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Lâm said after the Politburo issued a Resolution on October 22, 2018, on strengthening the protection of the Party's ideological foundation and countering misleading and hostile views in the new situation, the work has been carried out in a more methodical, concerted, comprehensive, and drastic manner, with innovative and effective approaches.
He took the example of the contest which has helped brought the resolution to life, and lauded the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and other relevant units, ministries, agencies, and localities for their efforts in this regard, as well as their contributions to the contest.
To maximise the contest’s values, Lâm called for a unified understanding that protecting the Party’s ideological foundation and countering false and hostile viewpoints is a class struggle on both ideological and political fronts. This, he stressed, is a critical responsibility of the entire Party, army, and people, and a vital task for the whole political system in the Party and political system building.
It must come in tandem with socio-economic-cultural development, improving people’s material and spiritual life, and ensuring their prosperity and happiness, he continued.
The leader also stressed the need to build and consolidate the core forces in protecting the Party’s ideological foundation while reinforcing public support on the basis of the all-people defence posture.
According to Politburo member Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, HCMA President and head of the contest’s steering committee, in its fourth edition launched in January, the contest attracted a total of 468,792 entries, including 35,000 by young people and students, 610 by overseas Vietnamese, and 13 by foreigners.
The contest has gone beyond the press circle, serving as a forum for a wide range of officials, Party members, and people to express their confidence in and responsibility toward the Party, the State, and the country, said Thắng, who is also Chairman of the Central Theory Council and deputy head of Central Steering Committee 35 tasked with protecting the Party’s ideological foundation, and fighting wrongful and hostile views.
The steering and organising committees presented 20 collective, 12 first, 22 second, 37 third and 63 consolation prizes, along with others.
The Việt Nam News Agency won one first, one second, one third, and one consolation prizes.
At the ceremony, Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Commission for Information and Education, launched the fifth contest.
PM urges stepping up agricultural production recovery after Typhoon Yagi
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently signed an official dispatch, urging competent ministries and localities to promote post-Typhoon Yagi agricultural production recovery as the process has remained sluggish and faced formidable challenges.
With a view to concretising the sector’s growth in the remainder of 2024 and the whole 2025, PM Chinh ordered drastic and effective implementation of support measures for local residents and business establishments that were hard hit by the typhoon and its subsequent floods.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was asked to enhance direction on the arrangement of working delegations, including experts and agricultural extension staff, to the typhoon-hit households and production facilities, guiding them how to bounce back their production.
Along with organising environmental monitoring in aquaculture areas to give timely advice to farmers, the ministry must provide them with guidance on selecting suitable aquatic species while strengthening cooperation and connectivity between localities, production facilities, and suppliers of seedlings, food, environmental treatment products, equipment and agricultural inputs and those suffer damage from the typhoon to help them in their disaster relief efforts.
The minister was also requested to direct competent departments to coordinate with the customs force and relevant sides to facilitate the import of necessary materials for production in case of insufficient domestic supply while handling damaged forests and harvesting timber from the areas in line with regulations. Furthermore, it is a must to ensure that seedlings, fertilisers and workforce are ready to restore the forests when weather conditions permit.
The chairpersons of the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities bearing the brunt of the typhoon, particularly, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, need to bring into full play production recovery measures, provide farmers with financial support, keep a close watch on market developments, and join hands with competent agencies to implement price control solutions to prevent speculation, hoarding and market manipulation.
Meanwhile, localities that were not affected by the typhoon must strive to increase productivity to compensate the agricultural losses and support the others in their relief work.
The Government Office is responsible for keeping tabs on the implementation of the official dispatch and reporting to the PM as well as Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on any arising issues./.
Vietnam respects right to freedom of belief, religion: official
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang highlighted Vietnam’s consistent policy of respecting and protecting the right to freedom of belief and religion for all people, while meeting with UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif in his recent trip to Switzerland.
Vietnam has worked to ensure that all religions are treated equally under the law as well as able to promote their sound cultural and ethical values and resources for the national development, he said, elaborating various legal documents have been issued to facilitate religious activities, including the Law on Belief and Religion, and amended the Land Law with provisions related to religious land use.
Mentioning the UN Human Rights Council’s adoption of the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review’s fourth cycle for Vietnam, Nada al-Nashif said she stands ready to support Vietnam with religious issues in the coming time.
Thang also had working sessions with the Permanent Mission of Vietnam in Geneva and the Vietnamese Embassy in Bern, during which he spotlighted robust progress in the relations between Vietnam and Vatican with the upgrade of the bilateral ties to a resident representative status in July 2023 and Pope Francis recognising the contributions by the Vietnamese dignitaries, the Catholic Church, and followers to the nation’s development.
At a working session with representatives from Bern administration, Thang said Vietnam is willing to welcome international delegations to study the situations of belief and religion in the country in the spirit of goodwill, respect, and adherence to the Vietnamese laws./.
Court orders Trương Mỹ Lan’s assets for victim compensation to stay frozen
The assets of convicted real estate magnate Trương Mỹ Lan, chairwoman of Vạn Thịnh Phát Group, including holdings in companies and real estate properties, will remain frozen to facilitate compensation for 36,000 victims as the authorities attempt to untangle Việt Nam’s worst financial fraud.
The HCM City People’s Court on Thursday ruled that the majority of Lan’s assets will continue to be confiscated as part of efforts to compensate victims.
This includes her 18 per cent stake in a venture that owns the Vietcombank – Bonday – Bến Thành Building, one of the tallest skyscrapers in HCM City.
In addition, the list of confiscated assets includes her shares valued at VNĐ4.5 trillion in property developer Ngọc Viễn Đông and VNĐ600 billion (US$23.8 million) in FWD Insurance.
Regarding “The Spirit of Saigon” building project in HCM City’s District 1, although Lan had disbursed VNĐ15.7 trillion ($624 million) to the Bitexco Group to acquire it, the court noted that VNĐ4 trillion of these funds was derived from embezzlement at Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB).
So the court has mandated that the police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this transaction due to discrepancies in the information provided.
The judges, however, ordered the release of a property located at 29 Liễu Giai in Hà Nội, owned by Lan’s daughter, as it was deemed unrelated to the case.
In addition, the court lifted the freeze on the bank accounts of Lan’s husband, Eric Chu, following his return of VNĐ33 billion that had been laundered.
An account containing VNĐ10 billion belonging to Lan’s brother has also been unfrozen. However, accounts totalling VNĐ100 billion held by other family members remain subject to the freeze.
After a month-long trial, the court sentenced Lan to life imprisonment for offenses including fraud, money laundering, and illegal cross-border currency transfer, adding to her previous death sentence for embezzlement.
The court found Lan culpable for defrauding nearly VNĐ31 trillion ($1.23 billion) from around 36,000 bond investors, laundering VNĐ445.7 trillion, and illegally transferring $4.5 billion abroad.
Between 2018 and 2020, in collaboration with executives from SCB and the Vạn Thịnh Phát Group, Lan utilised four companies to issue 25 fraudulent bond tranches, as established by judicial findings.
The schemes orchestrated by Lan were facilitated by corrupt officials, including a former central bank inspector who has since been sentenced to life imprisonment for accepting $5.2 million in bribes to overlook the misconduct at SCB.
Funds obtained from the sale of the fraudulent bonds were utilised to settle debts, address financial challenges faced by SCB, and invest in various real estate projects, with substantial amounts unlawfully transferred abroad.
Lan committed to using all her assets to compensate the victims of her fraudulent activities.
She was sentenced to death in a prior trial in April for embezzling VNĐ677 trillion from SCB; however, she has appealed that verdict.
Progress seen in gender equality in Việt Nam: official
Việt Nam has made considerable progress in promoting gender equality over the past years, and the Việt Nam Women’s Union (VWU) has been applying itself to this work, said VWU Vice President Nguyễn Thị Minh Hương.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Hương said since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by the UN in 1995, Việt Nam has made strides in realising the commitments on women’s rights.
In particular, she elaborated, the legal system has been increasingly perfected, with the 2006 Law on Gender Equality and the documents guiding its enforcement implemented and proving effective. The legal documents revised or supplemented have also included gender quality-related issues to create a legal framework facilitating gender gap narrowing and gender equality promotion.
All the 12 areas of the Beijing Platform for Action have been seriously and fruitfully carried out by Việt Nam, notably the areas of “women and poverty”, “women and health”, “women and the economy”, “women and the environment”, and “the girl child”. Besides, gender equality has been mainstreamed in the national target programmes on sustainable poverty reduction, new-style countryside building, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Hương cited the UNDP’s Human Development Report as saying that in 2022, Việt Nam ranked 107 among the 193 countries and territories in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI). Its Gender Development Index (GDI) alone stood at the 91st position, higher than its HDI as well as the ranking of its economy as calculated on the basis of per capita GDP (101st among 179 economies in 2022). With this GDI, Việt Nam was in the top group, which recorded the highest equality in terms of human development between males and females.
In addition, the Global Gender Gap Index, released annually by the World Economic Forum, showed Việt Nam’s observable progress since the country was included in the rankings, which measure gender-based gap in four key areas of economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Việt Nam’s score increased from 0.689 in 2007 to 0.715 in 2024, which indicates the increasingly narrowed gender gap, she noted.
She went on to say that all activities of the VWU are aimed at promoting gender equality and protecting women’s rights and legitimate interests.
It has supervised the implementation of policies, given feedback on draft laws and policies and encouraged women to participate in the Party and political system building. Some proposals of the VWU have been accepted and become policies at national and local levels such as the Government’s Decree No 39/2015/NĐ-CP on support for low-income women of ethnic minorities complying with the population policy, or many plans on assistance for women to develop livelihoods and protect the environment.
The union has also organised many activities to improve women’s legal knowledge so that they are aware of their rights and protect themselves, help women exercise their rights in economic and family affairs, and resolve cases of women and children’s rights abuse.
In particular, the VWU Central Committee was assigned to coordinate the implementation of a project on promoting gender equality and resolving pressing issues of women and children. This project aims to raise public awareness, change gender bias, and care for the material and spiritual life of women and girls in particularly disadvantaged areas to help achieve gender equality, according to Hương.
HCM City hosts music gala to raise funds for soldiers protecting Việt Nam borders, islands
HCM City will host the 11th annual music gala to raise public welfare funds for soldiers and people living in border areas and islands on October 22.
The event called Hướng Về Biên Giới, Biển, Đảo Tổ Quốc (Towards the Country’s Borders, Seas and Islands) is co-organised by the Việt Nam Motherland Front Committee of HCM City and the HCM City Television (HTV).
Phạm Minh Tuấn, vice chairman of the city's front committee, said the event aims to introduce the daily life of soldiers and people living on the borders, islands and seas, and give support for those who are protecting the sovereignty of the country.
He added it also promoted national solidarity among Vietnamese people to raise their awareness of sovereignty protection.
The 75-minute show will present songs praising the country and its islands and seas featuring singers who have travelled to the country’s borders, seas and islands.
The performances will also include those by border guards and naval soldiers.
The show will present a discussion about the city’s activities to support people and soldiers who patrol the country’s borders and seas.
All the proceeds from the gala will go to the city’s fund to buy motorbikes and daily necessities including solar lights, fans, televisions, computers, printers, and sports equipment for people and soldiers on the islands in the southwestern region.
The organizers will also host activities for public welfare at the coastal district of Cần Giờ’s Thạnh An Commune, such as upgrading its public park, and offering scholarships and free health examinations for poor people.
Since 2013, the Hướng Về Biên Giới, Biển, Đảo Tổ Quốc gala has received a total of VNĐ515 billion (US$20,67 million) for the fund.
The music gala will be held at 7:30pm at the HTV Theatre and broadcast live on HTV1.
Runners ready for Standard Chartered Hà Nội Marathon Heritage Race
More than 18,000 athletes from 55 countries are ready to compete at the Standard Chartered Hà Nội Marathon Heritage Race 2024 on November 3.
“Creating an event for over 18,000 athletes from within and outside the country to come together is a major challenge. We have met with many authorities and spent months researching and testing to come up with the most optimal track, combining many heritage sites while still ensuring safety and the city’s smooth traffic flow outside of the marathon,” Nguyễn Trí, CEO of the marathon’s owner Đức Hương Anh Company (DHA Việt Nam), said.
“With the assistance of Standard Chartered bank, DHA Việt Nam was able to take invaluable experience and organisational procedures of the prestigious Standard Chartered Marathon events and apply them to Việt Nam, ensuring we get the best possible outcome.”
This year’s event will recruit an impressive number of volunteers, the majority of whom are Standard Chartered Việt Nam’s employees, while many others are university students around Hà Nội.
The event’s track is designed following global standards for all major marathons. All four distance events (5km, 10km, 21km and 42km) are standardised and certified by the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races.
Runners may use their results at this marathon to register for the World Marathon Majors Age Group Championships - a global organisation with six of the most prestigious marathons worldwide (Six Majors), including the New York Marathon, Chicago Marathon, London Marathon, Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, and Berlin Marathon.
From Thiền Quang Lake, runners will make their way through Hà Nội’s fable Old Quarter consisting of 36 historical streets, then through several roads surrounding the scenic West Lake. From there the track takes runners into the more modern and vibrant side of Hà Nội like the districts of Hai Bà Trưng, Hoàn Kiếm and Ba Đình.
The full marathon track will go through four major lakes: Sword Lake, West Lake, Trúc Bạch Lake and Thiền Quang Lake - as well as historic landmarks like the HCM Mausoleum, Ba Đình Square, Hà Nội Flag Tower. A city full of nostalgia, charm, glory and energy will be wrapped up in this Heritage Race.
The Standard Chartered Hà Nội Marathon Heritage Race 2024 is the first marathon in Việt Nam to receive assistance from the best-rated treatment standard Bạch Mai Hospital, with over 1,000 medical professionals at the event.
“We are proud to be the official sponsor of the heritage event. This is the 10th event in the world-famous Standard Chartered Marathon series and pivotal in a series of events commemorating the bank’s 120-year presence in Việt Nam," Trịnh Như Quỳnh, head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing of Standard Chartered Việt Nam," said.
"Becoming the official sponsor for a reputable marathon is a testament to our strong investment in Việt Nam. We want to be a part of Việt Nam for the long run and build this marathon up to be a community event, uniting all social classes together and fostering a healthy lifestyle.”
Becoming a part of the famous Standard Chartered Marathon World Series is a solid foundation for the organisers to realise their dream of bringing Việt Nam’s marathon to the world map. Turning Việt Nam into a favourite destination for athletes worldwide is one key factor to developing Việt Nam’s tourism sustainably.
In the spirit of “Running Together, Going Further”, many meaningful community-oriented activities will be held during this season.
The “CEO Run” will be first implemented exclusively for CEOs of local and foreign businesses to take part in. Any CEO taking part will pledge money to charity. The organisers will transfer all proceeds from this event to the locales and civilians affected by the recent tropical storm Yagi.
At this marathon, an innovation from Standard Chartered Việt Nam’s staff is hatched and implemented on the spot. The idea was to collect used shoes and donate them to underprivileged civilians in remote regions across the country. People donating will receive a VNĐ200,000 discount voucher when buying new shoes from Xtep who is also the exclusive apparel sponsor for all distances at this year’s event.
The “Foliate Việt Nam’s Forests” challenge on social media is another activity worth mentioning. For every runner that takes part in the running minigame, the organisers will donate a tree.
This programme collected 3,000 cedars planted at the BiDoup Núi Bà National Park in Lâm Đồng Province.
National Assemblies of Vietnam, Armenia promote cooperation
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Thanh met with her Armenian counterpart Hakob Arshakyan on October 19 in Vientiane on the sidelines of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-45).
At the meeting, Thanh conveyed the greetings and best wishes from NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man and other leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam to the Armenian official, and affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Armenia.
She said that Vietnam always remembers the wholehearted support and assistance that the Armenian people have given to Vietnam during the struggle for national liberation and reunification and in subsequent years of national reconstruction.
For his part, Vice President of the Armenian NA Arshakyan emphasised that since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, their cooperation has kept developing bilaterally and multilaterally. He affirmed that Armenia always attaches importance to and wishes to continue to expand and deepen relations with Vietnam.
He informed that Armenia has established the Armenia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group and hopes that the Vietnam will soon establish the Vietnam-Armenia Friendship Parliamentarians Group to enhance their parliamentary exchanges.
He added that as Armenia has not had a representative office in Vietnam, Armenia wishes the two countries will set up their representative offices in each country, consider a visa exemption mechanism between the two countries and launch direct flights to enhance exchanges and cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and tourism.
Emphasising Armenia's position as a bridge between the two continents of Asia and Europe, Arshakyan said that the cooperation between Armenia and Vietnam will strongly contribute to the development of the two countries and the region.
Thanh said that the bilateral trade between Vietnam and Armenia saw positive signals but has not commensurated with the great potential of the two countries’ relationship.
She affirmed that the Vietnamese NA supports the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and wishes to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two NAs.
She suggested that in the coming time, the two sides further strengthen delegation exchanges through the Party, Government and NA. Particularly, the Vietnamese NA hopes to welcome the President of the Armenian NA to pay an official visit to Vietnam this November.
On this occasion, Thanh invited the Vice President of the Armenian NA to pay an official visit to Vietnam in the coming time.
Soc Trang ethnic minority areas reap fruit in poverty alleviation
Many specific mechanisms and policies issued by the Party and State for ethnic minorities have been carried out effectively in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, helping lift a large number of households out of poverty.
Soc Trang is home to nearly 1.2 million people, about 35% of whom are from ethnic minority groups. It has the highest rate of Khmer people in Vietnam, with over 30% of the local population or about 362,000 people.
In My Tu district, Khmer people number 32,253 from 7,482 households, making up 24.59% of its population, mainly in Phu My, My Thuan, and Thuan Hung districts.
Le Thanh Vi, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of My Tu district, said the committee has paid consistent attention to guiding the implementation of the policies targeting ethnic minority groups, including Khmer.
Since 2019, the district has provided vocational training for 2,113 Khmer people and jobs for 4,692. Meanwhile, 4,696 Khmer households have accessed concessional loans to develop livelihoods.
Vi noted annual per capita income of Khmer people has reached 63 million VND (over 2,500 USD), helping bring the household poverty rate in the Khmer community here down to 0.96%.
Danh Chum, a Khmer resident in Thuan Hung commune of My Tu district, said that three years ago, his family could not make ends meet. In 2022, his family was assisted by the local administration to build a new house, purchase cows to farm, and engage in small trading, thus gradually improving their living conditions.
Chau Thi Muoi, Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Thuan Hung commune in My Tu district, said as poverty alleviation in ethnic minority areas is identified as a crucial task, local authorities have undertaken comprehensive measures to reduce poverty. In particular, communications have been boosted on the sustainable poverty reduction programme and new vegetable crops and animal husbandry introduced to the region, including cattle and deer farming.
Meanwhile, Nga Nam township has stepped up short-term vocational training and job creation for ethnic minority people to improve their income.
Huynh Van Lo, head of the Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs division of Nga Nam, noted various poverty reduction measures have been adopted and proved effective, with vocational training and job creation among important solutions.
Each year, more than 400 households in the township successfully escape from poverty while nearly 500 others get rid of the near-poor status. The household poverty rate has declined by 2% annually, down to 1.4% in total, and by 4% among Khmer households, he elaborated.
Danh Son, a resident in Vinh Quoi commune of Nga Nam, shared that previously, his family did not own farmland and lived under the poverty line. Since enrolling in a short-term training course on weaving water hyacinth to create handicrafts, life has improved, and his family managed to make a bettter living in late 2023.
Son added that in recent years, the craft of weaving water hyacinth has become an additional source of income for local Khmer people, generating 4 - 5 million VND (160 - 200 USD) per capita each month.
Thanks to assistance from the national target programmes on socioeconomic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, stable outcomes include sustainable poverty reduction and new-style countryside building. Many structures have been built to improve transport infrastructure and support agricultural production, creating favourable conditions for locals to trade goods and stabilise livelihoods and contributing to sustainable poverty alleviation.
Chairman of the Soc Trang People’s Committee Tran Van Lau highlighted the progress in poverty reduction in the province thanks to the active implementation of different measures. As of the end of 2023, the number of impoverished households decreased to 8,521, down 2% annually. The rate of poor households in the Khmer community fell by 3% annually down to 4%.
Local authorities have been capitalising on support from central agencies and also mobilising different resources to assist ethnic minority people, particularly Khmer, to develop livelihoods and sustainably alleviate poverty.
Lau added that in the coming time, the provincial administration will boost combining socioeconomic development policies, programmes, and projects, especially the three national target programmes, to gradually upgrade infrastructure in ethnic minority areas, thus facilitating income improvement./.
Progress seen in gender equality promotion in Vietnam: official
Vietnam has made considerable progress in promoting gender equality over the past years, and the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) has been applying itself to this work, said VWU Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Huong said since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by the UN in 1995, Vietnam has made strides in realising the commitments on women’s rights.
In particular, she elaborated, the legal system has been increasingly perfected, with the 2006 Law on Gender Equality and the documents guiding its enforcement implemented and proving effective. The legal documents revised or supplemented have also included gender quality-related issues to create a legal framework facilitating gender gap narrowing and gender equality promotion.
All the 12 areas of the Beijing Platform for Action have been seriously and fruitfully carried out by Vietnam, notably the areas of “women and poverty”, “women and health”, “women and the economy”, “women and the environment”, and “the girl child”. Besides, gender equality has been mainstreamed in the national target programmes on sustainable poverty reduction, new-style countryside building, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Huong cited the UNDP’s Human Development Report as saying that in 2022, Vietnam ranked 107 among the 193 countries and territories in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI). Its Gender Development Index (GDI) alone stood at the 91st position, higher than its HDI as well as the ranking of its economy as calculated on the basis of per capita GDP (101st among 179 economies in 2022). With this GDI, Vietnam was in the top group, which recorded the highest equality in terms of human development between males and females.
In addition, the Global Gender Gap Index, released annually by the World Economic Forum, showed Vietnam’s observable progress since the country was included in the rankings, which measure gender-based gap the four key areas of economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Vietnam’s score increased from 0.689 in 2007 to 0.715 in 2024, which indicates the increasingly narrowed gender gap, she noted.
She went on to say that all activities of the VWU are aimed at promoting gender equality and protecting women’s rights and legitimate interests.
It has supervised the implementation of policies, given feedback on draft laws and policies, encouraged women to participate in the Party and political system building. Some proposals of the VWU have been accepted and become policies at national and local levels such as the Government’s Decree No. 39/2015/ND-CP on support for low-income women of ethnic minorities complying with the population policy, or many plans on assistance for women to develop livelihoods and protect the environment.
The union has also organised many activities to improve women’s legal knowledge so that they are aware of their rights and protect themselves, help women exercise their rights in economic and family affairs, and resolve the cases abusing women and children’s rights.
In particular, the VWU Central Committee was assigned to coordinate the implementation of a project on promoting gender equality and resolving pressing issues of women and children. This project aims to raise public awareness, change gender bias, and care for the material and spiritual life of women and girls in particularly disadvantaged areas to help achieve gender equality, according to Huong./.
Malaysian House of Representatives Speaker to visit Vietnam
Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato' Johari Bin Abdul and his spouse will make an official visit to Vietnam from October 22 to 25, 2024.
The invitation has been extended by Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man, according to a communique from the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
Vietnam and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 1973, and the two countries lifted their ties to a strategic partnership in 2015.
In ASEAN, Malaysia is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner and third largest export market.
Two-way trade between the two countries hit a record high of US$14.7 billion in 2022 before falling to US$12.67 billion in the context of a weakening global economy, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary pressures.
As of 2023, Malaysian investments into Vietnam had hit US$13.1 billion from more than 700 registered projects.
Vietnam reaffirms desire to strengthen relations with China
The Party, State, and National Assembly of Vietnam consistently view the consolidation and development of friendly and cooperative relations with China as a consistent policy, an objective requirement, and a strategic choice, said Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.
Receiving Chief Justice Zhang Jun from the Supreme People’s Court of China in Hanoi on October 20, Man affirmed that Vietnam – China relations have developed strongly following high-level reciprocal visits, including those by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of Vietnam in October 2022, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping of China in December 2023, and Party General Secretary and President To Lam of Vietnam in August 2024.
Most recently, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met senior Vietnamese leaders during his visit to Vietnam from October 12-14, during which both sides expressed a strong commitment to effectively implementing the Joint Statement and continuously deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries towards the goal of the Vietnam-China Community of a shared future.
Man highly appreciated the results of cooperation between the Supreme Courts of Vietnam and China in recent times, saying the two courts signed a cooperation agreement in 2018, laying the foundation for promoting cooperative activities. The leaders of the two courts frequently visit each other to strengthen cooperation and exchange experiences in judicial activities.
He also appreciated the cooperation mechanism of the Vietnam-China border provinces court conference, which was held for the first time in June 2023 in China, marking a new development in the relationship between the two courts.
Man expressed hope that the second such conference, scheduled to take place next year, would facilitate the courts of the border provinces of both countries in effectively resolving civil and commercial disputes, as well as cross-border criminal offenses occurring in the border area.
To promote cooperation between the two Supreme People’s Courts, the top legislator proposed that the two courts exchange delegations at various levels; continue to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation; strengthen mutual understanding of each other’s legal and judicial systems; and share experiences in judicial reform, while actively engaging in international and regional forums of which both sides are members.
On this occasion, through Chief Justice Zhang, the top legislator Man respectfully extended an invitation to the top legislator of China Zhao Leji to make an official visit to Vietnam.
Zhang for his part informed his host on the results of his talks with Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam Le Minh Tri, and of his meeting with the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam Nguyen Huy Tien.
During these talks, he said, both sides exchanged many important and specific topics, including judicial reform. They also discussed various areas such as environmental protection, intellectual property rights, and bankruptcy law in the upcoming legal framework.
Notably, they had in-depth exchanges on judicial reform and the establishment of a public prosecution system, an area of mutual interest in recent times.
Zhang affirmed that, based on the established relationship between the two parties and two states, the judiciary of both countries will strive to effectively fulfill its role as a legal foundation for cooperative activities between the two sides.
Vietnamese students explore study opportunities European Education Week
Hordes of Vietnamese students are exploring study opportunities during the European Education Week 2024 that opened in Hanoi on October 20.
The programme, organized by the European Union (EU) Delegation and EU member state embassies, has drawn the participation of nearly 60 universities from various EU countries, offering information about programmes and scholarships in diverse academic fields and levels.
In his opening remarks, Thomas Wiersing, deputy head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, emphasized the strong cooperative partnership between the EU and Vietnam, as well as the benefits of studying in Europe.
To keep pace with new technologies, managers, scientists, and experts must possess high skills and qualifications. This can be achieved through studying abroad, and this is exactly what studying in Europe can provide, said Wiersing.
According to the diplomat, studying in Europe not only helps students return to Vietnam with valuable knowledge gained in the classroom but also offers precious experiences.
What they bring back to their homeland is a personal view of Europe, shaped by their unique experiences. This includes accumulated life experiences, history, and innovative ideas that help expand their intellect, he explained.
Wiersing expressed his belief that by meeting with representatives from nearly 60 EU universities and member states, students will gain a comprehensive view of what studying in Europe can offer and be strongly inspired for their study abroad.
Recently graduating from University of Science and Technology, Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong, 22, is seeking opportunities to study in Europe. Through social media, she has turned to the European Education Week to explore the Erasmus scholarship and find a suitable school.
“When I attended the event, I received enthusiastic support from everyone here. I just visited the Erasmus booth to get advice about this scholarship. Through this, I learned how to apply for the Erasmus scholarship and which schools and countries it supports, so I can make an appropriate choice,” said Duong.
The event also featured consultation booths from the EU alumni network, the EU delegation, and embassies and organizations from 18 EU member states in Vietnam, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden. These booths provided diverse perspectives on the experience of living and studying in Europe.
For the first time, the European Education Week organized a discussion session with the participation of European businesses in Vietnam, offering valuable information on developing necessary skills and career opportunities for European students returning to Vietnam.
Top leaders attend national conference on implementing Party resolution
A national conference on implementing the strategic resolution from the 10th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee was held on Sunday in Hà Nội, with the country’s top leaders and over 1.2 million Party members in attendance both in person and online.
Addressing the event, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm said that Việt Nam’s achievements in 80 years of nation-building have paved the way for a new era of growth and prosperity for the country and its people.
Accordingly, the 10th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee in September has set out strategic directions, breakthroughs and principles to fulfil these development aspirations.
He called for the collective efforts of the entire political system for regulation reviews and adjustments to remove obstacles and bottlenecks for socio-economic development while ensuring national defence and security, with people and businesses at the core.
In addition to mobilising internal and external resources, localities also need to thoroughly assess their capacity to propose specific mechanisms for delegation of powers, thereby responding to the actual demands for growth. This evaluation with measurable outcomes will be a topic of discussion for the next Party Congress.
The Politburo will soon study and issue a resolution on national digital transformation. At the same time, ministries and central departments are recommended to prioritise resources for comprehensive infrastructures for science and technology, socio-economic growth, transport and energy.
Regarding preparations for the 14th National Party Congress in 2026, top leader Lâm underlined building and ensuring the quality of documents for Party meetings at all levels, with each locality required to define the directions and solutions to implement socialism that align with their conditions.
They are also required to study, discuss and contribute ideas to the documents presented at the 14th National Party Congress, focusing on national and local governance, linking management and development thinking based on actual situations in their localities, effective implementation of national target programmes, innovating law drafting and legislative bodies, and ensuring social welfare policies and social development.
They also need to put efforts into personnel development for local Party units to cultivate competent leaders who can effectively implement the Party's policies and translate them into practical actions in every area.
At the conference, Politburo member Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, who serves as the chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and director of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, delivered a keynote on the core topics and new points in the draft political report for the 14th National Party Congress, and a draft report on implementing socialist-oriented renewal over the past 40 years in Việt Nam.
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính also presented the key points in the draft evaluations on the implementation of the 10-year socio-economic development strategy for 2021-30; socio-economic tasks and missions for 2026-2030; as well as the socio-economic situation and State budget in 2024 and next year’s plan.
He also reported the financial and State budget plan for 2025-27; the investment policy for the high-speed railway along the country’s North-South axis; and the policy to establish Huế as a city under central authority (similar to Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ and HCM City).
Lê Minh Hưng, secretary of the Central Party Committee and head of the Central Organisation Commission, also presented the draft report on Party building and Party Charter implementation in its 13th term, as well as several key points regarding the amendment of election regulations within the Party and personnel work for the 13th and 14th National Party Congresses.
Drill held to raise chemical incident response capability
More than 150 people from relevant agencies on Saturday (October 19) participated in a drill in the southern coastal province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu to raise chemical incident response capability.
The province-level drill on chemical incident response, rescue, and community evacuation was organised by the province’s People’s Committee in collaboration with relevant agencies and units, and took place at Long Sơn Petrochemicals Complex in Vũng Tàu city.
Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Văn Đồng, director of the province’s Department of Industry and Trade and deputy head of the drill’s steering committee, said the province has strong industrial development, so activities related to chemicals are common.
“The drill aims to raise awareness and responsibility for all departments, sectors, chemical-related businesses and the public to proactively prevent and effectively respond to chemical incidents," he said.
The drill scenario is based on a worst-case scenario that was designed to include chemical spill response, rescue and community evacuation.
“It is difficult to handle the scenario by a internal incident management process. It requires support from multiple forces and relevant agencies,” he said.
Some 20 fire trucks and ambulances were also mobilised for the drill.
In the hypothetical situation, while a petrochemicals complex was importing HCl acid from a medical tank truck with a flammable chemical suffered a pipe leak.
As a result, the chemical dispersed into the environment and spread with the wind.
Due to the impact of the chemical, one worker suffered burns to the neck and hands, and two others working on top of the tank fainted.
While moving, the chemical truck’s driver lost control and collided with a construction nearby, causing the tank to be punctured, the driver to be strapped inside the truck cabin, and the chemical to spill.
Employees of Long Son Petrochemicals Co. Ltd. (LSP), which operates the complex, were immediately mobilised to handle the incident, emergency, rescue and worker evacuation.
However, the incident progressed in a complicated manner, beyond the control of the complex, as the gas spread and affected the surrounding areas.
The company quickly reported the incident to the province’s Incident Response Steering Board for support.
The board mobilised firefighting vehicles to go the scene, and requested support from relevant departments and agencies, and the chemical unit under the High Command of Military Region 7 of the Việt Nam People's Army.
Local authorities also evacuated residents living near the complex to safe places to avoid poisonous gases.
After 45 minutes of the drill, with close and effective distribution between the company's response force and support forces, the chemical incident was completely controlled.
The chemical incident drill took place in a safe and effective manner as planned.
Kulachet Dharachandra, general director of LSP, said the drill provides the company and all the involved units an opportunity to review, exchange insights, and learn from one another.
It will help his company develop more effective incident response plans and ensure comprehensive preparation for future emergencies.
“Our foremost priority is the safety of everyone, not only for those working within the complex but also for the surrounding community,” he said.
With a firm commitment to incident prevention, the company is dedicated to safe operations, ensuring the health and well-being of all employees and residents.
Hundreds of decrepit bridges in Lâm Đồng Province need repair, replacement
Lâm Đồng Province has 109 unsafe bridges that need to be replaced or repaired at an estimated cost of VNĐ965 billion, according to its Department of Transport.
Most of them are along internal roads in districts like Đức Trọng, Di Linh and Bảo Lâm.
Many of them, made of steel, wood or concrete, were constructed many years ago and are primarily on roads leading to farms and other production areas.
Some deteriorating bridges leading to residential areas are also still in use.
Deputy Director of the department Hoàng Anh Tuấn said the bridges ensure traffic flow especially to remote areas, and require repair, reinforcement or replacement.
The department and the Department of Planning and Investment would draft plans for the task in 2026–30, with money allotted annually for it.
The province has over 500 bridges along its local roads and 71 on national highways.
PM urges stable electricity supply amid rising demand
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on October 19 emphasised the need for early preparations to ensure a stable and efficient electricity supply and national energy security, as Việt Nam is advancing its industrialisation and modernisation efforts.
Chairing a meeting between permanent Cabinet members and officials from relevant ministries and agencies, the PM stressed that for every 1 per cent increase in economic growth, electricity demand rises by 1.5 per cent. As Việt Nam aims for around 7 per cent economic growth in 2024 and higher in subsequent years, electricity demand for production, business, and consumption is expected to grow by at least 10 per cent.
Recalling electricity shortages in some areas last year, the leader underscored the importance of improving institutional frameworks, revising National Power Development Plan VIII, diversifying energy sources, and removing obstacles to key electricity projects.
According to the Vietnam Electricity (EVN), in the first nine months of 2024, the group ensured sufficient electricity supply for socio-economic development, with production and imports reaching 232.8 billion kWh, up nearly 11 per cent from the previous year. It is also working on 10 power projects with a total capacity of 6,793MW, and has made progress on procedures for new projects under the national power plan.
In addition to the 500kV Circuit-3 power transmission line, it is accelerating key grid projects, including electricity imports from Laos.
In his concluding remarks, PM Chính noted that the country’s electricity demand is expected to increase by around 2,200MW by 2025, but with specific measures in place, no major shortages are anticipated.
In the long term, he said, with electricity demand rising by 12-15 per cent annually, ministries and sectors need to proactively implement measures to ensure sufficient power supply for both production and consumption from 2026 to 2030.
Chính called for the urgent implementation of the decree on direct electricity trading and the prompt submission of a decree on self-produced, self-consumed electricity and rooftop solar energy for approval. These measures aim to promote clean energy development and foster the renewable energy industry.
The leader asked relevant ministries and agencies to quickly consolidate institutions and legal regulations, update National Power Development Plan VIII, and strive to transition from coal-fired power to clean energy in line with Việt Nam's COP26 commitments.
The PM said ministries must draft scenarios and implement solutions to prevent electricity shortages under any circumstances.
Regarding hydropower, PM Chính requested that reservoirs be regulated in a balanced manner between irrigation needs and ensuring power generation during the peak of the dry season in the northern region.
For gas-fired electricity, the Government leader instructed that the first gas flow from the Block B-Ô Môn gas project must be received by the end of 2026. He also stressed the need to calculate gas electricity prices in accordance with market conditions and specific circumstances, ensuring "harmonised benefits and shared risks," balancing the interests of the government, businesses, and the public.
He also requested that relevant agencies study the development of nuclear power, continue refining regulations and institutions, and update and adjust Power Plan VIII.
Improvement of soil health and management of crop nutrients is needed: MARD
Land is a critical means of production, serving as a home to various ecosystems and so soil health is an issue of concern for both Việt Nam and many other countries around the world, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoàng Trung.
According to the deputy minister, the current average land area per capita is low, compounded by intensive and monoculture farming practices and damaged by imbalanced use of fertilisers and pesticides. In many areas soil health has been dramatically reduced due to the development of industrial zones and craft villages, along with the impacts of climate change, leading to drought, salinisation and soil acidification.
In light of declining soil health in Việt Nam, amid increasing demand for food and the urgent need for sustainable production, numerous management and technical activities have been implemented, Hoàng Trung said at the conference 'Project to Improve Soil Health and Manage Crop Nutrition', organised by the Ministry of Agriculture (MARD) on Friday in Hà Nội.
The legal framework for soil health has also been substantially completed to meet practical needs, however there remain many issues in soil health management that need focused attention, Trung said.
According to Vũ Thắng, deputy head of the Fertiliser Management Department of the Plant Protection Department, in Việt Nam, there are currently 11.8 million hectares of degraded land, with over four million hectares being agricultural land.
Soil degradation and the risk of desertification are progressing rapidly, with the most severe impacts in three regions: the Northwest, Central Highlands and South-Central Coast, he said.
This is due to both objective and subjective factors. Subjective factors include cultivation practices involving multiple crops per year, excessive use of inorganic fertilisers, an imbalance between organic and inorganic inputs, use of chemical pesticides and a lack of measures to prevent erosion and runoff.
Regarding the decline in soil biodiversity, harmful microorganisms in the soil are increasing faster, which accelerates soil quality degradation.
Concerning soil health assessment criteria, different countries have different sets of criteria for assessing soil health. However, Việt Nam lacks a set of indicators for evaluating soil quality in crop production. The indicators used in research do not fully reflect the various aspects of soil health and quality as is done globally, he said.
Thắng also said that the goal of the project is to increase the value of land use, manage crop nutrition effectively, thereby contributing to the restructuring of the agricultural sector and building new rural areas.
Accordingly, the project includes key elements such as the improvement of the legal system and technical standards. It aims to establish a national standard system for assessing soil health and crop nutrition, in alignment with international standards. Additionally, it seeks to build a national database on soil health to monitor and track soil quality across the country.
Moreover, the project emphasises research and development of advanced technological solutions, including the application of beneficial microorganisms, bio-fertilisers and slow-release fertilisers.
It also focuses on researching sustainable farming methods, particularly on problematic soils like nutrient-poor or erosion-prone lands.
Pop star Tâm to perform in 2024 Hò Dô Festival
Pop star Mỹ Tâm will perform in the 2024 Hò Dô (HOZO) International Music Festival in HCM City from October 25 to December 15.
Tâm will appear in the three-day music gala called HOZO Super Fest, one of the festival’s highlighted events, which is scheduled to take place December 13, 14 and 15 on District 1’s Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street.
The gala will attract more than 100 artists from different countries, such as Thailand, Japan, Korea, the US and Indonesia.
Pop star Mỹ Tâm and the music group Hoài Sa Band will introduce their latest works.
Tâm, known as the 'Queen of Pop' in Việt Nam, began her career in HCM City in 1999. She sings in Vietnamese and English, and also works as a songwriter and music producer.
She was the first Vietnamese singer to sign a contract with the Korean entertainment company Nurimaru Pictures.
She was selected to the list "Global Pop Sensations You’ve Never Heard Of" by ABC News in the US in 2010.
She received the Best Asian Artist prize at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong from Korean-based Mnet Television in 2012, and Best Southeast Asia Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2013.
The 2024 Hò Dô (HOZO) International Music Festival is organised by the HCM City Centre of Light Music in co-operation with Beyond Communication.
The festival’s theme is “One World, One Beat”. It will be free of charge to serve residents and international tourists in the city.
It will consist of a series of activities such as performance tours at universities, exhibitions, new MV launches and workshops.
Artist participants are encouraged to organise mini shows during the festival.
Music and song competitions will be held on October 25 and 26.
Seminars, forums and workshops on music will take place in December.
“After being successfully organised in 2019, 2021 and 2023, we hope this year Hò Dô (HOZO) International Music Festival will attract a significant number of international tourists and contribute to economic growth,” Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thuý, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said.
She said the festival is part of the city’s efforts to entertain and attract locals and visitors, and promote Việt Nam’s image.
Last year, 2023 Hò Dô (HOZO) International Music Festival attracted around 150,000 visitors.
Tourism soars in the central hub
A new record of nearly 8.7 million tourists, including nearly 3.2 million foreigners, visited the central city of Đà Nẵng in the first three quarters of the year. This figure is up 30 per cent, surpassing the previous record that was set in 2019.
Vice director of the city’s tourism department Nguyễn Thị Hoài An said at the Đà Nẵng Tourism Festival that the ‘green’ industry earned VNĐ26 trillion in revenue in the first nine months of 2024.
She said new emerging markets from Southeast Asia, Korea and India had contributed to the city’s tourism growth in 2024, setting up a driving force to reach a new target of hosting 10.9 million visitors in 2025.
“The city’s hospitality industry has achieved significant progress in revenue and visitors after years of challenges, including COVID-19 and poor post-pandemic growth. We have been preparing a series of promotions with new potential domestic and international air routes to hopefully achieve stable growth of 10 to 11 percent from 2026 to 2030,” An said.
“This would help gain new growth from Taiwan, China, Japan and India with key products including MICE, golf, family and young adventurers. We expect that Korean and ASEAN markets would make a 55 per cent share in the annual growth and income. Meanwhile, Taiwan could take off as a new emerging market with 10 per cent contribution in revenue over the next few years,” she said.
An also revealed that the city will continue to promote programmes for major events including the International Marathon Đà Nẵng, Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, the Asia Film Festival and the Asia Golf tournament and exhibition as well as food tour services in 2025.
Chairman of the city’s tourism association Cao Trí Dũng said Đà Nẵng has been building its heritage with unique tour products along with Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Nam, Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình.
A series of farm trips, press trips and social network promotions will be designed to help reach a new record growth in tourism.
Đà Nẵng hosted a tourist promotion programme, ‘Enjoy Đà Nẵng Again’, to encourage even more visitors from South Korea to visit as the city had hosted nearly one million Korean tourists in the first half of this year.
Innovated services help lure tourists to Mỹ Sơn
The Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary World Heritage Management Board has paid much attention to innovating services to attract visitors, particularly foreign ones.
In the first half of this month, the site welcomed nearly 13,700 visitors, mainly international visitors, bringing the total number of visitors to the world heritage site in the central province of Quảng Nam to nearly 352,000 in more than nine months.
During the period, Mỹ Sơn earned nearly VNĐ60 billion in revenue, an increase of nearly 30 per cent over the same period last year, and approximately equal to the revenue of the years before COVID-19.
Head of the Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary World Heritage Management Board Nguyễn Công Khiết said that in addition to the main product of the ancient tower groups, they launched art programmes such as Mỹ Sơn Legendary Night, folk art performances, traditional Chăm Pa dances at the foot of the ancient towers, which are considered unique tourism products of Mỹ Sơn.
Many valuable images, documents, and artifacts that have been collected, excavated, and restored are introduced to visitors.
To improve service quality and preserve heritage, the management board has coordinated with Indian experts to build an additional exhibition house and digitise many artifacts found during excavation and archaeology in the heritage area.
It has added Italian and Spanish languages to its audio guide, so now, it is available in eight languages - Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, English, Italian, and Spanish.
Visitors only need to enter the ticket code or scan the QR code with the "Mỹ Sơn Relics" application on the App Store or CH Play, the Mỹ Sơn temple complex with 40 mysterious stories corresponding to 40 stops will take visitors to the magical world of Mỹ Sơn on a digital platform.
Besides, to create harmony with nature and the space of the heritage site, along with moving service facilities away from the core area of the relic, the management board has invested in infrastructure items such as upgrading roads to the tower groups, stops, electric car services, new rest rooms at suitable locations, renovated clean water supply system, misting systems along pedestrian crossings.
Khiết said that from now until 2030, eco-tourism and cultural tourism products will be developed in the buffer zone and core area of the nearly 1,200-ha landscape forest area of the heritage.
To implement the plan, the management board will promote cooperation with localities in Việt Nam and major international markets. It will also effectively maintain the Huế - Đà Nẵng - Quảng Nam linkage, promoting the "Three localities - One destination" initiative and tighten linkage with major tourist hubs like Hà Nội and HCM City.
The Mỹ Sơn sanctuary was recognised as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. It comprises eight groups of 71 monuments built throughout the 7th to 13th century. Owed their spiritual origin from Hinduism of the Indian sub-continent, Mỹ Sơn temples were built to the Hindu divinities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva.
The first construction of Mỹ Sơn dated back to the 4th century under the reign of Bhadravarman for the worship of God Shiva-Bhadresvara. But later on, the temple was destroyed.
At the beginning of the 7th century, King Sambhuvarman had it rebuilt. Each new monarch came to Mỹ Sơn after his accession to the throne for the ceremony of purification and to present offerings and erect new monuments, which explains why Mỹ Sơn was the only place where Cham art flourished without interruption from the 7th to 13th century.
According to the UNESCO, conservation of the Mỹ Sơn monuments began in the early part of the 20th century soon after their discovery in modern times by French archaeologists. As a result of wars, many tower temples were damaged. However, preservation work has been carried out and the remaining tower temples have been maintained and are well-preserved.
Unbeaten Phong Phú Hà Nam lift national U19 title
Phong Phú Hà Nam not only won the National Women's U19 Football Championship with an unbeaten record on October 19 but also secured most of the individual titles.
In the last match at their home ground of Hà Nam Province's Stadium, Phong Phú Hà Nam defeated HCM City 2-1.
With strong local support, Phong Phú Hà Nam set their domination early. Lưu Hoàng Vân opened the score in the 23rd minute.
HCM City's Đậu Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh netted an equaliser nearly 10 minutes later, pushing her side to gradually balance the state of play with more threatening attempts.
Phong Phú Hà Nam had to wait until two minutes before the end of the match to regain the lead when Trần Ánh Ngọc finished from close range.
In the earlier match, Thái Nguyên T&T came from behind to win 2-1 over Zantino Vĩnh Phúc.
Zantino Vĩnh Phúc went ahead with an opener by Nguyễn Thị Tươi 13 minutes into the match.
Thái Nguyên T&T turned the game around in the second half with goals by Đỗ Thị Thúy Nga in the 53rd minute and Nguyễn Thu Trang four minutes later.
With eight wins and two draws, Phong Phú Hà Nam had 23 points and won the Acecook Cup 2024 trophy along with a purse of VNĐ100 million.
Their striker Vân received the Top Scorer award with 10 goals. Midfielder Vũ Thị Hoa was the Most Valuable Player while Lê Thị Thu was named the Best Goalkeeper.
Hà Nội, who drew with Sơn La on October 18, finished second with 20 points and took the Fair Play award.
Thái Nguyên T&T came third on 15 points.
The national championship featured six clubs, competing in a two-leg round-robin format in Hà Nội and Hà Nam.
Attending the closing ceremony, national head coach Mai Đức Chung expressed his pleasure with the performance of the young players and said he found several talented juniors who would be a source for the national squad.
Rocktober 2024 attracts climbing enthusiasts
Around 150 rock-climbing lovers partook in Rocktober 2024, Việt Nam’s largest annual “rock-climbing festival”, in HCM City on October 19 and 20.
The event, held for the sixth time, is organised at Crescent Wall in District 7, Việt Nam’s largest indoor climbing gym.
It features a rock-climbing competition for participants of varied skill levels, with the categories being divided into three main divisions: Bouldering, Top Rope and Lead Climbing.
The first day of the event was very lively, with competitors of various ages, sexes and nationalities eagerly pushing themselves to their limits to overcome tough rock climbing challenges, all while being cheered on by friends and families.
Anatole Roy, an expat from France, told Việt Nam News that there were a lot of very good climbers, and while it is a bit challenging, he was very excited, and people were happy to be here.
Paul Massad, founder of Push Climbing, Việt Nam’s largest climbing gym network, and CEO of Crescent Wall, said that the annual event aims to give lovers of the sport something to look forward to and to compare their skills.
"Rocktober is for everybody who thinks climbing is for them. It’s for everybody who wants to discover a new sport, a new form of staying healthy, a new form of how to release stress, how to do exercise. Rocktober is really just a festival to celebrate rock climbing, the sport and the community at large."
While winners of the competition receive trophies, Crescent Wall memberships and cool prizes from sponsors, many set their eyes on something bigger: invitations to the first ever HCMC Indoor Climbing Championship to be held in November.
Rocktober 2024 seeks to set a foundation for a national team to represent Việt Nam in the international arena, Paul said.
"It is still a fringe sport, but we have made huge strides in getting rock climbing to be top of mind awareness of people," he said.
Nguyễn Thụy Vy, a Thủ Đức City resident, shared that she has been rock climbing for around two to three years, and she practises around three times a week to train her endurance.
"Winners of this competition get to compete in the championship in November. I'm very excited for this and I hope I win!", Vy said.
Experts promote national sport economics
How to exploit the financial potential of sport was the subject of the Việt Nam Sport Economics Forum 2024 on Thursday in Hà Nội.
The annual event was jointly organised by the Sports Authority of Việt Nam (SAV), the Việt Nam Olympic Committee and broadcaster Vietcontent.
Following its debut in 2023, the forum was an opportunity for management agencies, researchers, enterprises, national sports associations and federations, along with individuals working in the field of sports economics to discuss the sport economy.
This year they focused on the potential of sport economics in the new era, with issues related to ways of managing, operating and exploiting resources from sports activities and events.
Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoàng Đạo Cương emphasised that over many years, the Party and State paid much attention to sports which contributed to improving health, stature and physical strength for people especially children. It also made positive effects on prestige, the image of the country and the resources that sports brought to the community.
"Through today's event, I hope that managers, scientists, experts and enterprises will discuss and share valuable experiences on how to manage, operate and exploit economic resources from sports activities and events," said Cương.
"From these important suggestions we can be more proactive in participating and marketing Việt Nam's sport going forward."
Cương requested all attendees, especially managers and advisory agencies on sports and physical education, to urgently have specific and practical plans to realise the guidelines and policies of the Party and State.
It would help Việt Nam promote the national of sports economy, contributing to socio-economic development and to receive more resources to develop physical education and training.
This year's forum saw three discussion sessions, with nine speakers and nearly 30 reports presented to more than 200 delegates and media agencies.
In the first session, speakers evaluated the current legal and policies on sports, advantages and disadvantages of agencies and organisations in terms of sporting activities, in order to propose creating a favourable financial environment. They discussed how to maximise the non-public sector in most areas of sports activities in the spirit of the Conclusion No. 70-KL/TW of the Politburo dated January 31, 2024.
Through second session, there was a focus on appropriate and effective directions for localities and federations in organising events and getting benefits.
The main contents included the benefits and challenges as a host, how to host a major sporting event, the role of state management agencies in a major sporting event and long-term commercial benefits from developing local brands through sports activities and events.
In the final and third session, speakers offered ways for relevant associations, federations and organisations to understand and exploit the commercial value from a sports tournament to achieve the highest efficiencies.
Speaking at the end of the forum, SAV Director Đặng Hà Việt said: "The opinions at the forum have been recorded by the organising committee and will serve as a basis for guidelines and policies to develop Việt Nam's sports economy.
"At the same time, they will also be important suggestions for the sport managers and enterprises to be more proactive in participating in the sport economic market." he said.
Education programme raises primary pupil’s awareness of water conservation, protection
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| Primary students participate in the “Journey with Mizu to Protect the Environment” programme at Cát Tiên National Park, engaging in outdoor experiential learning activities. — Photo courtesy of the organiser |
Nearly 400 primary pupils and teachers participated in a water conservation and protection programme at the Cát Tiên National Park in Tân Phú District, Đồng Nai Province from October 15-17.
The three-day programme, entitled 'Journey with Mizu (water) to Protect the Environment 2024', was jointly organised by Suntory Holdings, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, in collaboration with the Central Youth Union Council, the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Center for Sustainable Development Education.
Based on Suntory's 'Sustainable Water Philosophy', the 'Mizuiku' programme was first launched by Suntory Group in Japan in 2004. Việt Nam was the first country outside Japan to implement the programme in 2015 under the name 'Mizuiku - I Love Clean Water.'
The programme aims to raise awareness of conserving water and protecting water sources among primary pupils, with a goal of educating 3.7 million pupils by 2025. After nearly ten years, the programme has educated nearly 500,000 pupils, and more than one million teachers and pupils have gained access to clean water through infrastructure projects.
In addition to in-school lessons across primary schools nationwide and clean water infrastructure projects at schools, the 'Journey with Mizu to Protect the Environment' experiential activities are designed as 'classrooms in the forest'.
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| An instructor is explaining the water cycle and Mizuiku experimental to pupils at Mizuiku environmental information corner. — Photo courtesy of the organiser |
These activities, held annually, aim to enhance pupils' awareness of the vital role of forests, the close relationship between forests and water and the importance of forest protection, land preservation and water conservation. To support long-term education efforts, Mizuiku environmental information corners have been established at national parks to further spread the programme’s message, reaching not only pupils but also thousands of visitors each year.
Mizuiku is a programme to educate not only about water but also for water. Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam aims to pass these educational values about the environment and water resources from one generation to the next. Through education and cooperation, the 'Journey with Mizu to Protect the Environment' programme will continue expanding across national parks nationwide.
The programme will include not only outdoor experiential activities for pupils but also useful environmental information corners, waste sorting systems and training sessions for national parks employees and volunteers, contributing to environmental awareness and reinforcing the importance of forest and water resource protection for Vietnamese children.
Over the next few years, the programme will expand its scale and is expected to reach more primary pupils nationwide, positively contributing to efforts to raise awareness of forest and water resource protection in communities.
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