, second-grade specialists younger than 50 years old, resident doctors, interns, and first-grade specialists under the age of 40, and general practitioners under 30 years old.

Employed doctors this time will enjoy the talent attraction regime at the following levels. For instance, PhDs will receive a salary level that is 200 times higher than the base salary while second-grade specialists get a pay level that is 180 times higher than the base salary and resident doctors’ pay is 150 times higher than the base salary. Those with master's degrees and first-grade specialists get a pay level that is 120 times higher than the base salary and good general practitioners’ pay is 100 times higher than the base salary.

This means that doctors receive a one-time subsidy of VND90 million-VND360 million (US$3,677 - US$14,708) depending on their medical qualifications.

However, doctor applicants must commit to long-term work at public medical facilities in Da Nang City for 5 years or more. During this time, doctors must comply with job assignments and secondments according to regulations. Those who breach the contract must reimburse support costs.

Trialogue on biodiversity and ecosystem solutions: Crucial step towards global conservation

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) is convening a Trialogue for the countries to translate knowledge about nature into actionable and sustainable policies and practices.

Taking place in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, from October 4-6, the trialogue aims to bring policy, science and practice communities together to assess national efforts, share insights on challenges and opportunities, and jointly develop strategies for cooperation and the scaling up of initiatives.

Notably, this gathering represents the first meeting of all countries under the umbrella of the BES Solutions Fund.

Policymakers, scientists and practitioners from Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago and Viet Nam joined the Trialogue to exchange insights on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The participants will share with each other successes, challenges, opportunities and valuable lessons learned through the BES Solution Fund initiatives. These practical examples will shed light on effective policies, research endeavors and practical solutions that have facilitated cooperation and reinforced global commitments to biodiversity conservation.

The Trialogue will stimulate discussions regarding innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness and future sustainability of the activities supported by the BES Solution Fund, focusing on the intertwining contributions of science, policy and practice communities to help protect biodiversity and improve ecosystems' resilience.

The choice of holding the Trialogue in Viet Nam acknowledges the country's remarkable efforts to preserve its unique ecological importance. 

Viet Nam, known globally as a biodiversity hotspot, is home to unique ecosystems, including mountains, tropical forests, limestone karst formations, marine and coastal ecosystems. Over 100 bird species and 10 per cent of the world's plant species are endemic to Viet Nam.

UNDP takes great pride in facilitating not only practical implementation of biodiversity-related solutions but also dialogues among key stakeholders that will likely make a difference, said Mr. Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam.

The BES-Net Trialogue promises to be a transformative event, generating meaningful insights, fostering collaboration and moving the participating countries one step forward towards actionable strategies to address the pressing issues of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability.

OVs support families of victims in apartment building fire in Hanoi

Via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, representatives of the Vietnamese communities and associations abroad have held practical activities to assist families of the victims in a tragic fire in Thanh Xuan district of Hanoi.

Specifically, the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic visited the affected families and donated 500 million VND (20,800 USD), while the Vietnamese community in Poland presented 153 million VND, the Vietnam Women's Union in Germany handed over 112 million VND to the district’s Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee.

October 9, the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe donated 130 million VND while the Vietnam Women's Union in Europe handed over 156 million VND to the district's Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee to support the victims.

Vice Chairwoman of the district's Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan thanked the Vietnamese communities in Europe and pledged that the sum will soon be delivered to the victims.

The committee is also actively working on specific short and long-term plans to assist the affected families from donations at home and abroad.

Government, VFF Central Committee's Presidium sign resolution on coordination

 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien co-chaired a conference in Hanoi on October 9 to review and and sign a joint resolution on the coordination between the Government and the VFF Central Committee's Presidium.

Speaking at the event, Chinh said the signing of the joint resolution is highly necessary as it materialises the directives of the 8th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to uphold the tradition of great national unity and successfully perform the task of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new period.

Hailing the VFF Central Committee for working closely with the Government over the past 15 years, he proposed the VFF continue its coordination to fulfill their assigned tasks, for the goal of a prosperous, strong nation with a democratic, fair and civilised society.

Regarding specific proposals put forth by the VFF, he said some of them are under the watch of ministries and agencies and being pursued actively.

Chien, for his part, said the move has provided an important legal basis to enhance coordination between the two sides, making it closer, more practical, and more effective.

Delegates at the event proposed issuing mechanisms to attract more resources from entrepreneurs, businesses and scientists, especially those abroad, to join hands to build the nation while investing more in the VFF’s activities.

Under the resolution, the two sides will continue partnering together in various areas, including building and consolidating the great national unity bloc, ethnic and religious affairs, mass mobilisation, protection of the legitimate rights and interests of citizens.

They will also jointly formulate policies and laws, collaborate in election work, social supervision and feedback, prevention and control of corruption and negative phenomena, deal with recommendations from the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee, and much more.

Laos launches Vietnamese-supported online party journal

An electronic version of AlounMai journal – a political and theoretical organ of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) – was officially launched at a ceremony in Vientiane on October 9.

The online journal project was co-funded by the editorial board of the Communist Review, an organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and the Vietnamese military-run telecom group Viettel, demonstrating the friendship and mutual support between the sides.

Speaking at the event, AlounMai Editor-in-Chief of Vanhlati Khamvanvongsa stated that the inauguration of the electronic version not only helps the magazine meet the increasing information needs of readers but also enhances its effectiveness of communications work and performance of the political tasks entrusted by the LPRP.

Lauding AlounMai’s vision and determination toward innovation, Khamphanh Pheuyavong, head of the LPRP Central Committee's Commission for Propaganda and Training, took the occasion to express gratitude to the Communist Review and Viettel for their assistance in building the electronic platform.

The official launch of the AlounMai electronic magazine is in line with modern journalism, providing an additional means for the journal to spread information to its readers.

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