VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER
30
16:36
Thirty-eight projects on aerospace
technology have been approved in Vietnam with a total cost of 236.5 billion
VND in the past five years, according to Associate Prof. Dr. Doan Minh Chung
from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). Speaking at a conference on
September 27 to review the national-level programme on aerospace technology
in the 2016-2020 period, Chung, who is head of the programme, said that
through the projects, many results and products with high science-technology
values and application capability have been produced, greatly contributing to
optimising the country’s aerospace technology infrastructure, especially the
image data taken by Environment and Disaster monitoring Satellite-1
(VNREDSat-1). Many products have been applied in
reality and transferred to agencies and localities, especially those in the
fields of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS). Chung highlighted the success of the
project of researching, designing and producing the sounding rocket to bring
payloads to the space to collect high ozone layer data conducted by the
Military Technology Academy from 2018-2020. In the field of satellite technology,
the VAST's Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) has successfully produced the
NanoDragon under the “Nano-class satellite development, launch and trial
operation” project, which was tested in Japan in August and scheduled to be
launched in October, Chung noted. Addressing the conference, Deputy
Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy said that although Vietnam is
not among the leading countries space technology, the country has seen
positive results in mastering and maintaining the capacity of researching and
developing the technology, enabling the country to receive and apply latest
technologies in the world to develop its own products. VAST Vice President Associate Prof.
Dr. Chu Hoang Ha said that the academy and the Ministry of Science and
Technology are working together in building a coordination programme in the
2021-2025 period, with space technology being an important content. He expressed his hope that the
cooperation will help bring Vietnam’s aerospace science and technology to a
new development period./. Da Lat landslide kills two
people A landslide in the Central Highlands
of Lam Dong’s Da Lat City has killed two women and injured two others. According to reports from local
authorities, the incident happened in Ho Hong area, Ward 7, on Wednesday
afternoon. Nguyen Thi Trang Dai from Dak Lak
Province and Tran Thi Binh Huyen from Da Lat City died. Meanwhile, two men
Khong Minh Phuoc and Nguyen Van Cang both from Dak Lak were seriously
injured. The two men are now staying at Lam
Dong General Hospital. The victims are between 21 and 30
years old. Initial investigation showed
that the four people were checking a land plot in Ward 7 to buy during heavy
rain. They came to shelter at a nearby tent and then the landslide happened,
burying all of them. Despite being rescued by local
authorities, the two women died on the spot. Made-in Vietnam NanoDragon
satellite to go into orbit on October 1 Locally-produced satellite
NanoDragon is set to be launched into outer space on October 1, according to the
Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) under the Vietnam Academy of Science and
Technology. The microsatellite, which was both
designed and manufactured by Vietnamese engineers, will be sent into orbit
from Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan. The 3.8 kg satellite is the product
of a project to design, manufacture, launch, and test the operation of a
nano-sized microsatellite under the national space science and technology
programme for the 2016 - 2020 period. Earlier, the Vietnam National Space
Center built PicoDragon weighing one kg which was put into orbit in 2013 and
then sent signals back to earth. Another satellite called
MicroDragon, which weighs 50kg, was also built by a group of VNSC engineers
under the guidance of Japanese experts. The satellite was successfully
launched into orbit in January 2019, and also sent images back to Earth. Singapore to host AFF Suzuki
Cup 2020 Singapore will host the ASEAN
Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2020, which is set to take place between
December 5, 2021 and January 1, 2022. The country gained a majority of
votes for hosting the event during a session held by the AFF on September 28. Singapore was selected as it met all
of the criteria set by the AFF, including the government’s support, safety
and health management, risk management within the COVID situation, venue and
facilities, and experience in organising competitions amid COVID-19. The city-state will host the sport
tournament at three venues, including its 55,000-seat national stadium,
over-6,000-seat Jalan Besar stadium, and over-6,000-seat Bishan stadium. This year’s teams have been divided
into two groups. Group A consists of Thailand, the
Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore and the winners of the play-off between
Brunei and Timor-Leste on December 1. Group B comprises defending
champions Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos./. HCM City field hospitals
record fewer patients Fields hospitals in HCM City have
received fewer Covid-19 patients while discharging larger numbers in recent
days. Statistics from the Ministry of
Health show that a total of 23,568 Covid-19 patients recovered on September
29, marking a total of 583,509 recovered patients since the start of the
pandemic. Increasing numbers of patients have
been discharged from HCM City field hospitals and the number of patients in
serious condition has dropped. Dr Ly Cong Quoc from Field Hospital 3 in Thu
Duc City said 186 patients were discharged on September 29, marking a total
of 8,012 recovered patients. The hospital is taking care of over 1,400
patients. Field hospitals 1, 8, 10 and 12 have witnessed similar results. Quarantine centres for patient zeros
have also seen a declining number of patients. The quarantine centres in Cu
Chi District have a total of 2,400 beds. By the end of September 28, only 79
patients were left at these centres. During the peak of the outbreak, the
quarantine centre at Trung Lap Thuong Primary School received up to 200
patients but now the number has dropped to 70. Nine patients stay at the quarantine
centre at Trung An Secondary School which has 280 beds. Thu Duc City has five quarantine
centres for patient zeros with 4,400 beds. As of September 28, the number of
patients at the centres dropped to 2,881 people. The city is also monitoring
579 patients zeros who self-isolate at home. As the number of patients drops, HCM
City authorities will start closing field hospitals and quarantine centres in
order to reopen schools and apartment buildings. Animated film on
Vietnamese history released online An animated film featuring
historical events during the Lê and Mạc dynasties has been released on
YouTube. Rạch Đôi Sơn Hà (A
Country of Two Halves), a 2D production, features the Lê-Mạc war, a
65 year-long civil war between the Lê and Mạc dynasties
from 1527 to 1592. It focuses on military general Mạc
Đăng Dung, who established the Mạc Dynasty in 1527 after fighting against the
Trịnh and Nguyễn clans during the Southern and Northern
Dynasty period. General Dung killed Lê Cung Hoàng,
the last Emperor of the Later Lê Dynasty to rule the new Mạc Dynasty. In 1592, Thăng Long (now Hà Nội),
the capital of the Mạc Dynasty, was reconquered by the Later Lê forces,
marking the end of the Southern and Northern Dynasty period of
Vietnamese history. Rạch Đôi Sơn Hà is produced by
filmmakers from Đạt Phi Media, a company founded by Nguyễn Đạt Phi who
has a YouTube channel called Hùng Ca Sử Việt (The Heroic
Tunes of Vietnamese History). The film, released on September
21, has attracted more than 49,400 views. "We researched documents
and books about the nation's historical events and victories, and legendary
heroes during the filming,” said Phi, head of the film crew. “Through animated films
from our YouTube channel Hùng Ca Sử Việt, we
hope young people can improve their knowledge about Vietnamese
history. They’ll also can learn bravery, honour and
responsibility." “We have received
severals hundred comments and letters from
Vietnamese fans at home and abroad who shared their love for
Vietnamese history,” he said. The channel Hùng Ca Sử
Việt released in 2016 and has more than 100,000 subcribers. For every work, Phi and his crew
spends around 15 months on filming. “We wanted and have tried our best
to make every production lively,” said Phi. Phi and his staff are working on a
new project, called Anh Hùng Bán Than Trần Khánh Dư (National Hero
Trần Khánh Dư), an animated film on Vietnamese history in the Trần Dynasty
between 1240-1340. “I think animated films shown on
social media will help lure young audiences back to Vietnamese movies,”
Nguyễn Hoàng Quốc Duy, a 16-year-old from Bình Dương Province,
wrote in the comment section on YouTube, after viewing Rạch Đôi Sơn
Hà. Hanoi’s first two electric
bus routes to be launched from October The two first electric bus routes in
Hanoi have been scheduled to be put into operation from October, according to
a representative from the municipal Department of Transport. They are among nine electric bus
routes approved by local authorities. The first route starts from My Dinh
Station in Nam Tu Liem District and ends at Ocean Park Gia Lam Urban Area in
Long Bien District. The second one runs from Giap Bat Station in Hoang Mai
District to Smart City Urban Area in Nam Tu Liem District. The Hanoi Department of Transport
said that preparations for the two route operations have been finished. The city has planned to put the
seven remaining electric bus routes into use by the end of this year. Hanoi has set a target to raise the
city’s rate of CNG-fueled buses to 10-20% in the coming time to help protect the
environment. Funding for purchase of
additional 20 million doses of Vero Cell vaccine approved Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai
on September 29 signed a decision on the purchase and receipt of 20 million
doses of Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm group. The decision stated additional
funding for the Ministry of Health (MoH) to buy the vaccine per request of
the Ministry of Finance and the MoH. The two ministries will be
responsible for the content and reported statistics. The management, use and
payment of the amount must be carried out in an economic, effective, open and
transparent manner. The MoH is required to report the
use of the sum to the Prime Minister./. 22nd Vietnam Film Festival to
be basically held online The 22nd edition of the Vietnam Film
Festival will be basically organised as an online event from January 18-20
next year to ensure safety regulations amid complicated developments of the
COVID-19 pandemic, according to Director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism’s Cinematography Department Vi Kien Thanh. Previously, the festival was
postponed until November instead of September as planned, due to the ravages
of COVID-19, Thanh said. Main events in the framework of the
event will include screenings of contested films, and screening programmes in
theatres and on online platforms for audiences. The festival will introduce feature
films, documentaries, science films, and cartoons. The closing and award ceremony will
be broadcast live on Vietnam Television (VTV) and Thua Thien - Hue Audio and
Television Station. Online promotion and communication
activities, and interactions with filmmakers and authors whose films have won
the Golden Lotus award are also expected to be organized. The biennial festival honours outstanding
works and artists with contributions to the country’s cinematography. It also offers chances for insiders
to further roll out a project to devise and promote the Vietnam Film Festival
in the 2021-30 period./. Former officials of Vietnam
Social Security, Quảng Ninh province expelled from Party The Party Central Committee’s
Secretariat has expelled former leaders of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS)
and the Quảng Ninh provincial Department of Education and Training from
the Party for their wrongdoings. The Secretariat made the decision
during a meeting held on Tuesday under the chair of Party General
Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. Based on proposals submitted by
the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission and opinions given by
Party organisations, the Secretariat held that while serving as Secretary of
the Party unit at and General Director of the VSS, Nguyễn Huy Ban and
Lê Bạch Hồng seriously violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s
law on the use of the social insurance fund, causing great financial losses
to the State. They have been imprisoned for “deliberately violating the
State’s regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences.” Meanwhile, as a member of the Quảng
Ninh provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Party Committee at and
Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training, Vũ Liên
Oanh was held responsible for this Party committee’s violations and
shortcomings in its leadership and directions over the building and
implementation of working regulations. She lacked sense of responsibility and
let law violations occur during the implementation of some investment
projects in the 2015 - 2019 period. Police launched an investigation into
Oanh and put her into temporary detention for “violating bidding
regulations, causing serious consequences.” The Secretariat said the violations
committed by the three were “very serious”, causing great financial losses to
the State, negatively affecting Party organisations’ prestige, and stirring
public concern. Given this, they must receive strict disciplinary measures in
line with the Party’s rules. Basing on the Politburo’s Regulation
No 102-QD/TW, issued on November 15, 2017, the Secretariat decided to expel
Ban, Hồng, and Oanh from the Party. Vietnam, China share
experience in Party building The Communist Party of Việt Nam
(CPV) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) exchanged experience in Party
building and leading national development at a symposium on Tuesday. The event was co-organised by the Hồ
Chí Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), and the Central Party School of
the CPC, both in-person and online formats. At the symposium, deputy foreign
minister Lê Hoài Trung, head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for
External Relations and Song Tao, head of the International Liaison Department
of the CPC Central Committee, emphasised the friendship, comradeship and
fraternity between the two Parties. Both sides expressed their wish to
deepen cooperation and exchanges pragmatically and effectively across
spheres, intensify political trust, and further advance the bilateral
comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a healthy, stable and
sustainable manner, bringing practical interests to people of the two
countries and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development
in the region and the world at large. Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, Politburo member,
President of the HCMA and Chairman of the Central Theory Council,
congratulated the CPC on the achievements it has recorded over the past 100 years. The official expressed his belief
that under the leadership of the CPC led by General Secretary of the CPC
Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, the Chinese people will reap
greater achievements. Chen Xi, a member of the Political
Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s
Secretariat, head of the CPC Central Committee’s Organisation Department, and
President of the Chinese school, reviewed the development of the Chinese
Party over the past century. He stressed the view on
strengthening the traditional friendship as well as the prospect of the
bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two
Parties and States. On this occasion, the HCMA and the
Chinese school signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the
future. Vietnam, RoK bolster
education-training cooperation The Vietnam-Korea Businessmen and
Investment Association (VKBIA) and Visang Vietnam Education Company on
September 29 signed a cooperation agreement on comprehensive cooperation in
education-training and skilled human resources development. The deal aims to improve workers’
capacity and Korean language skills in a bid to meet demand of foreign direct
investment (FDI) firms as well as those in supporting industries and
manufacturing. Under the pact, the sides will build
online courses and improve teacher quality by applying a modern
education-training model of the RoK. The cooperation is hoped to generate
practical results in human resources development of Vietnam and the RoK in
the coming time, said head of Visang Vietnam Education Lee Young-geun. On the occasion, the VKBIA set up
its new affiliate “VKBIA Academy”, which specialises in Korean language
training and other relevant fields./. Khanh Hoa, St. Petersburg foster
cooperation in tourism, health The People's Committee of Khanh Hoa
province and the administration of St. Petersburg city of Russia held a
webinar on September 29 to promote cooperation between the two localities. The event aimed to introduce the
potential and beauty of the two localities in particular, and the two
countries in general; thereby orienting ways to promote cooperation and
investment, especially tourism and health. Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the
Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, said that his city has
twinned with Khanh Hoa province and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. St.
Petersburg is responsible for contributing to bringing two-way trade turnover
to 10 billion USD a year through cooperation between localities. Le Huu Hoang, Standing Vice Chairman
of the Khanh Hoa provincial People's Committee, expressed his hope that
through the webinar, the Russian city will clearly know about potential,
strengths and cooperation opportunities with Khanh Hoa province, especially
in tourism and health. He suggested St. Petersburg to assist his province in
COVD-19 prevention and control. In 2019, Russia ranked sixth in
terms of numbers of tourists to Vietnam, with 646,000, of who 460,000, or
over 70 percent, visited Khanh Hoa./. President lauds undercover
police’s contributions over six decades President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed
efforts made by the Ministry of Public Security’s undercover police force to
fight crimes while attending a ceremony to mark the force’s 60th founding
anniversary on September 29. Over the past six decades, the force
has participated in many major projects contributing to fighting kinds of
crimes, absolutetly protecting security and safety for activities of Party
and State leaders, as well as key works and important national and
international events held in Vietnam. The force’s outstanding feats and
contributions of generations of officers and soldiers over the past 60 years
have further enhanced the glorious heroic tradition of the People's Public
Security force, the State leader affirmed. He expressed his belief that
undercover policemen will exert efforts to fulfil all assigned tasks. On this occasion, President Phuc
granted the Fatherland Defence Order, second class, to the undercover police
department, and the Feat Order, second class, to Major General Doan Hung Son,
director of the department./. Amendment of IP law ensures
compatibility with int’l commitments: legislators The National Assembly (NA)’s
Committee for Legal Affairs on September 29 reviewed the Law amending and
supplementing a number of articles of the Intellectual Property (IP) Law,
under the chair of its Chairman Hoang Thanh Tung. At the meeting, Minister of Science
and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat stated that amending and supplementing a
number of articles of the IP Law is vital to the country’s socio-economic
development. Vietnam has joined international
commitments towards the improvement of protection and enforcement of IP
rights during global economic integration. Such commitments require
amendments and supplements to the country’s IP Law. Legislators believed that the draft
law has basically met international commitments to which Vietnam is a member,
especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific
Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Concluding the meeting, Tung asked
drafting agencies to gather opinions and clarify theoretical and practical
foundations in a bid to ensure consistency in the legal system, as well as
the bill’s compatibility with international commitments that Vietnam has
participated in. He added that based on opinions by
the NA Standing Committee and contents of this meeting, the Committee for
Legal Affairs will further complete an official verification report for
consideration at the second session of the 15th NA./. Prime Minister highlights
Government - VFF cooperation Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh
hailed cooperation between the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front
(VFF) during a conference on September 29 to review the two sides'
coordination results in the 2016 -2020 period and the first eight months of
this year, and future focuses. The PM attributed the country's
achievements over the past five years to contributions by the VFF, saying
that results in previous and current tenures show that cooperation between
the Government and the VFF is suitable for national interests. The two sides have taken the
initiative in carrying out tasks stipulated in the collaboration regulation,
according to a report at the event. The tasks have been implemented in a
comprehensive and practical manner that addressed urgent issues in life and
socio-economic development, thereby creating consensus in society and
strengthening national solidarity. Amid the complexities of COVID-19,
the sides have joined hands to tap on strengths of the national solidarity
and mobilise resources in the political system, calling for consensus and
support of the business community and people nationwide so as to repel the
ongoing pandemic and take care of people’s lives. In the coming time, the Government
and the VFF will step up collaboration in COVID-19 prevention and control as
well as manufacturing and production, in an effort to offset impacts of the
pandemic. They will continue to promote
national solidarity and implement tasks in socio-economic development and
ensuring national defence and security; and work together in law building and
social accountability programmes for the next year and the 2021-26 period. He stressed that the Government has
determined to operate with integrity, discipline and effectiveness in the
2021-26 term. The PM asked the VFF and other
socio-political organisations, along with the Party Central Committee’s
Commission on Mass Mobilisation to partner with the Government to carry out
key tasks stipulated in the 13th National Party Congress, and successfully
curb the spread of COVID-19 and foster socio-economic recovery and
development. The Government leader hoped that the
VFF will strengthen communication work in encouraging good deeds while
repelling wrongdoings, and promptly update information from reliable sources
and refute fake and inaccurate news, particularly on COVID-19 prevention and
control./. Foreign firms, people aid HCM City
in COVID-19 fight The gifts were handed over to the
Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCM City by Indonesia’s Acting Consul
General in the city Yovanka Yoan Siahainenia on September 29. At the hand-over ceremony, Vice
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCM City Nguyen Thanh
Trung thanked the Indonesian enterprises and citizens for their timely
support. The aid has practically contributed
to consolidating and strengthening the fine friendship between the two countries,
he said. The official used this occasion to
call on foreign businesses and communities to further support measures and
policies adopted by the Vietnamese government and HCM City’s authorities to
combat the pandemic and recover the economy in new normal conditions. Edwin Setiawan Tjie, President of
the Indonesian Business Association in HCM City, affirmed that Indonesian
firms always pay heed to social affairs and believed that the southern
economic centre will soon put the pandemic under control. The same day, Good Neighbors
International (GNI), a non-governmental organisation in the Republic of Korea
(RoK), presented 1,000 gift packages valued at 500 million VND to residents
affected by COVID-19 in Tan Phu district. On September 28, Techtronic Industries
Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong (China) and Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh Stadt Ltd. also
donated 15 ventilators and other machines with a total value of 8.75 billion
VND to medical facilities in the city. /. Vietnam shares data on
multi-hazard warning system at regional meeting General Director of the Vietnam
Meteorological and Hydrological Administration Tran Hong Thai, who is Vice
President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)’s Regional
Association II (Asia), chaired a virtual technical meeting on infrastructure
during the 17th session of the Regional Association II (Asia) - Phase 2 on
September 28-29. International and regional experts
and scientists discussed issues related to the development of websites
serving the community in terms of information and data, the overview of the
WMO’s service activities, common alerting protocol, multi-hazard warning
system, and multi-hazard early warning consulting system. The WMO, formally designated as a
specialised agency of the United Nations in 1951, has 193 member states and
territories. The 35-member Region II covers a
vast expanse of the Indian Ocean and part of the Pacific Ocean. It is home to
a large and diverse range of ecosystems, including deserts, forests, rivers,
lakes and seas. Vietnam has to date held the membership to the regional
association for over four decades. Since 2010, Vietnam's
hydro-meteorological sector has continuously expanded international
cooperation, significantly contributing to increasing technical and financial
capacity, information exchange and staff training, and safeguarding national
sovereignty./. Vietnam reports 8,758 new
COVID-19 infections, over 23,500 recoveries Vietnam recorded an additional 8,758
COVID-19 infections, including 14 imported cases, in the past 24 hours to 5pm
on September 29, according to the Ministry of Health. A total of 23,568 patients were
given the all-clear on September 29, raising the number of recoveries to
583,509. As many as 162 deaths related to the
pandemic were announced on the day, raising the tally to 19,098. On September 28, 1,097,044 doses of
COVID-19 vaccines were injected, bringing the total so far to 41,153,041./. German companies donate
medical equipment worth $350,000 to HCM City German-made medical ventilators and
monitors were donated to Hồ Chí Minh City hospitals on Tuesday, thanks to
Techtronic Industries and Deutsches Haus. The donation was initiated by the
Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany, Nguyễn Minh Vũ, the European Chamber of
Commerce and the German Business Association in Việt Nam. The medical equipment valued at
US$350,000 was handed over to the Vietnam Fatherland Front, who were
representing the People's Committee of HCM City, on Tuesday. Sven Eschrich, Vice President Operations
and New Product Introductions of Techtronic Industries in Việt Nam, and Elmar
Dutt, COO and General Director of Deutsches Haus, also handed over 15
Intensive Care Ventilators and 30 Patient Monitors made by DRÄGER in Germany,
for immediate use in HCM City hospitals. “In this critical time of the
COVID-19 pandemic, both our companies and our German and European partners
stand side-by-side with HCM City and Việt Nam to support hospitals with much
needed medical equipment,” Elmar Dutt said. Techtronic Industries Company
Limited, founded in 1985, is a world leader in cordless power tools, hand
tools and outdoor power equipment for home improvement, maintenance,
construction and infrastructure industries. Hundreds of residents return
home after evacuation Hundreds of residents of
Thanh Xuân District in Hà Nội have returned to their homes after they
were evacuated when their neighbourhood became the capital's biggest COVID
cluster. Hundreds more will be back in their
own houses over the next few days. A month ago, after a surge in cases,
the majority of people living in the area were moved to the FPT University on
the outskirts of Hà Nội. But now the virus has been
contained, the operation has begun to get people back home. Dozens of frontline workers, mainly
volunteers, who stayed working in the alleys to contain the spread of
the virus, have also now fulfilled their missions and are returning to their
own families. "Just seeing people’s smiles
and return to safety makes us always ready to sacrifice everything, because
we are frontline workers," one volunteer said. "When the lockdown was lifted
we can return to our families. We miss them a lot." Alleys 328 and 330 on Nguyễn Trãi
Street in Thanh Xuân Trung Ward became the city’s biggest COVID cluster
after a mother and her daughter tested positive on August 23. Within the space of just a few days,
the virus infected around 600 more people. Because the area was crowded, with
small, densely populated alleyways, the authorities took the decision to
evacuate, moving the majority of those who had tested negative to a
facility around 17km away. The infection source, according to
the city’s CDC, was a vegetable vendor who regularly visited the Ngã Tư Sở
wholesale market in Đống Đa District. Police forces, along with the civil
defence and health workers, removed the barriers that had blocked
lanes 328 and 330 at the stroke of midnight yesterday. The returning residents expressed
their joy and relief at being back in their own homes. Phạm Huy Quân, a resident of Thanh
Xuân Trung Ward, said that his family and many people in the blockaded area
have seriously implemented the regulations on prevention and control of
COVID-19. "We will continue to strictly
comply with the city's regulations to maintain the new normal life we have
made efforts over the past month to gain," he said. Trịnh Thái Hùng added: "I was
in the Community COVID Team of the area. We were fully equipped with hats,
masks and clothes, but this COVID virus is so evil that all our members were
infected. "I have an 87-year-old mother
who became F1 together with my child. My wife became an F0 after being
infected while going to get the vaccines. She was treated in Thanh Nhan
Hospital. Her result turned negative after 13 days of treatment. I am very
happy that I can return home." Thanh Xuân Trung Ward's COVID-19
Prevention and Control Unit requested all residents continue to monitor their
health and strictly follow the guidelines in COVID-19 prevention and control
measures due to the complicated development of the pandemic. Those who have cough and fever must
immediately report their symptoms via the website tokhaiyte.vn or
via the Bluezone medical app or contact local health authorities for
instructions. Those returning home who had
previously tested positive for coronavirus must home-quarantine for 14 days
while seven days for F1 people. Dong Nai to remove
checkpoints in COVID-free zones Authorities in the southern province
of Đồng Nai will remove barriers at pandemic checkpoints that blocked
off alleys, residential areas and some roads in green
(COVID-free) zones from October 1. Secretary of the Provincial Party
Committee Nguyễn Hồng Lĩnh said that in "green" areas, people can
work and live normally in some fields, however, people should not gather in
groups of more than 10 or 20 people. He was speaking at the provincial
Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control’s meeting on
Wednesday, adding that checkpoints in the red zones (zones with
COVID-19 cases) are still in place. Also at the meeting, Lĩnh affirmed
that the province's policy was to empower businesses to take the initiative. Leaders of enterprises have the
right to decide on the reopening of production and business activities. If
re-operating, enterprises must set up a safe production plan. Provincial authorities will support
and guide businesses in epidemiological knowledge, isolation and treatment
(in case an outbreak occurs), he said. Currently, the province is
conducting COVID-19 testing in many areas. Authorities of districts and
communes need to mobilise people to actively complete their responsibilities
in the fight against the pandemic. In case people cannot be tested at a
fixed location, the medical workers can visit houses. Meanwhile, the authority in
Long An Province said the province is aimed at providing two doses of
vaccine for workers as soon as possible. Nguyễn Văn Út, chairman of the Long
An Province People's Committee told a meeting with local businesses on Sunday
that wen a case is detected, enterprises do not need to stop all production
activities. He said that enterprises had to
handle and isolate F0 cases by themselves, in the narrowest level at
production groups, to quickly disinfect the area and then return to
operation. Travel movement from four
COVID hotspots to remain limited after Sept 30 The travel movement of people from
the four COVID epicentres of HCM City and Long An, Đồng Nai and Bình
Dương provinces must remain strictly controlled after September
30 in order to prevent the spread of virus to provinces where
vaccination rates remain low, leaders of southern and Central
Highlands' provinces have said. At a meeting chaired by Deputy
Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam on Tuesday, the leaders of these provinces
said the plan to reopen the economy in the city and three
surrounding provinces could pose a risk of spreading the
virus to other provinces such as theirs. Lê Quốc Hùng, Deputy Minister of
Public Security, said that around 3.5 million people from other provinces and
cities nationwide, mostly in the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta regions,
work in HCM City and Long An, Bình Dương and Đồng Nai provinces. Of the number, 2.1 million want to
return to their hometown after September 30 when the four COVID
hotspots are expected to loosen social distancing restrictions. “However, this is very risky due to
the low vaccination rates in other provinces,” he said. In August when HCM City extended the
lockdown period, hundreds of thousands of people rushed to return to
their hometowns, spreading the virus to provinces. Hùng said the PM should direct
the epicentres to encourage people to “continue to stay where they
are” to prevent the spread. The city and the three provinces should ensure
jobs, accommodations, welfare and vaccines to help them stay in city and
the three provinces. Businesses should also be encouraged
to welcome people to return to work in HCM City and Bình Dương, Long An
and Đồng Nai provinces. The ministry recommended that
the Government organise trips for the elderly, pregnant women, children
and other vulnerable people to return to their hometowns safely if they want
to go back. People should not travel on their own, Hùng said. The Ministry of Health has
prioritised most of the vaccines to the hotspots of HCM City and Long An,
Bình Dương and Đồng Nai provinces. From September 30, people in the
city and three provinces will be allowed to travel only within their
city or provinces, but not to other provinces. Experts said the Government should
continue to prioritise vaccines for HCM City, Long An, Bình Dương and
Đồng Nai provinces and neighbouring provinces. When the vaccination rate of other
provinces increases, which is expected in the next month or so, then
travel restrictions might be lifted. The special working group has also
asked the Prime Minister soon to issue a specific directive on travel
movement in the city and the three provinces. Lê Hòa Bình, Vice Chairman of the
city People’s Committee, said the city had organised 143 trips
for 36,000 people to return to their hometowns in provinces across the
country. After September 30, the city will
give priority to reopening businesses and production establishments in
industrial zones, processing and exporting zones, and high tech zones, which
will need workers. The city will arrange jobs and vaccinations for them to
help them stay in the city. The city is drafting a plan to
welcome workers from other provinces to return to the city for work,
including criteria to ensure pandemic prevention safety for drivers,
companions and workers. The city is compiling
its directive on relaxing social distancing measures which
will begin on October 1. The city will maintain 12
checkpoints at its gateways and 39 other checkpoints at entrances to other
localities. HCM City has imposed various
levels of lockdown measures since late May. On August 23, the city imposed
the toughest measures, ordering people to “stay where they are” except for
emergencies. The city has recorded nearly 380,000
cases since late April when the fourth wave began. About 15,000
people have died of the virus in the city. COVID situation has
improved in HCM City According to the city Department of
Health, the city has seen the pandemic peak and the city’s number of
COVID-related deaths continues to drop, with the number of discharged
patients exceeding the number of hospitalised patients. Seven districts in the city have
basically contained the outbreak: Củ Chi, Cần Giờ, Nhà Bè, District 7,
Gò Vấp, Phú Nhuận, and Thủ Đức city. Speaking at a press conference on
Tuesday, Phạm Đức Hải, deputy dead of the city Steering Committee for Disease
Prevention and Control, said HCM City had 2,674 patients hospitalised and
3,131 patients discharged on Monday (September 27), the second day in a row
when the number of hospitalised was lower than the number of
discharged. The number of patients on
ventilators has decreased since September 6 and
is currently 1,793 cases. As many as 22 patients are undergoing
ECMO intervention in the city. The number of deaths has also
decreased over the past two weeks, dropping to 131 on Sept 27 compared
to 340 on Aug 22. Speaking at the press conference,
Nguyễn Hồng Tâm, deputy director of HCM City Cenre of Disease Control, said,
as of September 27, the city had administered more than 9.7 million
doses, of which the total number of first doses was 6,824,718 and the
second doses nearly 1.5 million. The number of vaccinated people
aged 65 and over and people with underlying conditions has reached
more than 1.1 million. It has administered 100 per cent of
the first doses for people over 50 years old (with the second doses reaching
48.5 per cent). More than 95 per cent of adults aged
18 and above have received at least one vaccine dose and 33
per cent are fully vaccinated in the city. In addition, the HCM City Welfare
Centre has provided more than 2 million support packages to support people in
difficulty because of the pandemic. It plans to provide an additional
two million packages in coming time, according to city authorities. Army continues assisting
southern localities’ fight against COVID-19 after September 30 Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has
requested the army to continue supporting Ho Chi Minh City and other southern
localities in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic after September 30 when they
begin loosening social distancing measures. Dam, who is deputy head of the National
Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, made the statement at
his meeting with representatives from the Defence Ministry’s Steering
Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in HCM City and southern
localities on September 29. According to him, before the
localities achieve herd immunity, it needs to take steps to adjust support
forces appropriately. He hailed efforts by military and
military medicine forces to treat COVID-19 patients and join hands with
locals to combat the pandemic. Senior Lieutenant General Vo Minh
Luong, head of the Government’s special working group on COVID-19 prevention
and control in HCM City and southern localities, said after September 30 when
HCM City and southern localities start loosening social distancing measures,
the army will have adjustments suitable for each locality. Luong proposed the Vietnam People's
Army (VPA)’s General Department of Politics assign relevant agencies to
coordinate with units and localities to extend disseminations to raise public
awareness of pandemic prevention and control. The VPA General Staff and the
General Department of Logistics should adjust their forces to suit the new
situation, he added./. Projects winning Qualcomm
Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2021 announced Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a
subsidiary of the US multinational corporation Qualcomm, on
September 29 announced three winners at the final round of the Qualcomm
Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2021 with prizes worth 225,000 USD in total. Rostek project won the first prize.
With its autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) and vehicle management system,
Rostek provides a digital and hi-tech solution for transporting goods in
factories and warehouses. The second prize went to the AIOZ
BeetleBot project with its indoor delivery robot, which uses artificial
intelligence (AI) and voice interface to deliver items such as food or
packages in an indoor environment. BeetleBot is suitable for hospitals, and
supports delivery in the context of social distancing during the COVID-19
pandemic. BusMap project of Phenikaa MaaS
Technology JSC got the third prize. Its AI-integrated camera system called
bHub allows users to monitor safety factors when driving through an image
recognition device, thus assuring the safety for both drivers and passengers
amidst the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Deputy Minister of
Science and Technology Tran Van Tung, Vietnam has been entering a new era of
5G, AI, cloud computing and diverse applications of IoT technology. The ministry encourages start-up
communities to continue to show off their lightning-fast innovation
ability for Vietnam, he said. Launched in 2019, the Qualcomm
Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2021 aims to incubate innovative startups
in new technology fields. It encourages enterprises to create new products in
key technology areas using Qualcomm Technologies' technologies and mobile
platforms. Alex Rogers, President of Qualcomm
Technology Licensing (QTL) and Global Affairs, said that the programme was
launched to encourage startups show their strength and creativity, thus
further promoting development of Vietnam's startup ecosystem. The Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation
Challenge 2022 has officially opened for registration at https://www.qualcomm.com/qvic./. Video clip launched to
promote Phu Quoc’s tourism A video clip titled “Viet Nam: Di de
yeu! Roam Phu Quoc” was officially launched on YouTube on September 22,
aiming to give viewers a taste of the “Pearl Island” - Phu Quoc. It made debut at a time the tourism
sector is preparing to welcome international visitors back to Phu Quoc. The over-60-second video offers
viewers a brief tour of renowned places in the island district such as Mong
Tay and Gam Ghi islets, the Truc Lam Ho Quoc Zen Monastery, Phu Quoc United
Centre - the largest entertainment and resort complex in Vietnam, and Hon
Thom Cable Car - the world’s longest sea cable car system. Beautiful beaches, crystal clear
seawater, and fresh seafood are also highlights of the clip, promising an
ideal destination for tourists to enjoy. With vivid images, it helps popularise
the beauty of this island and encourage travel lovers to explore this place
when possible. The Vietnam National Administration
of Tourism said Phu Quoc is scheduled to welcome foreign tourists back on a
trial basis in October. The pilot programme is only applied to those involved
in package tours organised by travel companies and coming from markets that
have high COVID-19 safety. International visitors need to have
been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from the disease, and
test negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The pilot move is expected to be an
impulse for the tourism sector and popularise Vietnam as a safe and
attractive tourist destination./. Vietnam to eradicate
rabies deaths by 2030 Vietnam targets to eliminate human
deaths from rabies by 2030 under a draft National Program for Rabies
Prevention during the 2022-2030 period. At an online national
conference jointly held by the ministries of Health and Agriculture and
Rural Development on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Xuân Tuyên
said that rabies was still one of the deadliest infectious diseases in Việt
Nam, besides the measles outbreak in 2014 and the current COVID-19 pandemic. The event was held to assess the
implementation of the National Program to Control and Moving Towards
Eradication of Rabies during 2017-2021, and discuss the
draft National Program for Rabies Prevention. Rabies is a severe acute infectious
disease caused by the rabies virus, which is transmissible from animals to
humans. According to WHO, rabies infections have been recorded in 150 nations
and territories, claiming 59,000 lives every year. Up to 95 per cent of
fatalities from rabies are from Asia and Africa. Rabies infects 29
million people every year, costing US$8.6 billion in post-infection
treatments. Rabies is dangerous but can be
prevented through vaccination for animals and people who were bitten by
animals. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến said with the remarkable efforts of the
two ministries, along with the local governments and with the support of
international organisations, Việt Nam had been implementing measures to enact
the prevention of rabies nationally. As a result, the number of rabies
cases dropped an average of 12 cases each year during the 2017-2021
period in comparison with the 2011-2016 period. As many as 23 out of 63 provinces
recorded no cases of rabies over the last two years. However, every year
there are still 500,000 Vietnamese bitten by cats or dogs. The vaccination rates for dogs
increased to 49.2 per cent but the current large number of dogs (7.5
million) still poses a high risk for rabies outbreaks in the
future. Participants suggested rabies
preventive methods, including vaccination for pets with a targeted
rate of over 70 per cent each year, inoculating people at high
risk and injecting anti-rabies serum for those bitten by dogs. Tuyên said although the number of
rabies-related deaths had been decreasing, it was not stable
and the number of provinces with rabies had not dropped compared to the
2011-2016 period. These shortcomings were due to ineffective management
of dogs as well as low vaccination rates for dogs and low public
awareness of rabies. The ministries of Health and
Agriculture and Rural Development called for ministries, agencies and the
community to take measures to effectively prevent rabies with the aim of
eliminating human deaths from the disease by 2030,
including increasing public awareness of rabies, improving
management and vaccination for dogs and cats, and ensure that all dog-bitten
people are vaccinated. A meeting was held on the sidelines
of the conference to mark the World Rabies Day 2021 with the theme:
"Rabies: Facts not Fear". Vietnam lensman scores silver
at French photo contest Tran Viet Van, a Vietnamese journalist,
scooped silver for his “90 Years Old Shoemaker” photo a French photo contest.
Van was honored in the Press/Travel category of “Prix de la Photographie,
Paris”. Ngoc was born in 1931 in the Mekong
delta province of Ba Lieu. In 1947, his family moved to Cambodia and resided
in Phnom Penh. In 1970, he returned to the homeland and has lived in Ho Chi
Minh City since then. Throughout his career, Ngoc has made
shoes for many Vietnamese singers and even for the Cambodian royal family,
including King Norodom Sihanouk. When Van asked him what the most
important thing in his life was, Ngoc told the photo journalist of Lao Dong
newspaper: “If you create joy for others, you will receive double happiness.” Ngoc said he saw his shoes as works
of art that reflected each wearer’s personality. He always asked his
customers a lot of questions to get a better understanding of their needs and
expectations. Founded in 2007, “Prix de la
Photographie, Paris” is a photography award that strives to promote
appreciation of photography, discover emerging talent, and introduce
photographers from around the world to the artistic community inParis. Van has won various photo contests
in and outside Vietnam and held solo and group exhibitions in many
countries./. Eight-year imprisonment
sentence upheld for woman for anti-State activities The High-level People's Court in Da
Nang on September 29 upheld an eight-year imprisonment sentence on a woman
from Phu Yen province on the charge of “making, storing, distributing and
disseminating information, documents and items aimed at sabotaging the State
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Clause 1 of Article 117 in the 2015
Penal Code. Tran Thi Tuyet Dieu, born 1988, was
sentenced to eight years in prison on the charge in the first-instance trial
by the People's Court of Phu Yen province. At the appeal trial held publicly at
the Phu Yen provincial court, the panel rejected all contents of Dieu's
appeal. According to the indictment of the
Phu Yen People's Procuracy, from July 2011 to December 2017, Dieu wrote and
stored 25 articles and 9 video clips with anti-state content. She then posted those articles and
video clips on her accounts on Facebook and Youtube. Earlier from July 2011 to December
2017, Dieu also posted many articles on social media distorting the
activities of law enforcement agencies and expressing support for Nguyen Viet
Dung, who was sentenced to six years in jail for spreading anti-State
propaganda./. Party’s Commission for
Information and Education launches information app The Party Central Committee’s
Commission for Information and Education on September 29 launched an
information application, and a new form of three bulletins on activities of
Party cells, and reporting information, and education and information work. Chairman of the Commission for
Information and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia said 2021 is the first year that
the entire Party, people and army have implemented the Resolution of the 13th
National Party Congress, continue to comprehensively and synchronously
promote the renewal process, incite the aspiration for national development,
and strengthen the national great unity, thus promoting rapid and sustainable
development of the country. Besides opportunities and
advantages, Vietnam is facing many great challenges, especially complicated
developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Therefore, the quality and
efficiency of the Party’s information and report work must be improved in
order to meet requirements in the new situation, Nghia noted. The official asked the Commission’s
Information and Communication Centre to continue closely following the 13th
National Party Congress’s Resolution, and give consultancy on measures to
innovate and improve the quality and efficiency of information provision, and
timely give information orientations. Director of the centre Do Phuong
Thao affirmed that, with the close coordination of the Vietnam News Agency,
the application is hoped to operate regularly and effectively, and will
contribute to ensuring the rapid provision of accurate information to leaders
of the commission, and speakers at all levels. In recent years, the three bulletins
of the commission implemented by the centre have really become an important
and useful source of information and documents for a large number of
speakers, communicators, Party cells and Party members nationwide. They have
played a crucial role in the Party's information front./. Russian media highlight
Vietnamese FM’s visit Russian media have positively
evaluated Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son’s official
visit to Russia from September 25 to 28, the first trip to Russia since he
took office in April. Main activities during Son’s visit
were covered by state news agency TASS, international news agency Russia
Today, Sputnik news agency, TV channel Chanel One, financial news channel
Vesti and other websites. The Russian press highly appreciated
the close cooperation between Vietnam and the Russia in many important
fields, emphasising the similarities and stance coordination between the two
countries’ agencies for external affairs on current international issues. RIA Novosti news agency quoted Son
as saying that Vietnam considers Russia an important strategic partner, and
the two countries have cooperated closely in special important fields. TASS cited the Vietnamese FM’s
statement in a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei
Lavrov as reporting that Vietnam and Russia shared similar views on many
global issues. “While discussing the situation in
the Asia Pacific, we reiterated that all regional disagreements should be
resolved peacefully based on international law, including the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” TASS wrote. Answering a question raised by the
Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter on cooperation prospects between the two
countries, Son said oil and gas cooperation is an important pillar and one of
the most effective cooperation areas in the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive
strategic partnership. Most of Russia’s oil and gas
corporations such as Zarubezhneft, Gazprom and Rosneft have been carrying out
oil and gas projects in Vietnam, of which Vietsovpetro joint venture is a
vivid symbol of the Vietnam-Russia friendship, he said. Rusvietpetro oil and gas joint
venture is also operating very effectively in Russia, Son said, expressing
his wish that there will be more effective joint ventures such as
Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro in the future. “The oil and gas cooperation between
our countries has passed through many challenges, and I can confirm that
nothing can threaten or challenge our cooperation in this strategic
area," he said. With the solid foundation of
solidarity, traditional friendship and mutual trust, Son was confident that
the two nations would continue to expand and deepen the cooperation in the
oil and gas sector as well as beefing up collaboration in the fields of
renewable energy and new energy. The Vietnamese FM affirmed that the
energy cooperation between Vietnam and Russia has not only served the
interest of the two countries but also contributed to peace, stability,
cooperation and sustainable development in the region./. Freedom House should stop
making groundless assessments on internet freedom in Vietnam The Freedom House has recently
issued a report which again contains prejudiced and partial assessments on
internet freedom in Vietnam. Such assessments have no valid
grounds and intentionally ignore the vivid reality of internet freedom in
Vietnam, as well as achievements the country has recorded in human rights
over the past years. Vietnam’s efforts in ensuring and
promoting human rights have been lauded by other countries and international
organisations at various cycles of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The council has also regarded
Vietnam as a bright spot in human development, as reflected through the
implementation of millennium development goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction,
and social equality and progress. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the
country has been praised for giving the top priority to public health. According to the Human Development
Report 2020 released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Vietnam has
joined the ranks of countries with high human development in the world. Between 1990 and 2019, the country’s
Human Development Index (HDI) increased by almost 46 percent, which was among
the highest HDI growth rates in the world, the report said. Notably, Vietnam is one of the
countries that have completed the MDGs ahead of schedule, and are working
towards sustainable development goals (SDGs). The country has made impressive
progress in internet development. Statistics show about 70 percent of
Vietnamese people use the internet, against the world’s average ratio of only
51.4 percent. Vietnam is among the 20 countries with the highest number of
internet users. Various social platforms have
registered to operate in the country, with the most popular being Facebook,
Zalo, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok, to name just a few. Notably, Facebook
has attracted up to over 65 million users in the country. People can freely express their
views and share information via the internet, especially websites and social
networks. Many agencies and organisations in the political system, from the
central to grassroots levels, have also utilised the internet and social
networks to serve their operations, handle administrative procedures and
maintain contact with residents. They are the vivid evidences of the
fact that the Vietnamese Party and State have always respected and protected
the development right of each individual, as well as their rights to freedom
of information and internet. Therefore, the Freedom House’s
allegation that Vietnam’s Law on Cyber Security is a tool to monitor internet
use in the country is groundless. The cyber security law is designed
to make Vietnam’s cyber space healthy and protect the country’s sovereign
right in the cyber space, in the context of surging trade frauds, fake news,
distorted information or contents that are immoral or trigger social
disturbances. The freedom of internet and social
networks in Vietnam has been exercised within the legal framework to ensure
cyber security and prevent activities that take advantage of social networks
to violate Vietnam’s laws, incite social unrest and create conditions for
external forces to intervene into domestic matters. Moreover, the law totally conforms
to international law, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR stipulates
that “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference,”
but the exercise of such rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article
carries with it special duties and responsibilities. “It may therefore be
subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided
by law and are necessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of
others; (b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre
public), or of public health or morals.” It is obvious that the Free House
has deliberately ignored the ICCPR regulations, and the fact that not only
Vietnam but also more than 180 other countries have issued a cyber security
law or relevant rules to ensure national security. Many countries like the US, Germany,
France, the Republic of Korea and Singapore have adopted laws and clauses
stipulating the strict handling of law violations in the cyber space. The Freedom House has repeatedly
made biased and prejudiced assessments on Vietnam’s internet freedom since
the country issued the Law on Cyber Security. It mainly collects such
information from reactionary organisations and groups that involve in activities
to sabotage Vietnam. The fabricated information aims to
create false understanding on internet freedom and human rights in Vietnam,
to defame the country and lower its prestige, position and role in the
international arena. Professor Vladimir Kolotov, head of
the Ho Chi Minh Institute at St. Petersburg University in Russia, said the
reports issued each year by Freedom House neither base on realities nor
reflect the real situation of human rights in countries. It gives itself the
right to accuse other countries of violating human rights and interfere into
other countries’ internal affairs, he said. It is clear that the Freedom House
has no rights to intervene into internal affairs of countries. It must
immediately put an end to such valueless reports./. ASEAN pledges stronger
cooperation in fighting trans-national crime Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public
Security Lieut. Gen. Luong Tam Quang attended the 15th ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC 15) and related meetings via
videoconference on September 29. Speaking at the event, Quang said
criminals are making full use of cyber space to commit offences. In such
context, Vietnam’s law enforcement agencies must assist other ministries and
agencies in controlling the pandemic while continuing its task of fighting
crimes and achieved positive results, he said. Vietnam pledged to engage actively
and responsibly in ASEAN cooperation frameworks and cooperate in
trans-national crime prevention and control in particular, he said. The Deputy Minister suggested the
regional states continue consolidating collaboration and creating mutual
trust in the near future. Amid the complicated developments of
the pandemic, he called on the regional countries to pay attention to
cooperating in border management and cyber security. Parties concerned need to establish
information channels, adapt to the “new normal”, enhance coordination
with ASEAN’s dialogue partners in personnel and language training,
encourage partners to assist the bloc in COVID-19 response, provide vaccines,
improve vaccine production capacity and facilitate the transfer of vaccine
production technologies, he stated. Minister of Defence II of
Brunei and Chair of AMMTC 15 Datu Seri Awang Halbi bin Mohd Yussof
highlighted the importance of the AMMTC cooperation mechanism, helping to
maintain peace, stability and development in the region. He said Brunei vows to continue
upholding its role in guiding ASEAN in maintaining dialogue, as well as in
timely and effective response to unprecedented difficulties and challenges. Participants at the event agreed on
measures to promote goals in the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational
Crime, and adopted the Concept Paper entitled “A Regional Border
Management Cooperation: Roadmap” initiated by Thailand and the ASEAN
Statement on post-pandemic trans-national crime prevention and control
proposed by Brunei. At the end of the meeting, the
officials also approved the joint statement of AMMTC 15./. Vietnam welcomes agreement on
resuming talks in Syria Vietnam welcomed the agreement just
reached on the working methodologies of the Constitutional Committee in Syria
and underscored the importance of rebuilding trust and confidence to overcome
long‑standing differences between the sides in the country. Addressing a meeting of the UN
Security Council on the political process in Syria on September 28,
Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam
to the UN Pham Hai Anh shared the concern about the plight
of Syrian people and called for concrete steps towards a political
solution that would ensure long‑term peace and security. The ambassador added that the
international community must remain united and unwavering in its support for
the Syrian people. He called on all parties to exercise
maximum restraint, while noting that efforts to fight terrorism should also
be made in accordance with international law and relevant resolutions of
the UNSC. At the meeting, Special Envoy of the
Secretary‑General for Syria, Geir Pedersen announced that, after eight months
of facilitation efforts, the Syrian Government and the opposition had agreed
to hold the sixth session of the Small Drafting Body of the Constitutional
Committee in Geneva from October 18. “I am convinced that Geneva can be
the place where Syrians committed to durable peace can begin work with each
other in a constructive manner,” he said./. Students in HCM City
supported to continue study amid COVID-19 Students in Ho Chi Minh City who
have encountered difficulties in online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic
have received support from local authorities and donors to continue their
study. Statistics from the municipal
Department of Education and Training revealed that more than 70,000 students
in the city lack either access to the internet or electric devices to study
online. Of nearly 650,000 primary school
students, more than 55,000 lack the necessary equipment and a stable internet
connection. Some are temporarily staying in the countryside and cannot return
to the city. However, thanks to the assistance of
all-level administrations and donors, many of them have been able to access
online classes. The local educational sector,
agencies and localities have drawn up flexible, specific teaching plans and
models matching the latest situation, in line with COVID-19 prevention and
control regulations. Teachers of Minh Duc Secondary
School in District 1 have initiated a model, under which they call for the
donation of used smart phones and laptops to their students. Within more than one week, no more
students of the school lacked electric devices to log into online classes,
according to headmaster of the school Tran Thuy An. Similar programmes have also been
launched by associations and organisations over the past time to aid students
with used devices and leaning equipment. Local youths have also maintained
free classes but in the online format for children in difficult
circumstances. More than 300 students and teachers have voluntarily joined
the programme. Despite a lack of teachers and study
materials, such classes have opened daily, making parents feel secure as
their children still continue their study amid complex developments of the
pandemic./. Quang Ninh pilots automatic
entry-exit control system The northern coastal province of
Quang Ninh on September 29 kicked off a pilot automatic system for entry-exit
control at the COVID-19 checkpoint on Bach Dang Bridge toll station in Quang
Yen township. This is the first checkpoint in the
province to launch the system, which uses cameras to automatically scan
people's QR codes. The scanned information will then be transmitted to
computers of officers on duty for further checks. The cameras process information much
quicker than the traditional method under which an officer scans the codes by
his smartphone. The system aims to limit close
contact, reduce the risk of disease transmission, and shorten the time for
administrative procedures. Lying on the Hanoi – Hai Phong –
Quang Ninh expressway, the Bach Dang Bridge checkpoint is the most important
location to monitor people and vehicles entering Quang Ninh from localities
nationwide. Some 3,000 vehicles run though the checkpoint a day./. Nationwide tourism recovery
programme launched The Vietnam Tourism Association
(VTA) on September 28 launched a nationwide tourism recovery programme with a
direction of living safely with the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the ceremony, VTA
Permanent Vice Chairman Vu The Binh said over the past two years, over 2
million direct and millions of indirect workers have become unemployed due to
the pandemic. In 2020 and the first half of 2021, a series of tourism
stimulus programmes were launched whenever the pandemic was controlled. Via the programme, the organising
board wants to raise public awareness of safe travelling and create trust
among tourists about selected travel companies that meet criteria for
welcoming guests amid the pandemic, he said. Binh added that, in the foreseeable
future, the tourism sector will adopt six principles and build safety
criteria for tourists and travel companies. According to a plan issued by the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the sector will launch
communications campaigns to stimulate tourism with the messages “Vietnamese
people travel Vietnam”, “Vietnam's safe and attractive tourism” while
piloting a programme to welcome foreign visitors back to Phu Quoc island city
in the southern province of Kien Giang, then expanding to other destinations,
including Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Hoi An in the
central province of Quang Nam, Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa
and Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The ministry highlighted three
important factors in the new normal, including vaccinations for residents and
workers in the sector, ensuring safety of destinations and lodging
facilities, and creating favourable conditions for domestic and international
visitors having vaccination certificates./. Ministry urges localities to
accelerate vaccinations against COVID-19 According to the MoH, from October
to December this year, Vietnam is likely to receive a larger number of
COVID-19 vaccines than before. To ensure the use of vaccines on schedule
and quickly increase vaccination coverage for Vietnamese people, the MoH
proposed Secretaries of provincial/municipal Party Committees and
Chairpersons of provincial/municipal People’s Committees across the county to
direct relevant units to develop plans and prepare facilities, equipment and
human resources to deploy large-scale vaccination rollouts from now until the
end of 2021. The ministry also urged localities
to accelerate the inoculations for those aged 18 and above, with priority
giving to people aged 50 and older, and increase the vaccination coverage of
the first shot, give second injections to those who have received the first
shots in line with the prescribed time. Preparation should be made to deploy
vaccinations for other groups in accordance with instructions of the
ministry, it added. The MoH asked localities mobilise
all forces to join the vaccination task, including public and private
healthcare establishments and medical examination and treatment units of
sectors, and conduct vaccinations at fixed medical facilities and mobile
vaccination sites. These facilities should thoroughly
apply information technology in vaccination campaigns, and must urgently
update full information related vaccinated people, and newly-administered
people to the national COVID-19 vaccination system, it said. The MoH suggested that leaders of
localities urgently direct the implementation of the work, consider this as a
key task in the current situation, and take responsibility before the
Government and the Prime Minister if the organisation of vaccine reception
and vaccination remains slow and vaccine waste occurs. As of September 27, over 40.2
million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered to people nationwide,
with 23 million people getting the first shots and 8.6 million others fully
receiving two shots. The proportion of people aged 18 years and above getting
at least one dose of vaccineư against COVID-19 reached 43.9 percent./. Japan’s policy towards
Vietnam unchanged with new leadership: expert Japan’s policy towards Vietnam will
basically remain unchanged even when the Eat Asian country has a new leadership. The affirmation was made by Ryokichi
Motoyoshi, former Secretary of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in an
interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the eve of a meeting of
the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to elect its new president on September
29. Motoyoshi, who is also a legal
advisor for Vietnamese in Japan, laid emphasis on the trustworthy
relationship between the two countries, with substantial potential for
cooperation. Before Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide
visited Vietnam in October last year, the world had seen changes in supply
chains, prompting many Japanese firms to move their production to Vietnam, he
said. In addition, Vietnamese now account
for the largest ratio among foreign labourers in Japan. After taking office last year, Suga
selected Vietnam for his first overseas trip. The visit has contributed to
promoting Japan’s image among Vietnamese, Motoyoshi said. He recalled that when the COVID-19
pandemic broke out in Japan, Vietnam presented face masks and other medical
supplies to the country, and later, Japan provided Vietnam with COVID-19
vaccines. Motoyoshi described the mutual support as a vivid demonstration of
the trustworthy relationship between the two countries. According to the expert, the
bilateral ties will grow stronger across spheres after the two countries
bring the pandemic under control. Japan has faced a shortage of
workforce so it needs a large number of guest workers, particularly those
from Vietnam, he said, noting that the cooperation in this field will further
develop in the time ahead./. Disciplinary measures against
15 military organisations, individuals proposed The Inspection Commission of the
Central Military Commission has proposed disciplinary measures against one
organisation and 14 soldiers violating the rules during its recent third
meeting. The meeting was chaired by General
Luong Cuong, member of the Politburo, member of the Central Military
Commission’s Standing Committee, Chairman of the General Department of
Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, and Head of the Central Military
Commission’s Inspection Commission. Cuong said that the consideration of
disciplinary measures has been made in line with the Party’s policy, the
State’s laws as well as regulations of the Ministry of National Defence,
ensuring the principle of settling violations of collectives in connection
with the responsibility of individuals without any exception. He asked the Inspection Commission’s
Standing Board to continue giving advice to the Central Military Commission’s
Standing Committee and the Inspection Commission on measures to strengthen
inspection, supervision and discipline execution, while actively detecting
violations and responding to complaints and denunciations, thus helping to
ensure and enhance the leadership capacity and combativeness strength of the
Party and foster solidarity and unity in the military to complete political
tasks./. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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