State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent greetings to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam's admission to the UN (September 20, 1977 - September 20, 2022).

In the message, the Vietnamese State President thanked the United Nations for the companionship and support of Viet Nam's development over the past 45 years. 

Viet Nam promises to support  multilateralism and the UN’s central role in responding to global challenges, said the State President.

Viet Nam will continue to cooperate closely with the UN and further promote its active and constructive contribution to the common work for peace and sustainable development in the world and each country, he stressed.

Gov’t approves national fishing development program for 2022-2025

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has approved the national development program on efficient and sustainable fishing in the 2022-2025 period, with a vision towards 2030.

By 2025, Viet Nam targets to reduce the quotas of offshore fishing licenses by 10 percent in comparison with 2020.

Besides, all coastal cities and provinces will determine fishing quotas in coastal waters while all offshore fishing vessels will be installed with monitoring systems in accordance with regulations. 

All fishing vessels will be provided with forecast bulletins serving for efficient fishing.

Fishing vessels without registration and testing certificate will be strictly fined. 

Strict punishments will be applied to violations of fishing vessels related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

Seven people rescued from beauty salon fire in HCMC

The Police of District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Division (PC07) under the Department of Public Security has just rescued seven people from a beauty salon fire. 

According to initial information, a fierce fire broke out in No.1049 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 5, District 5 last night. Some residents approached the site and used water and fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire but failed because the door was locked. At that time, seven people were trapped in the facility and they tried to call for help.

After receiving the information, the PC07 along with police forces of District 5 sent fire trucks and dozens of rescuers to the site. The functional forces used a door cutter to enter the house and take trapped people out.

A few minutes later, the fire was completely extinguished.

The fire damaged the property. Through investigation, the police determined that the cause of the fire was due to a short circuit.

Government convenes September lawbuilding session

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the Government’s monthly law-building session on September 22, with a focus on response to the current global situation and some policies and laws.

In his opening remarks, the leader said the world economy is facing numerous difficulties due to a growth slowdown and soaring inflation. Central banks of the US, the EU, the UK, and Japan have also moved to hike interest rates and appreciate their currencies, which has substantially affected other countries, including Vietnam.

Given this, solutions need to be devised to respond to that situation, he said.

The session will also look into planning, which he described as a major and hard issue.

Government members will also discuss the macro-economic situation in the remaining months of 2022 and early 2023; the realisation of macro-economic targets, including inflation control and public investment disbursement; focuses of monetary and fiscal policies and market governance; the development of sectors; and the implementation of measures for ensuring food security and developing agriculture.

The Cabinet will scrutinise the national general planning for 2021 - 2030, COVID-19 prevention and control policies, and proposals for revising the notarisation and mineral laws and making a law that amends and supplements some articles of the Pharmaceuticals Law.

Heavy rains forecast for many areas nationwide

Rains ranging from moderate to heavy are expected to hit various regions nationwide on September 22 and 23, according to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

The northern delta and north-central region will have moderate and heavy rains and thunderstorms in the two days, with local rainfalls projected at 70-150mm and even over 200mm in some places. Other areas in the north are to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms.

The centre warned that rains will continue until September 24 in the northern delta, September 25 in areas from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue, and many more days in areas from Da Nang to Binh Thuan, the Central Highlands, and the southern region.

Deputy PM orders prompt completion of planning for Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has asked ministries, sectors and relevant localities to coordinate closely to reach consensus on the location and total expanded areas of the Noi Bai International Airport in the suburbs of Hanoi.

Inspecting the implementation of a project to make planning for the airport in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 on September 21, Thanh held that with the fast recovery and development of the aviation sector, it is quite possible for the airport to welcome 50 million passengers per year by 2030.

According to the Ministry of Transport, currently Noi Bai International Airport has two passenger terminals with a total capacity of serving 25 million passengers per year, and a cargo one that can handle 403,000 tonnes each year. In the 2010-2019 period, the average growth in the number of passengers was 13.4%, while that of goods was 14.5%. In 2019, the airport served over 29 million passengers and handled 695,325 tonnes of goods, it said.

Director of the Civil Aviation Agency of Vietnam (CAAV) said that French advisory agency ADPi has built the planning since June 2019.

Under the planning, by 2030, the airport is expected to have a third runway and three passenger terminals. The airport's existing terminal T2 will be expanded so that the combined capacity of Terminals T1 and T2 will reach 30-40 million passengers per year, and a new Terminal T3 with a capacity of 30 million passengers per year will be built to the south.

By 2050, the CAAV estimates the airport to serve 100 million passengers and handle 5 million tonnes of cargo each year.

Hue becomes a spotlight on Vietnam’s tourism map

A great cultural heritage, the ancient capital of Hue in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has become an attractive destination on Vietnam’s tourism map after its odyssey through difficulties.

According to researchers, among the ancient capitals of Vietnam, Hue is the only to keep the overall artistic architecture of the Royal Palace intact, which consists of citadels, palaces, temples and mausoleums.

Nearly three decades since its recognition as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1993, the Complex of Hue Monuments have passed the stage of emergency rescue and is transitioning to the one of stability and sustainable development.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre is building a master plan on the preservation and upholding of the Complex of Hue Monuments’ values till 2030 with a vision to 2045 to fully realise the values of tangible and intangible heritages.

Some 200 works and items have been restored and upgraded. All have become attractive tourism products and highlights in Hue festivals, contributing to spreading heritage value in the contemporary life.

Vietnam win 4 - 0 over Singapore in friendly football match

Vietnam beat Singapore 4 - 0 in a match of the international friendly football tournament in Ho Chi Minh City on September 21 evening.

Coach Park Hang-seo of Vietnam took a team with many young players to the friendly match, held at Thong Nhat Stadium, while coach Takayuki Nishigaya of Singapore also did not deploy his strongest squad.

The opening goal was scored by the seasoned Nguyen Van Quyet at the end of the first half.

The three other goals for Vietnam came in the second half thanks to Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Ho Tan Tai, and Khuat Van Khang.

The international friendly football tournament gathers Vietnam, Singapore, and India.

The next games will be between Singapore and India on September 24, and between Vietnam and India on September 27.

Documentary films on biodiversity, animal welfare screened in Hanoi

The Goethe-Institut, in collaboration with the Centre for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) and FOUR PAWS Viet/Bear Sanctuary Ninh Binh, on September 21 hosted a screening of two documentaries on biodiversity conservation and animal welfare in Hanoi as part of the project ECO FILM Production 2021-2022.

The two films - "Binh Yen, come home!" and “Road to Xuan Lien” – are the result of cooperation between CCD, FOUR PAWS Viet, and Vietnamese filmmakers.

"Binh Yen, come home!" vividly recreates the lives of bears and their caretakers at the Bear Sanctuary Ninh Binh. These are the footage that authentically reflects the pain of bears who have been victims of bile farming, their recovery at the conservation facility, and the thoughts of their caretakers.

Meanwhile, "Road to Xuan Lien" shows the value of nature and follows the joint efforts to harmonise conservation and development and connect people with nature in Xuan Lien, Thuong Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province. Boasting a dense biodiversity, the area is also significant to the life and cultural identity of the Thai ethnic community in the west of Thanh Hoa.

Wilfried Eckstein, Director of the Goethe-Institut, said the ECO FILM Production project is an initiative of the Goethe-Institut to foster collaboration between civil society organisations in Vietnam and documentary filmmakers in telling stories of sustainable development through documentaries.

Canadian-funded project helps advance ethnic women’s economic empowerment

A meeting took place in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on September 21 to review the local implementation of the Canadian-funded project “Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in Vietnam – AWEEV”.

The hybrid meeting was jointly organised by the Lai Chau provincial People’s Committee, the Canadian Embassy and CARE International in Vietnam.

The nearly-4.6-million-CAD (3.4 million USD) project is expected to assist more than 2,600 ethnic minority women and men in six communes in Ha Giang’s Quang Binh district and three communes in Lai Chau’s Tam Duong district over a course of four years.

In Lai Chau alone, it has invested more than 13 billion VND (548,639 USD) in the communes of Ban Bo, Then Sin, and Binh Lu. To date, nearly 1.9 billion VND of the sum have been disbursed.

Workshop discusses revised draft law on anti-domestic violence

A workshop was held in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, on September 21 to seek feedback on the revised draft Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control.

A representative of the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for Social Affairs said the revision aims to perfect regulations against domestic violence in a way that increases human rights protection measures in conformity with the 2013 Constitution, thus helping preserve traditional cultural values and promote national socio-economic development in the new context.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy noted that at the NA’s third session in June, most of legislators agreed on the need to amend the law and on many of the draft’s main contents.

Undergoing continued amendments, the draft currently consists of six chapters with 56 articles, six articles fewer than the version submitted to the NA at the third session and 10 articles more than the existing law, issued in 2007.

The revisions include those on domestic violence prevention measures, the protection of and support for victims, coordination mechanisms and conditions for implementing domestic violence prevention and control, and the engagement of the private sector in the task, Thuy added.

The revised draft law will be submitted to the NA’s fourth session in October.

Adenovirus infection in children increases dramatically: Hospital

The number of children affected with Adenovirus has dramatically increased since August, according to the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi.

According to the hospital’s statistics, from August 1 to September 12, the hospital recorded 412 children infected with Adenovirus, more than the total number of infections last year and up more than 44% compared to the same period in 2021.

Notably, since the beginning of the year, there have been six deaths of children infected with the virus.

In the week from September 5 to 11 alone, the hospital registered 151 new cases of the virus, an increase of nearly 2.2 times compared to the previous week.

According to Associated Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hong Hanh, director of the hospital’s Respiratory Centre, Adenovirus is divided into seven groups from A to G, of which there are more than 50 types causing diseases in many organs of the human body.

The most common illnesses caused by Adenovirus infection are upper and lower respiratory tract infections, eye conjunctivitis or pinkeye, gastrointestinal diseases including diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, cystitis, encephalitis and meningitis, the doctor said.

The diseases caused by Adenovirus appear all year round but especially thrive at the time of seasons changing such as from spring to summer or autumn to winter.

Adenovirus is transmitted by droplets of respiratory transmission between people. The disease can also be transmitted through mucous membranes when swimming or contaminated water used in daily life, or transmitted when healthy people share personal items with sick people.

Vietnam vows to support ASEAN efforts to tackle transnational crime

Vietnam is committed to actively and responsibly participating in ASEAN cooperation frameworks, particularly in the field of transnational crime prevention and control, affirmed Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam.

Addressing the plenary sitting of the virtual 16th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and related meetings on September 21, Lam suggested ASEAN law enforcement agencies consolidate and promote effective and substantive implementation of joint programmes and plans to tackle transnational crime within existing ASEAN multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

He highlighted the importance of boosting information and experience exchanges regarding the fight against crime, especially drug, cyber and hi-tech crime; and of teaming up to verify, chase, arrest and extradite wanted persons within the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Lam proposed the sides involved promote the negotiation and signing of related bilateral pacts such as treaties on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.

Free tickets to UNESCO ceremony honouring art of Xoe Thai

Due to the number of people interested in attending an event to celebrate UNESCO recognising the art of Thai ethnic group’s Xoe dance as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, free tickets are only available on request, the organising committee announced.

Vu Thi Hien Hanh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, has confirmed that the ceremony will take place at the stadium of Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province at 8pm on September 24 and tickets to the event are being distributed free of charge.

She also revealed that the celebration would feature the art programme 'Xoe Thai - the quintessence of the heritage region,' which will involve more than 3,000 artists, performers, and artisans using the entire stadium as a venue.

Due to the restricted capacity of the stadium, the organising committee has decided to offer limited free tickets instead of allowing access to everyone.

Tickets for the ceremony are available by contacting the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism at No 587 Yen Ninh street in Yen Bai city (Tel. 094-546-562) or the People's Committee of Nghia Lo town in Tan An ward, Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province (Tel. 0917-333-162).

Xoe is a form of Vietnamese dancing with movements symbolising human activities in ritual, culture, life and work. It is performed at rituals, weddings, village festivals and community events. It is practised in the villages of the Thai ethnic group, mainly in the four provinces of Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Son La and Dien Bien. UNESCO recognised the art as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 15, 2021.

Geopark helps Central Highlands province lures more visitors

The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has become popular to both domestic and foreign visitors after Dak Nong Geopark was recognised as a global geopark by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

On July 7, 2020, the Programme and External Relations Commission of the 209th UNESCO Executive Board approved the Global Geoparks Council’s proposal to grant the title to the Dak Nong Geopark, the third of its kind in the country. It received a certificate recognising the title on November 24 of the same year.

The UNESCO’s recognition has contributed to affirming Dak Nong’s global tourism values. Therefore, the locality aims to maximise values of geology and geomorphology, as well as traditional culture.

Dak Nong’s tourism products are expected to contribute to promoting local tangible and intangible cultural heritage like UNESCO-recognised “Gong Culture Space”, folk songs and crafts, along with dishes of local ethnic minority groups.

According to provincial leaders, apart from tourism products associated with the tangible and intangible values, Dak Nong has focused on adventure, community-based and leisure tourism.

With its potential and efforts, Dak Nong is expected to soon become a bright tourist destination.

Rare Vietnamese ginseng successfully cultivated in Khanh Hoa

Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv) has been successfully cultivated in Hon Ba Nature Reserve in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa as part of a pilot project conducted from 2019 to June 2022.

Under the project, more than 800 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants were seeded on a total area of about 1,000 sqm at the nature reserve. The survival rate was nearly 90%.

Average fresh roots weigh around 2.8–3.6 grams with saponin content just 1.5–2% lower than those planted in Kon Tum and Quang Nam where the species is native.

It is expected to provide an opportunity to expand Ngoc Linh Ginseng farming in Khanh Hoa and other areas with similar natural conditions, and to create jobs and improve livelihoods for local people, according to the provincial science and technology council that assessed the results of the project.

Ngoc Linh ginseng was first discovered in 1973 in a forest on Ngoc Linh mountain, located between the provinces of Kon Tum and Quang Nam, by a team of four pharmacists. Ngoc Linh ginseng's stems and roots contain a high rate of saponin compound, much higher than other ginseng species. The ginseng also has preeminent features that Korean and Chinese ginseng lack. These include important antibacterial, anti-depressant, anxiety-reduction and anti-oxidant properties, and can boost the effects of antibiotics and diabetes medications.

Italian Night to entertain opera lovers in HCM City

Eighteen Italian opera and symphony artists will join their Vietnamese peers in the “Italian Night” at Ho Chi Minh City’s Saigon Opera House on September 23.

According to the Ho Chi Minh Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) – the organiser of the event, out of the sixteen items to be performed in the southern metropolis, thirteen are from operas.

Coming under the baton of conductor Paolo Olmi, the event will also see the participation of vocal coach Vernocchi Vilma and choirmaster Tran Nhat Minh.

Hanoi seeks ways to optimise cultural resources for creative city building

Hanoi has defined cultural resources as an important part in the building of a creative city as well as sustainable development of the capital. Cultural resources include human resources, cultural heritage and products, and cultural infrastructure.

In order to optimise the resources, along with strengthening leadership and direction in the field, the city has rolled out many solutions in policy, planning, investment attraction, and personnel training, while building database and promoting its image.

It will also work to fulfil all commitments given while joining the UNESCO Creative City Network.

After two years of entering the network, Hanoi has effectively exploited its potentials and strengths in the field of creative design, conducting the construction of many innovative and creative works and projects, contributing to the formation of a modern infrastructure system and the development of creative spaces.

However, there is much for the city to do to turn cultural resources into strengths and motivation for its development. To date, the number of projects related to the building of creative city has remained modest. The city also lacks unique creative products, while firms engaging in the production and business related to cultural products are mostly of small scale. The cultural industry of Hanoi is still modest compared to other creative cities in the world. 

As scheduled, the city has only one year to fulfil its commitments stated in its dossiers for UNESCO Creative City Network.

Vietnam wins two major international prizes on road safety

The Vietnamese National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) on September 21 received the 2020 Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for their efforts to improve road safety in Vietnam and globally.

Though initially awarded in November, 2021, due to the pandemic the annual ceremony was not held until this year.

Between 2018 and 2020 the NTSC and MoET played a critical role in supporting the pilot programme “Slow Zones, Safe Zones” which primarily focused on reducing speeds in school zones in Pleiku in Gia Lai province.

The programme was implemented in partnership with AIP Foundation and the local government of Gia Lai, and managed by the Global Road Safety Partnership and funded by Fondation Botnar. It delivered comprehensive safety interventions and secured a legislative decision that reduced the speed limit around school zones to 30 km/h in Pleiku.

Furthermore, the administrations of Gia Lai province and of Pleiku city also received the 2022 Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award for their impressive work aimed at improving road safety for youth.

Capital detects first case of dengue DENV-4, overall infections rise sharply

Dengue strain DENV-4 has been found in Hà Nội, in addition to the circulating DENV-1 and DENV-2 strains, as overall cases continue to rise sharply. 

The city also confirmed one fatality last week, bringing the total of dengue fever deaths to four so far this year, the Hà Nội Centre for Disease Control has said.

Data from the centre showed that the city recorded 3,023 cases of dengue fever as of September 16, about 4.5 times higher than last year.

The centre said that the number of dengue fever cases increased sharply between September 9 and 16 with 760 cases, an increase of nearly 39 per cent compared to the previous week.

The two districts recording the highest number of dengue cases were Bắc Từ Liêm and Thanh Oai.

Last week, 44 new outbreaks were recorded in Đống Đa (7), Bắc Từ Liêm (6), Thanh Oai (6), Hà Đông (5), Hoàng Mai (4), Quốc Oai (3), Long Biên (3), Hai Bà Trưng (2), Thanh Trì (2), Tây Hồ (2), Thanh Xuân (1), Phú Xuyên (1), Gia Lâm (1) and Hoài Đức (1).

The city currently has 118 active outbreaks in 26 districts, including two outbreaks with the highest number of cases in Vực Village, Thanh Liệt Commune, Thanh Trì District with 55 patients, and Bùng Village, Phùng Xá Commune, huyện Thạch Thất with 56 patients.

It is forecasted that the number of dengue fever cases will continue to increase in the city in the coming days, the centre said.

Cultural lectures on Hanoi's iconic condominiums

Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH) will organise a cultural lecture on Hà Nội’s khu tập thể or condominiums on September 24.

Holding deep and special memories for many in Hà Nội, khu tập thể is one of the city’s iconic symbols. Between 1958 and 1990, condominium complexes covered over 4,000sq.m of Hà Nội’s urban area.

During the lecture, Vietnamese artist and art researcher Trần Hậu Yên Thế will explain everything about the khu tập thể, from why these communal living areas arose, how they were built, the principles behind these neighbourhoods and the social influences and architectural styles.

Thế will speak in Vietnamese and Dr Trần Đoàn Lâm will translate into English.

The lecture will take place from 2 pm to 4.30 pm at the Đình Làng Việt meeting space, Room 107, Block D4, Trung Tự collective area, Đặng Văn Ngữ Street, Đống Đa District. 

To register, email stella@fvheritage.org. Fee: VNĐ250,000/person.

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