Nearly 3 million labourers in Ho Chi Minh City will benefit from the unemployment insurance fund with total allowances of about 6 trillion VND (263.92 million USD), according to Phan Van Men, Director of the city Social Insurance agency.

They include employees of 84,000 businesses and those with unemployment insurance premium payment period reserved.

Men said that due to COVID-19, HCM City has the number highest of unemployed labourers and labourers on unpaid leave in the country.

Along with reducing employees’ unemployment insurance premium from 1 percent of their wage funds to zero percent, the city is promptly implementing a 1.9 trillion VND (83.56 million USD) package to support pandemic-hit enterprises, he said.

On October 1, the Government issued Decision No. 28/QD-TTg providing regulations on the implementation of support policies for employees and employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, using the unemployment insurance fund.

Accordingly, different levels of allowances from 1.8 million VND (79 USD) to 3.3 million VND (144.8 USD) will be given to each labourer depending on the time they has paid unemployment premiums.

On September 30, the National Assembly also issued a resolution on the provision of allowances to employees and employers affected by COVID-19 using the unemployment insurance fund.

Under the resolution, about 30 trillion VND (1.31 billion USD) from the fund will be used to support labourers who are covered by unemployment insurance as of September 30, 2021, excluding employees in State agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s armed forces and public non-business agencies who are paid by the State budget.

Labourers who have stopped paying unemployment insurance due to the termination of their labour contracts or working contracts between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and have unemployment insurance premium payment period reserved in accordance with the employment law, are also eligible for the support, excluding retirees who receive monthly pensions. The support will be delivered from October 1 and scheduled to complete on December 31 at the latest.

The resolution clarifies that employers, excepting State agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s armed forces and public non-business agencies funded by State budget, who are joining unemployment insurance before October 1, 2021, will have their premiums reduced from 1 percent of their wage funds to zero percent for a duration of 12 months from October 1.

COVID-19 outbreak at Vietnam-Germany Hospital basically under control

A chain of virus transmission at Vietnam – Germany Friendship Hospital in Hanoi capital has been localized since first infections were detected several days ago, according to Truong Quang Viet, deputy director of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

CDC staff took samples of approximately 4,000 patients, their relatives, caregivers, healthcare workers and people living around the hospital for the second time on October 3.

The Hanoi CDC will make recommendations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures as soon as the latest results of the second sample pooling are available, said Viet.  

The centre’s coronavirus update on October 4 morning shows another five F0 cases have been detected, and they are all patients and their relatives inside the hospital.

Overall, 39 positive cases linked to the Vietnam-Germany Hospital outbreak have been documented, with 31 cases detected in Hanoi.

“We have quickly conducted epidemiological investigations, contact tracing and testing in an effort to localize and not to miss any F0, F1 or suspected cases,” said Viet.

Relevant agencies in collaboration with the hospital have transferred the patients’ relatives and caregivers to a concentrated isolation facility to limit cross transmission.  

In addition, all localities have controlled lists of patients and their relatives returning home from the hospital since September 15. So far only three localities have reported eight cases linked to the hospital’s outbreak.

Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, former head of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health, pointed out that the emergence of a cluster of cases at the hospital is likely, but the epidemic is unlikely to break out as strongly as in Ho Chi Minh City or the southern provinces because the vaccination rate is increasing.

“Currently, there are loopholes in supervision at hospitals which are considered the last stronghold in the COVID-19 prevention and control work,” said Nga. “When we move to the state of living safely with the virus, there may be cases in the community, so we must strengthen COVID-19 measures.”

According to Nga, fully vaccinated people should strictly follow COVID-19 guidelines as they may still get virus infection. For hospitals, he said patients who stay long for treatment must be subject to tests frequently.  

Van Hieu among FIFA’s top seven Goals of 2021 Futsal World Cup

A goal scored by Vietnamese player Van Hieu has been listed among the top seven Hyundai Goals of the Tournament as announced by the organising board of the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup that ended recently in Lithuania.

Van Hieu is listed among FIFA’s top seven Goals of 2021 Futsal World Cup (Photo: vtv.vn)
Hieu impressed with a brilliant personal showing in their second fixture of Group D against Panama, during which he took the ball from midfield through three Panama players and goalie Hernandez before finishing from a tight angle.

The impressive goal was decisive in contributing to Vietnam’s 3-2 victory over the Central American side and marked a turning point in the game, helping the Vietnamese team advance to the round of 16.

Completing the list of the top seven Goals of the Tournament were strikes by Raul Gomes of Spain, Andre Coelho of Portugal, Anaskhon Rakhmatov of Uzbekistan, Alli Hassanzadeh of Iran, Leonardo of Brazil, and Jovan Lazarevic of Serbia.

Vietnamese project wins Social Business Creation 2021 contest

A Vietnamese project titled “Nanoneem” surpassed 265 rivals from 24 countries to win first prize in the Social Business Creation 2021 (SBC) competition, according to the organising board.

“Nanoneem” is a research project done on herbal-based bio-pesticides for green agriculture, aiming to serve forest preservation and support communities based in remote areas.

The project has been developed by Dr. Duong Nguyen Hong Nhung, a lecturer at the biotechnology faculty of International University in Ho Chi Minh City, her students, along with other students from the Hanoi Foreign Trade University.

SBC 2021 was organised by HEC Montréal, a public Canadian business school, and Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. It is a global competition and an innovative training platform through which participants can learn about how to use market mechanisms to address social challenges.

Da Nang spends over 20 bln VND for offshore fishing vessels

Authorities of the central city of Da Nang has spent over 20.7 billion VND (900,000 USD) to support 824 fishing vessels since 2019 in accordance with the Resolution No. 255/2019/NQ-HĐND dated July 11, 2019 by the municipal People’s Council, reported the municipal Fisheries Sub-Department.

Under the resolution, owners of fishing vessels in the city will receive financial assistance to buy insurance for bodies of fishing vessels, journey monitoring devices, and fishing and preservation equipment between 2019 and 2025, apart from other State support.

As of October 1, the municipal authorities approved six aid packages worth nearly 2.7 billion VND for 265 vessels.

About equipment used in fishing and preservation of aquatic products, the city will fund half of expenditure, no more than 500 million VND per vessel.

To prevent and mitigate illegal, unreported and undocumented fishing (IUU), expenses for purchase of journey monitoring devices and first-year subscription for all offshore fishing vessels will be wholly funded by the municipal authorities.

So far, a total of 565 fishing vessels with a length of over 15m in the city have been equipped with journey monitoring devices. Over 17.8 billion VND have been approved for 557 devices while eight others are waiting for payment.

According to the sub-department, no IUU activity has been discovered since the installation of such devices in early 2021./.

First cold snap to hit northern Vietnam next week

A cold snap is likely to strike northern localities of Vietnam on October 10-11, according to the National Centre of Hydro Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

This will be the first cold snap of this year’s winter, Tran Quang Nang, head of the Weather Forecast Department of the NCHMF, said on September 3.

According to the official, the northern region is anticipated to be affected by 2-3 cold snaps in October, causing daytime temperature to drop to 25 degrees Celsius. The weather will start to turn cold.

Nang said the winter is forecast to arrive early this year and the northern region may experience a colder winter than in 2020. Extremely cold snaps are expected to strike in December 2021 and January 2022, with each lasting between 4-6 days.

Meanwhile, a low pressure formed over the sea southeast of the Philippines on October 3. The low pressure is likely to enter the East Sea on October 7 and strengthen into a tropical depression and then a storm in the following days.

The cold snap that will be moving south on October 10-11 may interact with the storm to cause bad weather conditions, weather forecasters warned.

Quang Ninh maintains COVID-19-free zones for tourism recovery

The northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh has identified that maintaining COVID-19-free zones, dubbed ‘green zones’, serves as a prerequisite condition for tourism and services recovery in the new normal.

The province will gradually ease COVID-19 restrictions inside its boundary and only resume tourism activities once it is safe to do so.

In October, Quang Ninh will resume some tourism services serving only visitors from inside the province, while applying stringent preventive measures towards a pilot programme of welcoming tourists from other localities next month.

It is to set up links with its neighbour Hai Phong port city to open safe tours.

Under the plan, Quang Ninh will build safe multi-day tours to Tuan Chau island and the three islands of Co To, Van Don and Hai Ha, Mong Cai coastal city, as well as to mountainous communes in the province’s Binh Lieu district.

Local authorities also encourage overnight tours in Ha Long Bay and closed-loop services.

The province will soon join hands with Central Highlands localities that have brought COVID-19 under control to study the launch of ‘one route-two destinations’ tours in the time to come.

The Party delegation of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee has been asked to instruct localities and relevant agencies to study plans of setting up points of sale for products in the ‘One Commune, One Product’ (OCOP) programme and OCOP fairs at provincial and district levels, in an effort to increase visitors' spending while travelling in the province. 

During the 2021 - 2025 period, it is set to develop 300 new OCOP products, at least 250 of which will be rated three to five stars, with the participation of at least 50 economic organisations.

Between 2017 and 2020, the local OCOP programme had its focus switched from quantity to quality as more than 200 products were rated three to five stars, which is said to have helped improve rural residents’ living conditions and contributed to the building of new-style rural areas.

Quang Ninh, one of the three nuclei of the northern key economic region, has implemented the OCOP programme since 2013, and it is now taking the lead nationwide in this regard.

At present, Quang Ninh has 456 items in the OCOP programme, 236 of which have been granted ratings of three to five stars. To be given star ratings, those products have met basic, even advanced, standards, been made in modern and professional manufacturing processes, and had their packages and labels perfected.

A campaign has been rolled out to call on local people to prioritise ‘Make-in-Quang Ninh’ products and services in a bid to bolster consumption and contribute to the gross regional domestic product.

Since the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks hit Vietnam in late April until October 1, Quang Ninh has basically kept the pandemic under control. It had gone through 94 days without new infections in the community by October 1 and administered the first COVID-19 shot for most of local residents.

People entering the province must be fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 using Real Time RT-PCR method within 48 hours.

Quang Ninh set a target of welcoming 1.9-2 million tourists and earning 4-4.5 trillion VND (175.6 - 197.5 million USD) from tourism services in the last quarter of 2021.

It is home to Ha Long Bay, around two hours from Hanoi, which has earned a permanent spot on the global tourism map, with travel bloggers and filmmakers hailing its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone pillars topped by rainforests.

The bay helped Quang Ninh welcome 14 million tourists, including 5.7 million foreigners, in 2019, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year.

Ha Long Bay, literally 'descending dragon' bay, was twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1994 and 2000. The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes./.

World Cup qualifiers: Vietnam-China match to be played without supporters due to COVID-19

The football match between Vietnam and China in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers at the Sharjah stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week will be played behind closed doors due to COVID-19, according to the stadium's managing board.

The game will kick off at 0am on October 8 (Vietnam time).

It will be the second match that Vietnam have played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both Vietnam and China collected zero points after their two opening matches.

The Vietnamese team was defeated 0-1 by Australia and 1-3 by Saudi Arabia, while China lost 0-3 to Australia and 0-1 to Japan.

This is the first time Vietnam have ever played in such a round of World Cup qualifiers. Vietnam are in Group B along with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Oman for a berth at the 2022 Qatar World Cup./. 

HCM City to resume buses, taxis, tech-based cars from Oct. 5

Ho Chi Minh City has allowed buses, taxis, passenger cars and tech-based vehicles with fewer than nine seats each to resume their operations from October 5.

The HCM City Department of Transport recently issued a document guiding the resumption of passenger transport services, the local media reported.

Accordingly, the operation frequency and time of buses will depend on the pandemic situation and demand in each area.

Meanwhile, taxi firms will register the number of vehicles operating from October 5 but the number must not exceed 20% of their total fleet.

As for tech-based vehicles, the number of vehicles resuming their operations must not be higher than 10% of the total vehicles registered with such firms.

The city also allowed cars which do not use technology to connect with customers to serve the tourism programs of the HCMC Department of Tourism and the governments of Thu Duc City and districts and activities of the healthcare sector, as well as to transport workers and experts.

Moreover, tourism firms will resume no more than 30% of their passenger cars.

The municipal Department of Transport will grant these vehicles identification certificates with QR codes. The department will revise the number of vehicles allowed to operate based on the reality.

Traditional motorbike taxis and ride-hailing motorbikes will be still suspended.

The city government also allowed the Binh Khanh and Cat Lat ferries to resume their operations.

The city will create favorable conditions for residents from other localities to the city for medical checkup and treatment. Except for emergency cases, others must have negative COVID-19 test certificates conducted within 72 hours and be allowed to travel by their local authorities.

Besides these two documents, HCM City residents returning to the city from other localities must provide documents proving their residence in HCM City.

Meanwhile, only sick people, children and pregnant women in HCM City were allowed to travel to other localities. However, they must be vaccinated, recover from COVID-19 and test negative for COVID-19.

Those coming from other localities to HCM City must also be subject to these requirements and must be allowed by their localities.

HCM City has approved a plan to bring laborers from other localities back to the city to work. However, the transport of laborers by trains and air will be in line with the plans of the Ministry of Transport.

From October 1, HCM City has applied Directive 18 on adjusting COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures and gradually reopening the economy.

Restoration of Chua Cau in Hoi An on horizon

 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has sent a document to the People’s Committee of Quang Nam province on the appraisal of a project to renovate the Chua Cau relic in Hoi An ancient town.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has agreed with restoration plans for Chua Cau, including reinforcing the foundations and pier and renovating the floor, wooden frames, roof, and electrical and lighting systems.

It also approved the digitisation of the relic with 3D technology to serve restoration later on.

Chua Cau, also known as the Japanese Covered Bridge or Lai Vien Kieu, consists of a bridge over a small canal and a pagoda at one end. It was built in the early 17th century by Japanese businessmen.

Recognised as a national cultural and historical relic site in 1990, Chua Cau is a symbol of Hoi An ancient town - a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage Site - and a symbol of traditional cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan.

Though it has been restored many times, the bridge still faces risks from natural wear and tear./.

Vietnam to master production technology of 10 human vaccines by 2025

Vietnam is set to master the production technology of 10 vaccines used for humans and be capable of producing at least three by 2025, according to a national sci-tech programme on human vaccine production research by 2030 freshly approved by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

With the targets to rise to 15 and at least five, respectively, in 2030, the programme’s objectives are to study and master the technology of vaccine production for human use; and to boost the capacity of domestic vaccine research and production organisations and enterprises, making them ready to deal with newly arising epidemics.

To realise such goals, the programme sets the tasks of completing the legal framework and mechanisms in the field, encouraging research and international cooperation, the application of advanced technologies, and the establishment of capable research teams, among other works.

Human resources development and investment in upgrading related research equipment are also listed among support activities under the programme.

Per the programme, organisations and firms participating in vaccine research and technology transfer will be subject to preferential policies like those applied on prioritised high-tech products.

Meanwhile, regarding vaccines for epidemics prevention and control, their costs of research, testing, pilot production, assessment, buying insurance, and assisting volunteers are 100 percent subsidized./.

Music helps heal people during pandemic

Art performances of all kinds have been suspended for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but music has more than ever proves its healing power during tough time, bring people together and uplifting the spirit of people in fighting the pandemic.

In the first round of a contest in composing music works on combating COVID-19 earlier this year, the Vietnam Musicians Association received more than 200 entries, from which the best 100 songs were published in a collection and performed in an online art program called "Believe - we are the winners," attracting the attention and support of the public.

With the resurgence of COVID-19 in Vietnam, at the end of July 2021, the association launched the second round of the contest. During just over one week, the association received more than 400 entries. The best nearly 20 songs were selected for recording and published.

Recently, the City Cultural Center has introduced to the public the eight most outstanding songs selected from the campaign to raise awareness of the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Many songs by young artists nationwide have won the love of young audiences. Among the compositions, there are also songs for children as well./. 

Online talk highlights preservation of traditional costumes

 

People from all walks of life took part in an online discussion last weekend highlighting Vietnamese culture and sharing measures to preserve the cultural values of ancient Vietnamese clothing in modern times.
 
Present at the event were singer Cao Ba Hung, winner of the “Sing my Song” 2016 TV show who always wears a traditional “ao dai” when performing, Nguyen Duc Loc, who has devoted his time and attention to reviving ancient outfits, and businessman Nguyen Xuan Sinh, who often wears a traditional “ao dai” while attending cultural exchanges and networking events.

Vietnam’s ancient costumes are not just limited to ao dai, as throughout its thousand-year history, each Vietnamese dynasty had its own unique outfits. Today, ancient clothing is worn on different occasions, helping to popularise Vietnam’s historical and cultural values among international friends.

The online meeting presented a great deal of knowledge about ancient costumes to young Vietnamese, helping preserve and raise awareness about the value of ancient clothing in modern life./.

President calls for enhancement of labour skills

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 3 sent out a letter calling for the enhancement of labour skills to help the country develop prosperously.

In the letter on the occasion of Vietnam Labour Skills Day (October 4), the President wrote that the workforce with high qualifications, skills and efficiency is an invaluable resource and a decisive factor for the development of each nation.

On the first days of national independence, President Ho Chi Minh reminded that Vietnamese people should have knowledge so that they can participate in the process of national construction and cadres must work methodically in addition to working hard.

Nowadays, the trend of strong globalisation and international integration and impacts of the fourth Industrial Revolution are requiring an urgency for the enhancement of labour skills, he wrote, adding that therefore, WorldSkills International had recommended nations to focus on developing skills for labourers via different forms.

The Vietnamese Party and State have always paid attention to and actively issued many policies to develop labour skills. In fact, the skilled workforce, especially highly-skilled labourers, have made great contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.

On behalf of Party and State leaders, President Phuc recommended and acknowledged the great contributions of labourers, agencies, organisations, and the business community to the cause of national development.

On the occasion of the Vietnam Labour Skills Day, the President called on employees nationwide to continuously study and improve professional skills, innovate themselves to enhance productivity and labour efficiency, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He proposed the National Assembly, Government and the labour, invalids and social affairs sector as well as relevant ministries, localities, agencies, organisations prioritise resources, mechanisms and policies, and take drastic actions to step up skilled human resource development and universalise occupations for young people.

The State leader expressed his hope that the business community and employers will actively participate in providing training to enhance professional skills for employees, particularly those affected by the pandemic.

President Phuc firmly believed that Vietnamese labourers always uphold their qualifications and competence to rise up in study, labour and production, thus helping the country to push back the COVID-19 pandemic and promote sustainable development and prosperity in the coming time./.

Programme launched for children ophaned due to COVID-19

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee, in coordination with relevant agencies, launched a programme on October 3 to call for assistance to  children whose parents have died of COVID-19.

Attending the event were Nguyen Anh Tuan, First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and representatives of a number of ministries and agencies. 

The COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam has killed more than 19,000 people. According to statistics from the Department of Children’s Affairs under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and reports of the Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of 30 provinces and cities, as of October 1, up to 2,091 children and juveniles under 17 who have lost their parents, mothers, fathers or caregivers due to the pandemic.

The programme aims to mobilise organisations, businesses and individuals to join hands to take care of and support the orphaned children due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the age of 18 in a sustainable way so that they can overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives soon, ensuring conditions for them to develop comprehensively and become useful people in society.

The programme will concentrate on provinces and cities that have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and focusing on providing financial, education, health and spiritual support.

Students who lost their parents due to COVID-19 will be provided with 500,000 VND per month until they are 18 years old.

The Youth Union collaborated with FPT, a technology giant in Vietnam, to establish schools for 6-18 year-old children whose parents died of COVID-19. The programme also calls on experts and volunteers who have experience in the field of child psychology to provide support and timely intervention for children, especially at the beginning when they are going through trauma.

People who want to donate to the programme can access the website www.noivongtaythuong.vn or sending financial aid through account number: 1000 001 001 191919 at the Vietnam Bank for Social Policy’s Branch in Hanoi./.

Leaders extend congratulations on German Unity Day

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 3 sent a congratulatory message to his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the occasion of the 31st German Unity Day (October 3).

On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also cabled a message of congratulations to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also extended greetings to his counterpart Heiko Maas./.

Ethnic man makes film on COVID-19 fight

Ho Tu Pong Ngoi, a young man from the Pa Ko ethnic group in the mountainous district of Huong Hoa in Quang Tri province, has introduced a short film on the COVID-19 fight. The film has debuted on social media platforms to raise local people’s awareness about COVID-19 prevention and control.
 
It took Ho Tu Pong Ngoi two months to make his short film. Entitled “Đại chiến Corona virus” (The Coronavirus great war), the 6-minute silent film aims to send a message about the danger of the pandemic and raise people’s awareness about COVID-19 prevention and control.

Overcoming the difficulties and a shortage of equipment and technology, Ho Tu Pong Ngoi made the short film by himself, learning and applying 3D technology - a new concept among the Pa Ko people - to portray a “corona monster”.

The film has been introduced on social networks and to local people in the hamlet. Ngởi has received a warm response from people, especially children, which was great encouragement for his efforts.

The movie is not the first educational work Ngoi has carried out for his community. Many years ago, he and his friends established a dance crew called Akay Vel (village children in the Pa Ko language) to help local children access cultural and arts activities. He also opened a public library at his home, making it a place where village children can come to read, play, and learn for free.

In this far-flung and poor mountainous area of Quang Tri province, Ngoi’s videos have helped encourage local ethnics, especially children, to chase their dreams and believe in themselves, despite their disadvantaged living conditions. It’s also helped preserve the cultural identity of the Pa Ko people./.

HCM City receives over 1 trillion VND in donation for COVID-19 fight

Ho Chi Minh City has received over 1.03 trillion VND (45.4 million USD) donated by localities, organisations, businesses and individuals at home and abroad to help the city in COVID-19 prevention and control.

On October 2 alone, the city received more than 77 billion VND in cash and transfer to pandemic control and over 1.4 billion VND to purchase COVID-19 vaccines as well as medical supplies and equipment from sponsors, including 2 million rapid test kits worth 88 billion VND donated by VPBank.

Since the beginning of this year, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCM City and the committee for raising, receiving and distributing funds for COVID-19 prevention and control have received over 312 billion VND in cash to support the purchase of vaccines against COVID-19 and get food and essential goods with total value of more than 364 billion VND.

Since July 1 to October 2, 194 individuals, businesses and organisations inside and outside the country have donated medical supplies and medicines worth over 2.61 trillion VND.

The committee and municipal authorities have so far distributed over 853 billion VND in cash and more than 354 billion VND worth of goods to COVID-19 prevention and control activities in the city./.

Embassy hosts friendly Vietnam-Germany golf tournament

The Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin organised the friendly Vietnam-Germany golf tournament 2021 on October 2, with the aim of consolidating friendship between the Vietnamese community and German friends, and strengthen the solidarity among Vietnamese expats in the European country.

This year's tournament was held at Gross Kienitz Golf Club in Brandenburg state, drawing the participation of 100 golfers, including German friends, representatives of several foreign embassies in Berlin, the embassy's staff, and Vietnamese people living in Germany.

It was part of activities to celebrate the 10th founding anniversary of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany as well as German Unity Day (October 3).

Dang Chung Thuy from the Vietnamese Embassy won the championship.

Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his hope that in the coming time, associations will continue to work closely with the embassy to create more useful playgrounds in the community, thus contributing to the building of an increasingly united community./.

Over 1.48 million workers in Hanoi to get allowances from unemployment insurance fund

More than 1.48 million employees in 83,352 units in Hanoi will receive allowances from the unemployment insurance fund, according to Director of the city's Social Security Agency Nguyen Duc Hoa.

On October 1, the Government issued Decision No. 28/QD-TTg providing regulations on the implementation of support policies for employees and employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, using the unemployment insurance fund.

Accordingly, different levels of allowances from 1.8 million VND (79 USD) to 3.3 million VND (144.8 USD) will be given to each labourer depending on the time they has paid unemployment premiums.

On September 30, the National Assembly also issued a resolution on the provision of allowances to employees and employers affected by COVID-19 using the unemployment insurance fund.

Under the resolution, about 30 trillion VND (1.31 billion USD) from the fund will be used to support labourers who are covered by unemployment insurance as of September 30, 2021, excluding employees in State agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s armed forces and public non-business agencies who are paid by the State budget.

Labourers who have stopped paying unemployment insurance due to the termination of their labour contracts or working contracts between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and have unemployment insurance premium payment period reserved in accordance with the employment law, are also eligible for the support, excluding retirees who receive monthly pensions. The support will be delivered from October 1 and scheduled to complete on December 31 at the latest.

The resolution clarifies that employers, excepting State agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s armed forces and public non-business agencies funded by State budget, who are joining unemployment insurance before October 1, 2021, will have their premiums reduced from 1 percent of their wage funds to zero percent for a duration of 12 months from October 1.

As a result, in Hanoi, the amount of unemployment insurance reductions for 12 months will be 1.18 trillion VND (51.9 million USD). And over 1.48 million employees will receive allowances with a total amount of 4.22 trillion VND./.

Self-sustaining school aids ethnic minority students

The idea of Tu Thanh Phuong, Principal of the Phuong Do Secondary School in Ha Giang province, for a self-sustaining school has helped hundreds of poor ethnic students continue to fulfill their dream getting an education.

Phuong Do is a suburban secondary school about 4km from Ha Giang city’s centre, with 200 students, mainly ethnic minority children in highland communes living in extremely difficult conditions.

Due to dangerous terrains and lack of transportation, many students have to get up at 3 or 4am to walk to school.

Understanding the difficulties of these poor students, Phuong has built this self-sustaining model for about 60 of 200 students in the school. Accordingly, ethnic children who live far away and have difficult family circumstances can temporarily stay and study at school from Monday to Friday and return home at weekends.

Because the students are in difficult circumstances with limited money, in order to reduce the financial burden on their families, the school has guided them in self-catering.

At mealtimes, there is only one instructor and students have to cook, arrange food trays, wash dishes and do laundry themselves.

The children also participate in growing vegetables on the school campus and cleaning their own bedrooms.

"The ethnic students here are used to hard living conditions, so they adapt very quickly. Their cooking skills are even better than those of older children," Phuong said.

Phuong said that the reason for establishing this model comes from her love for students, her desire to reduce the burden on their parents and her hope that the children can be more independent in their future lives.

“I do not care about how many of them can participate in the provincial competition for excellent students, but I hope they can improve their life skills and be more independent in the future,” she said.

"Of course, if students can get good grades and be good at life skills at the same time, that is great.”

Each month to join hands with the school in paying for food and accommodation, each parent must contribute from 300,000 to 400,000 VND.

Thus, each child's daily meal costs only 18,000 VND divided among three meals, which barely meets the nutritional requirements, and usually consists of vegetables, tofu, peanuts, very little meat, and eggs.

Therefore, in addition to building the self-sustaining model, the school also asks for support from organisations, sponsors and sometimes even teachers themselves to ensure the students get meals.

According to Nguyen Thi Quynh, a teacher at the Phuong Do Secondary School, every month each teacher contributes 50,000 VND to the student support fund and takes turns on duty at the school to teach them life skills outside of school hours.

"Up to 30 percent of ethnic children boarding here cannot afford the cost of meals and may have to drop out of school,” Quynh said. “So, all of us teachers want to contribute something to help them continue to go to school.”

Quynh, although only assigned to teach English at this secondary school three times a week, understands the difficulties of the teachers and students here. She says that students now face a lot of obstacles in homeschooling due to the recent citywide lockdown.

"Ethnic families do not have computers and smartphones for their children to study online at home during the pandemic. So teachers have to make small homework books, then print them out and ask the village chiefs to deliver them to each student's house," she said.

“At the end of the week, we collect the homework books, mark them and hand out another book for the following week. Many students before returning home due to the pandemic told me that they did not want to leave school because going home meant they would have less food to eat. That made me sad for a long time.”

The idea for a self-sustaining school was upgraded by Phuong from the model of the semi-boarding schools sustaining local people, which appeared in Vietnam in the 1960s when times were even tougher.

Along with the change and development of the country, more and more parents voluntarily send their children to school, and the number of semi-boarding schools for ethnics is growing fast.

The local self-sustaining schools are diverse, based on the specific conditions of each place. Sometimes parents prepare lunch boxes for their children to bring to school, or contribute food and fuel or cook extra soup at the schools.

With smart, innovative models of schooling on the rise, life will hopefully get better for the children of the country’s ethnic minorities./.

Preserving traditional bamboo handicrafts in Yen Bai

Modernisation and industrialisation are breathing new life into ethnic minorities in remote Mu Cang Chai district in the northern mountain province of Yen Bai. However, it is also threatening many traditional cultural and economic activities, particularly the local handicraft of bamboo and rattan weaving of the Mong ethnic minority people.

The ancient craft has waned gradually, disappearing as people pay less attention to preserving it.

Many bamboo and rattan products such as wicker baskets, bags and hats that used to be very common in every household are now being dominated by plastic items in markets.

Fortunately, Giang A Hanh, a young man from Lao Chai commune, Mu Cang Chai, is making a contribution to not only restoring and developing but also promoting the bamboo weaving craft as a highly valued cultural feature of the ethnic minority.

Hanh has a love and determination to recover his ancestors’ traditions, and is a successful craftsman making artistic bamboo and rattan woven products for domestic markets, winning the favour of many customers including those from hotels and restaurants in the cities.

After graduating from a pharmaceutical school in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, he could not find a job in cities, so decided to return to his native village of Ho Nhi Pa to start a new career.

It took nearly a year of struggling and unemployment until 2019 when he found his passion for wicker basketry, one of the oldest arts and crafts in his village, using environment-friendly and easy-to-find materials.

He decided to attend a vocational programme provided by local senior craftsmen in the commune, with an ambition to develop the Mông’s traditional weaving craft. He has paid much attention to studying the selection of materials to produce high-quality products.

“Young people like us should learn from our predecessors and promote our group’s traditional crafts,” said Hanh.

The craftsman chooses suitable materials to create various kinds of wickerworks such as rice papooses, big baskets, trays and stools with typical characteristics of the Mong.

Hanh said revitalising the weaving craft is difficult because he is a young man and has not always been familiar with such a craft, which is known as being easier for women as it demands perseverance and ingenuity.

"But the bigger the challenge, the stronger my determination is," he said.

Luckily, Hanh is accompanied by his father Giang A La, one of the most skilled craftsmen in the village, who taught him how to create products with new designs and high quality.

"The weaving craft is facing a decline so I want the children to restore and keep it up. By doing it, not only can it help them preserve their ancestors' craft but also provide them with a sustainable income," La said.

He is among many elderly in Lao Chai commune trying to push their children to preserve the heritage since they realised it could disappear. The senior villager says he is trying to support his son and other young men in developing the craft and marketing their products to a wider customer base.

With his help, Hanh has become good at making souvenirs as new and attractive products for tourists at Mu Cang Chai local tourism spots.

Over the last two years, particularly before the fourth outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanh’s bamboo woven products have been sold at cultural festivals and bought by many restaurants and hotels.

“I’ve used his products which are of good quality. We can use or display them for decorative purposes,” says Hang A De, the owner of Thu De homestay in Mu Cang Chai.

Hanh said that every day he tries to improve his product quality and designs. He wants visitors to Yen Bai, a land of terraced paddy fields, to remember and become more acquainted with its local handicrafts.

The Mong people make up 90 per cent of the inhabitants in Lao Chai commune. Their lives depend largely on forestry and agricultural production, which used to be associated with traditional crafts.

In many traditional occupations of the Mong community here, bamboo and rattan weaving is a long-standing craft of the local people.

They make many things from bamboo and rattan such as containers, household utensils, and worshiping items. They use different varieties of bamboo and rattan for different kinds of products.

With help from people like Hanh, this craft is sure to be preserved for future generations./.

Vietnam regrets at Ethiopia’s expulsion of UN officials: Ambassador

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Pamanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, has expressed his regret at Ethiopia’s decision to expel seven senior UN officials.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting held on October 1 (local time) on the matter, Quy emphasised the important role of UN agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and other international partners in supporting humanitarian activities in this country. The Ambassador hoped that the Ethiopian Government and UN agencies would cooperate closely in this regard.

Given the current context, the Vietnamese diplomat called on all relevant parties to give the highest priority to the interests of the people, and to adhere to the basic principles enshrined in international law and the UN Charter.

He suggested relevant parties facilitate unhindered humanitarian access and refrain from any actions that could plunge Ethiopia into chaos. 

The Ambassador said that this is time for reconciliation and dialogue in the spirit of goodwill and constructive manner to find a political solution to the current situation.

Quy also stressed the need of fully respecting Ethiopia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

The meeting took place at the request of Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK and the US. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths attended and delivered a speech at the event.

It followed the 30 September announcement by the Ethiopian government that seven UN officials working in Ethiopia were declared “persona non grata” and given 72 hours to leave Ethiopian territory. In a letter sent by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia to officials from UNICEF, OCHA, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Addis Ababa accused the UN personnel of “meddling in the internal affairs of the country”.

The Ethiopian government’s announcement came after Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths's 28 September remarks to Reuters that a “de-facto blockade” has hindered the delivery of aid to Tigray, allowing humanitarians to supply only 10 percent of the necessary assistance.

According to the news agency, the Ethiopian mission to the UN rejected claims of any blockade and attributed the difficulties to a shortage in trucks returning from aid delivery in Tigray.

In the hours following the announcement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he was “shocked” by the news of the imminent expulsion. Guterres also said that the UN was in the process of engaging with the Ethiopian government “in the expectation that the concerned UN staff will be allowed to continue their important work”./.

Ambassador hails Collectif Vietnam Dioxine’s support for AO/dioxin victims

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has appreciated efforts made by Collectif Vietnam Dioxine members to support campaigns to back Vietnamese French woman Tran To Nga’s lawsuit against US chemical companies and to raise funds for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Vietnam.

Receiving the organisation’s representatives on October 2, Thang expressed his admiration for the determination and courage of Nga who has persistently pursued the lawsuit against US companies that had manufactured the toxic AO defoliant used by US forces during the war in Vietnam.

He informed Collectif Vietnam Dioxine about efforts the Vietnamese State and people are making to alleviate the physical and mental pains of Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

Every year, the Vietnamese State spends about 400 million EUR (463.7 million USD) on the care, support and vocational training for the victims.

In 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development decided to remove glyphosate from the list of phytosanitary products allowed to circulate in Vietnam, which is considered a responsible action of the Vietnamese government with a hope to put public health above economic and commercial issues. In addition, decontamination at sites severely polluted by dioxin such as Bien Hoa and Da Nang airports has also been implemented effectively with the support of the US government, according to the diplomat.

The ambassador called on Collectif Vietnam Dioxine members to continue to take practical and concrete actions to help and support AO/dioxin victims in the coming time. He also pledged to always stand side by side with them in the fight for justice and rights for the AO/dioxin victims in Vietnam.

At the meeting, Nga expressed her gratitude for the sentiments and support of French friends and Vietnamese people around the world, which, she said, has motivated her to continue fight till her last breath.

Vo Dinh Kim, coordinator of Collectif Vietnam Dioxine, affirmed that the organisation will continue to organise dissemination activities about Agent Orange, and call for help for victims as well as support for Nga's lawsuit.

The organisation has sent a written request to the French government calling for an official day to commemorate AO/dioxin victims, he added.

Set up in 2004, Collectif Vietnam Dioxine is a non-governmental organisation, bringing together nearly 20 associations and delegations of Vietnamese people in France and French friends, including the Association of Vietnamese People in France (UGVF), Union of Vietnamese Youth in France (UJVF), France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV), and France’s Republican Association of Veterans.

From 1961 to 1971, the US military sprayed about 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61 percent of which were AO, containing 366 kg of dioxin, on to nearly a quarter of South Vietnam. About 86 percent of the area was sprayed more than two times, 11 percent of the area was sprayed more than 10 times.

As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects./.

Vietnamese entry to vie for award at Busan film festival

 

'Mien Ky Uc' (Memory Land) has been entered in the best feature film category at this year’s Busan International Film Festival in Republic of Korea in October.

The film has multiple stories set in various locations and periods of time that are closely connected by death.

The movie will come up against 10 others from countries like Iran, China and India for the New Currents Award.

Bui Kim Quy is a writer and director who studied screenwriting at the Hanoi Academy of Theater and Cinema, and works as a lecturer. She writes scripts for films as well as television.

Her first feature film, 'Người Truyền Giống' (The Inseminator), was shown in the Window On Asian Cinema section in Busan in 2014 and won the Best Film Photography Award at the 2015 ASEAN International Film Festival.

Memoryland, her second movie, was supported by the ASEAN Cinema Fund Busan’s Script Development Fund in 2016.

The 26th Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 6 to 15./. 

Vietnam supports equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution, human rights protection

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN has underlined that it is necessary to enhance global solidarity, promote the production and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine at a reasonable cost in a timely and universal manner across the world.

He made the statement during a deliberation of the Third Committee - Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Issues of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) chaired by Ambassador Mohamed Siad Doualeh (Djibouti), which will run from September 30 to November 19, within the 76th session of the UNGA.

Quy took the occasion to express Vietnam’s gratitude to partners, international organisations and people of countries worldwide for their support to Vietnam's fight against COVID-19.

To recover better and leave no one behind, he laid stress on a need for transitional leadership and strong political will, stating that recovery policies must ensure sustainability and inclusion.

Short-, mid- and long-term measures need to place people at the centre, with a focus on poverty reduction and hunger elimination, education and healthcare provision for all, he added.

The Ambassador affirmed that human rights protection is for all countries’ interest and the promotion and protection of human rights should be based on constructive approach and dialogues.

In addition to not intervening in internal affairs, countries should respect territorial integrity and political independence in line with principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as respect historical, social and cultural conditions, along with the context of nations' development.

Civil rights and political, economic, social and cultural rights or those for development must be treated as equal.

The Ambassador reiterated that promoting and protecting human rights are of top priority, an ultimate goal and momentum for Vietnam’s sustainable development.

He touched on Vietnam' achievements in the fields in recent times, as well as the country’s commitments to engaging in dialogues and cooperation with UN bodies, special rapporteurs and independent experts of the UN Human Rights Council, in order to protect and promote human rights.

Participating countries said that they encounter obstacles in socio-economic development and vaccine access, especially African nations.

Furthermore, they expressed their concern about difficulties facing women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, together with those of ethnic groups and immigrants./.

Painting exhibition marks 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Chile diplomatic ties

The Vietnamese Embassy in Chile, in collaboration with Recoleta District authority in Santiago capital, the Chile-Vietnam Cultural Friendship Institute, and the Chilean artists' association, has organised a painting exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Chile diplomatic ties (1971-2021).

On display are winning works of the painting contest on Vietnam - Chile: 50 years of friendship launched by the embassy. The works feature images on President Ho Chi Minh and the relations between the two countries.

Addressing the event held on September 30, Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Pham Truong Giang emphasised that the traditional friendship over the past 50 years is the fruitful result of generations of leaders and people of the two countries, and expressed his delight at new steps of developments between the two countries in various fields.

He said the expansion of cultural exchanges will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and tightening the friendship between Vietnam and Chile.

The Ambassador highly appreciated the response and participation of Chilean artists, and thanked local agencies and organisations for their coordination in organising the painting contest about the friendship between the two countries.

Representatives of Recoleta District authority, the Institute of Culture and the Chilean artists' association spoke highly of the Embassy's initiative to launch the contest with the warm response of nearly 100 Chilean artists.

Painter Francisco Sandoval Cornejo, on behalf of the contest's winners, said the image of President Ho Chi Minh and the unyielding spirit of Vietnamese people left a deep impression on the mind of many Chileans, especially the generation born and grown up in the 1950s-1960s./.

Internet connection set up for online learning in eight localities

Three leading telecom services providers of Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone from September 12 to 30 completed setting up Internet connection in eight provinces and cities nationwide to facilitate online teaching and learning.

The installation was carried out in 283 locations across the eight localities of Hanoi capital; Da Nang, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen in the central region; and Binh Phuoc, Dong Thap, Can Tho, and Hau Giang in the south.

In implementing the Prime Minister's Decree on promoting safe teaching programme and ensuring education quality amid the COVID-19 pandemic, together with a programme to provide Internet connection and computers for needy students, the Ministry of Information and Communications has asked the telecom services providers to review locations with underqualified Internet connection for students’ online learning and promptly improve the situation.

The work will be continued within this year to ensure connection quality serving online learning as well as infrastructure for the country’s digital economy development./.

UNESCO’s campaign promoting girls’ education attracts over 50 entries

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on October 1 wrapped up the #KeepingGirlsinthePicture - "For a future picture with girls" campaign, which drew over 50 inspiring stories.

UNESCO launched the communication campaign on social networks in early August by collecting and spreading stories from the community about the importance of education in life.

The stories include those penned by people from ethnic minority groups of Vietnam like Tay, Thai, Ede and H’Mong, who are in different lines of work.

They featured girls who have surmounted difficulties and prejudice to not give up and realise their own dreams.

The campaign earned nearly 300,000 ‘reaches’ in Facebook, which is among the leading social media platforms in Vietnam.

According to UNESCO, the COVID-19 pandemic has closed schools and caused the largest disruption of education in history. More than 1.5 billion students are affected by the pandemic worldwide, of which more than 767 million are girls.

The organisation estimated that more than 11 million female students – from preschool to university – might not return to school last year.

The global campaign #KeepingGirlsinthePicture - "For a future picture with girls" aimed to ensure that girls' learning is not disrupted during school closures, promoting a safe environment for them when educational institutions reopen and calls for efforts to protect the progress made in their education.

In Vietnam, the campaign was implemented within the framework of the project "We are able (Achieving a better living and education)", which was implemented by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training and the National Assembly’s Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs, with the support of CJ Group of the Republic of Korea. It aimed to improve access to education of ethnic minority girls in Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan, and Soc Trang provinces./.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes