VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES FEBRUARY 24
16:33President Nguyen Xuan
Phuc leaves Hanoi for State visit to Singapore President
Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife left Hanoi on February 24 afternoon for a State
visit to Singapore from February 24-26 at the invitation of Singaporean
President Halimah Yacob. The President is accompanied by
Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang, Chairman of the Presidential Office
Le Khanh Hai, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister
of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, and Minister of Industry
and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, among others. President Phuc’s State visit takes
place in the context that the bilateral ties are developing significantly in
all fields and it has great significance at a time when the two are preparing
to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023. It is the first foreign trip of
President Phuc in 2022, and the first by a head of state to Singapore since
the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims at affirming Vietnam's
determination to boost economic development and create a favourable business
environment, thus delivering an important message helping Singaporean
investors feel secure to do business in Vietnam. Ministry of Health publicises
prices of Molnupiravir drugs produced in Vietnam The Drug Administration of Vietnam
(DAV) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced the prices of COVID-19
treatment drugs containing active ingredient Molnupiravir produced by three
Vietnamese manufacturers. Accordingly, a pill of Molravir 400mg
made by Boston Vietnam Pharma costs 11,550 VND while the prices of Movinavir
200mg manufactured by Mekophar Chemical Pharmaceutical, and Molnupiravir
Stella 400mg produced by Stellapharm J.V Co., Ltd. are 8,675 VND and 12,500
VND a tablet, respectively. These drugs are sold to COVID-19
patients for home treatment provided that they show proof of being infected
with coronavirus and prescriptions from doctors. The Drug Administration of Vietnam
officially licensed the three COVID-19 drugs on February 17. These drugs are used to treat mild to
moderate adult COVID-19 patients with at least one risk factor that could
enhance the progression of the disease, according to the MoH. The drugs
should not be used for pregnant women or those who are planning to become
pregnant, nursing women, and children under 18 years old. Government leader orders
faster vaccination rollout Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has
requested the completion of administering booster shots to those aged 18 and
above within the first quarter of 2022 amid complex and unpredictable
developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a February 23 dispatch to
ministries, sectors and localities, the Government leader asked for extra
efforts to give second doses to children aged from 12 to 17 in February. The Ministry of Health was assigned to
speed up the purchase of vaccine for children from 5 years old, and gain
early access to new vaccines, drugs, technologies and test kits in the world. The leader also stressed that
inspection and examination of prices and quality of vaccines, drugs,
biological products and test kits must be strengthened. Localities should focus on encouraging
residents to get vaccinated, with special attention to the elderly and those
with underlying diseases or unable to walk. Vietnam, US foster
cooperation in crime prevention and combat Minister of Public Security General To
Lam held online talks with Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Christopher Asher Wray on February 23. At the talks, Lam said on the
foundation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on transnational crime
prevention and control, the two sides have taken the initiative in carrying
out cooperation activities in criminal justice and reaped fruitful results in
the fight against transnational crimes related to the two countries. In particular, they regularly
exchanged information, supported each other during investigation, prosecution
and trial, notably cases involving high-tech crimes, drugs and obtaining
property by deception. The FBI was urged to help speed up the
signing of agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters,
extradition, and the transfer of sentenced persons, as well as enhance
information exchange to prevent and fight crimes. Vietnam ready for citizen
protection in Ukraine: spokesperson The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine is
working on plans to be ready for citizen protection when necessary,
spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on
February 23. The citizen protection hotlines are
working round the clock, she said, adding that about 100 Vietnamese citizens
are living in Donetsk and Lugansk, and they are in a stable condition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
instructed the embassy to suggest local competent agencies take measures to
support and ensure safety of Vietnamese citizens and businesses in Ukraine,
as well as their assets. For assistance, Vietnamese citizens
can contact the embassy’s hotline at: + 380 (63) 863 8999 or contact the
ministry’s Consular Department at + 84-981-848-484. Only close contacts must
quarantine if positive cases found in schools As schools up and down the country
return to in-person learning for the first time in months, guidelines are
being updated on how to deal with the inevitable situation of positive cases
being found in the classroom. The Ministries of Health, and
Education and Training have decided that only close contacts of any positive
cases found must self-isolate; the rest of the school can continue as normal,
after testing. Students who have not been in direct
contact with the COVID-19 student, and provide a negative rapid test result,
will be allowed to continue school as normal. Those who had direct contact with the
positive COVID-19 case will have to self-monitor at home, regardless of if
their rapid test result is negative. Those who have received two doses of
vaccine, or have recovered from COVID-19 within the past three months, are
required to take a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on the
fifth day. If the test result is negative, the
student can return to school as normal though the school and students'
parents have to continue monitoring the students' health for the next five
days. US willing to assist Vietnam
in renewable energy development: US Special Presidential The US stands ready to support Vietnam
in renewable energy development, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
John Kerry said at a meeting with Politburo member and head of the Party
Central Committee's Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh in Hanoi on February
23. Vietnam has great potential and advantages
in clean and renewable energy development, Kerry said, while speaking highly
of the country’s policies, orientations and achievements in this sphere. He affirmed that the US attaches
importance to the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, and expressed his
belief that the good relationship will grow further in the time ahead. For his part, Anh praised Kerry’s
contributions to the multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and the US,
thanked the US government and people for their donations of COVID-19 vaccines
and medical equipment to Vietnam over the past time. He called on the US Special
Presidential Envoy for Climate to make more contributions to planning and
implementing US policies on climate change response globally, and in Vietnam
in particular. AFF U23 Championship: More
players to be sent to Vietnam team Vietnam have sufficient players for
the semi-final match against Timor Leste at the ongoing 2022 AFF U23
Championship, head coach Dinh The Nam said at a press conference on February
23. The game will kick off at 7pm on
February 24. Seven more Vietnamese players tested
positive for COVID-19 on February 23 morning. The squad had only 10 players
and faced risks of player shortage for the upcoming semifinal match. Four more players, including one
goalkeeper, two defenders and one forward, have been called up and will
travel to Cambodia by road on February 24 morning. The latest call-ups will be the last
reinforcements for Vietnam, as each team is allowed to make 10 substitutions
for players contracting with COVID-19. Nearly 1,870 tonnes of rice
earmarked for pandemic-hit provinces Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has
signed a decision assigning the Ministry of Finance to allocate nearly 1,870
tonnes of rice from the national reserve to people affected by the COVID-19
pandemic in three provinces. Specifically, the north-central province
of Nghe An will receive about 701 tonnes of rice while the Central Highland
provinces of Dak Lak and Gia Lai will be given close to 1,015 tonnes and
153.3 tonnes, respectively. Exhibition in Canberra
spotlights Vietnamese Tet celebrations An art exhibition aiming to promote
Vietnamese people's tradition of welcoming the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival
is being held in Canberra, Australia, attracting the attention of a large
number of local residents. The exhibition entitled “Happy New
Tet” is organised by the Vietnam Centre. It features unique artworks,
including Vietnamese ceramic products and woodblock-printed pictures. This is the second art exhibition
organised in Australia by the Vietnam Centre after the first in 2019. It
plans to expand its operations to other fields to connect people across
Australia who have the desire to learn about Vietnam in general and
Vietnamese culture in particular. The exhibition will run until February
24 Binh Duong to host activities
marking 30 years of Vietnam-RoK ties An array of cultural activities will
take place in the southern province of Binh Duong in celebration of the 30th
founding anniversary of the Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) diplomatic ties. According to the provincial People’s
Committee, the events will be organised at the World Trade Centre in Binh
Duong New City of the province. A festival highlighting the RoK’s
culture and events on the strategic cooperation agreement between Binh Duong
and Gangnam district of the RoK’s Seoul capital city will be held starting
February 25, with an aim to promoting trade and cultural exchanges. On the occasion, the Korea Creative
Content Agency (KOCCA) and the World Trade Centre will join hands to arrange
exhibitions, cultural exchanges workshops, along with a Vietnam-RoK concert
and Taekwondo performance, among others. Government urges issuance of
cards for vehicles to use e-toll collection service Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has
signed a document requesting ministries, sectors and localities to urgently
issue identification cards for vehicles to use non-stop electronic toll
collection (ETC) service. According to a report of the Ministry
of Transport, the number of vehicles with identification cards to use the ETC
service nationwide remains low, reaching only about 50 percent. The Prime Minister requested
ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies under the
Government, chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and
centrally-run cities, and heads of socio-political agencies and organisations
at all levels to direct the issuance of identification cards for all vehicles
under their management scope, in order to satisfy requirements for using the
ETC service from June 1, 2022. Toll collection service providers have
been demanded to well organise the work in a quick and convenient manner, and
have solutions to immediately deal with technical errors of ETC systems (if
any). Quang Tri: Over 25,000 ha of
land cleared from war-left UXOs The central province of Quang Tri has
so far cleared over 25,000 ha of land from war-left landmines and other
unexploded ordnance (UXO) and safely handled 765,000 UXO items. Besides funding from the budget, the
locality has mobilised over 110 million USD from donors for the settlement of
wartime UXO consequences. Quang Tri is the most polluted
locality in terms of UXOs in Vietnam, with over 82 percent of its land area
contaminated. War-left landmines and bombs have killed over 3,430 people and
injured 5,100 since the war ended in 1975. Since 1995, the local authorities have
cooperated with international organisations to carry out demining activities. Number of passengers via
airports in February sees 58% rise The number of passengers travelling
through local airports in February grew by 57.8% to reach over 6.1 million passengers
against the same period from last year, according to statistics released by
the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). Of the figure, 105,000 were
international visitors, an increase of 350% compared to February, 2021, while
domestic visitors reached over 6 million arrivals, a year-on-year rise of
56.1%. Cargo being transported through
airports soared by 27.6% to 113,000 tonnes compared to February, 2021. The Vietnam Air Traffic Management
Corporation (VATM) operated roughly 60,500 flights in February, marking an
increase of 157% compared to last year’s corresponding period, of which there
were 13,200 transit flights, up 67.4%. February also saw domestic airlines
transport more than three million passengers, an increase of 56.8% compared
to February, 2021. Of the total, there were 39,400 international visitors and
roughly three million domestic tourists. Several V.League 1 games to
allow spectators for first round of matches A number of stadiums will permit a
limited number of spectators upon the start of the 2022 V.League 1 season
when it kicks off on February 25 and February 26. Hanoi’s Culture and Sports Department
has granted permission for Hanoi FC to host their home match against Dong A
Thanh Hoa FC on February 25 with around 5,000 spectators in attendance, equal
to 50% of the Hang Day Stadium's capacity. The game between Binh Dinh FC and
Viettel FC will also see the attendance of 15,000 spectators, equivalent to
70% of Quy Nhon Stadium’s capacity on February 25. When Binh Duong FC take on Song Lam
Nghe An at home turf, 4,000 fans will be allowed inside the Go Dau Stadium on
February 25. For Nam Dinh FC, they have been
granted permission to distribute a maximum of 10,000 tickets for the game
against Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC at the Thien Truong Stadium on February 26. Nine fishermen rescued off Ly
Son Island Nine fishermen in the central province
of Quang Ngai have been rescued off the local island of Ly Son. At around 2 am on Wednesday, while
travelling from the Paracel Islands to the mainland, fishing boat QNg 96237TS
with nine crew suddenly sank due to rough waves and strong wind. Captain Mai Van Chi managed to contact
local authorities for help. The coast guard immediately sent a
rescue boat o the trawler which had capsized around five nautical miles from
Ly Son Island. Due to the rough sea, it took the
rescue boat two hours to save five of the nine fishermen. With great effort,
the rescue team saved the remaining four at around 11 am on the same day. All
of the boat fishermen used round coracle boats to survive. The fishermen are
being medically monitored. Nearly 30 labour strikes
occur around Tet As many as 28 industrial disputes
happened in Vietnam around the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday, according to
the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. The strikes which occurred in 11
cities and provinces were mostly related to salary and benefit disagreements. According to the Vietnam General
Confederation of Labour, by January 26, 19 companies in 11 cities and
provinces still owed a total salary of VND44.5 billion (USD1.91 million) to
their workers. Meanwhile, 59 firms in the localities owed social insurance
worth VND82.1 billion to their staff. The federation said that more than one
million workers did not return to their hometown for Tet this year,
accounting for 46.69 percent of migrant workers of the country. To date,
around 85-95 percent of workers have returned to work after Tet. Smuggling tycoon Muoi Tuong
gets 8-year jail term Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh, 53, also known as
Muoi Tuong, a smuggling tycoon in An Phu District of the Mekong Delta
province of An Giang, was sentenced to eight years in prison for illegally
transporting US$470,000 from Cambodia to Vietnam on June 24, 2019. She was
also fined VND50 million, the local media reported. The An Giang People’s Court also
handed down a jail term of four years each to Pham Thanh Sang, Ho Tuan Linh,
Nguyen Van Le and Nguyen Van Minh, all residing in An Phu District. Muoi Tuong has been prosecuted in six
cases: helping others go abroad illegally and smuggling refined sugar in
2018, smuggling 51 kilograms of gold in 2020, illegally transporting
US$470,000 across the border in 2019, illegally transporting US$200,000
across the border in 2020 and laundering money in 2021. The case involving the illegal
transport of US$470,000 across the border is Muoi Tuong’s first case put up
for trial. Ministry requires to shorten
North-South expressway progress The Ministry of Transport yesterday
required management boards and contractors to review and re-build the plans
to shorten construction progress by three months to 11 component projects
under the investment and construction project of North-South expressway’s
some Eastern sections in the phase from 2017 to 2020 and the My Thuan – Can
Tho expressway project. Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport
(MoT) required the relevant units to find solutions to accelerate the progress
and ensure the quality and safety of the work. In case of failing to ensure
the progress of the works, the contractors will be rejected in the next
bidding packages in the period of 2021 – 2025. According to the MoT, 11 component
projects under the North-South expressway to the East in the period 2017 –
2020 had their accumulated works volume value of around VND16,218 billion
(US$711 million) out of VND56,709 billion (nearly US$2.5 billion), accounting
for 28.6 percent and 1.4 percent behind schedule. The expressway projects being required
to be built this year are Mai Son – National Highway No.45, Vinh Hao – Phan
Thiet, Cam Lo – La Son, Phan Thiet – Dau Giay. The rest will be completed in
2023 or 2024. Vietnam futsal team crowns
Fair-Play 2021 The Fair- Play 2021, organized by Ho
Chi Minh City Law Newspaper yesterday once again nominated the Vietnam Futsal
Team for the second time. Midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang (Viettel
FC) won the second prize of Fair Play 2021 with 409 points while Tran Minh
Vuong (Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC), Coach Vu Hong Viet (Assistant of the national
team) and striker Hoang Dinh Tung (Thanh Hoa) received the third, fourth and
fifth prizes, respectively. On the occasion, the organizing board
also honored Doan Thi Kim Chi, who is Coach of HCMC Women’s Football Team cum
Assistant Coach of the National Women Football Team. The Fair-Play is a title for
individuals, teams with their great contributions and influences on Vietnam
football. Miss Universe Vietnam beauty
contest 2022 starts Miss Universe Vietnam beauty contest
2022 has officially been returned after a temporary halt due to the Covid-19
pandemic. Accordingly, the pageant themed
“Vinawoman – Vietnamese women's stuff” will see its qualifying rounds which
will take place in Hanoi on March 24-25 and HCMC on March 19-20. The jury of the contest will select 70
outstanding contestants for the reality TV competition series and narrow down
to 40 candidates in the seminfinal round that will take place in provinces
and cities of Ben Tre, Long An, Lam Dong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and HCMC. The reality TV show will be aired on
Vietnam Televison’s channels in the middle of April. The climax night is
expected to take place on June 1 and broadcast live on VTV3 channels and some
others of local TV stations. Vietnam calls on relevant
parties in Ukraine crisis to exercise self-restraint Viet Nam called on parties concerned
in the Ukraine crisis to exercise self-restraint, enhance dialogue efforts
and step up diplomatic measures to peacefully settle differences with respect
for the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international
law, thus contributing to ensuring peace, security, and stability in the
region and the world. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi
Thu Hang made the above statement on Wednesday in response to reporters'
query on Viet Nam's reaction to the recent situation in Ukraine. Le said Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine
has maintained contact with the Vietnamese community in the country and
stands ready to take neccessary measures to protect Vietnamese citizens
there. About 100 Vietnamese citizens are
living in Donetsk and Lugansk, according to the Embassy. Citizens who need support can contact
the Embassy's hotline: + 380 (63) 863 8999 or the Foreign Ministry's Consular
Department + 84-981-848-484. AFF futsal champs' 'easy'
group promises VN Asian tournament slot VN is in an easy Group B at the
AFF Futsal Championship, hoping to secure a slot at the continental
tournament after a recent draw in Bangkok, Thailand. The two-time World Cup participants
are to play Australia, Myanmar and East Timor. Group A gathers Malaysia,
Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei and the hosts. Australia is the most powerful team
Group B as they are No 33 in the world while Việt Nam are No 38. Australia has also competed in the
World Cup twice but were eliminated from the group round. The team could not
find a berth in the 2021 World Cup where Việt Nam were in the quarter-finals.
They have not taken part in the regional competition from 2016 to 2021. Myanmar has made remarkable progress
in futsal as they were in three semi-finals of the last four AFF
Championships. Meanwhile, East Timor are too weak to think about the top two
teams in the group. The AFF Championship will be held at
the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok from April 3-12. The four best teams
from the group round will advance to the semi-finals. Vietnam-WEF partnership helps
reduce plastic waste, develop circular economy Minister of Natural Resources and
Environment Tran Hong Ha on February 23 had a working session with Joo-Ok
Lee, Head of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Regional Agenda – Asia Pacific,
to discuss cooperation in coping with plastic waste and developing the
circular economy. Lee thanked the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment (MoNRE) for backing activities of the Vietnam
National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) implemented by the WEF in recent
times, and expressed his hope to continue receiving its support in the coming
time. He also shared information related to plans of the NPAP in the future. The official revealed that, in 2022,
the WEF will host major conferences which are expected to attract the
participation of political leaders, entrepreneurs and academic researchers
around the world, to outline agendas at the regional and global levels. He
hoped that Vietnam would attend and share cooperation models and initiatives
on reducing plastic waste, and developing the circular economy. Launched in December 2020, the NPAP
has greatly contributed to communication activities on plastic waste in the
Southeast Asian nation, helping raise public awareness of the use of plastic
bags and other single-use plastic products. Da Nang adopts incentives to
attract more tourists The central city of Da Nang is rolling
out measures to attract more MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and
events) tourists, given the positive signs on the recovery of the tourism
sector this year. According to Nguyen Thi Hoai An,
director of the city’s Tourism Promotion Centre (TPT), MICE groups with more
than 50 guests will be welcomed and supported. They can enjoy entrance fee discounts,
receive gifts or get assistance in the organisation of events, she said,
adding that the programme will be carried out from February to the year-end. The TPT will coordinate with the Da
Nang Tourism Association in calling on tourism firms to register for
incentives relating to products and services for MICE guests to increase the
city’s attraction. Source:
VNA/SGGP/VOV/VNS/SGT/VGP/Dtinews |
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