Visit great smoky mountains

Argentine grill masters fired up their spits Sunday for the fourth annual Federal Roast Championship in Buenos Aires. Festival-goers gathered along the capital city's main drag to watch the action, celebrating the country's gastronomic culture as the best barbecue chef in the nation was set to be crowned. According to city's tourism website, competitors representing all of Argentina's 23 provinces arranged kiosks up and down the July 9 Avenue, named for the country's day of independence. Participants "will prepare different cuts of meat in front of a jury of experts who will choose the 2022 champion," the site said. The competition will be judged based  on how the cooks execute their own specialized techniques for meat-grilling, a tradition common throughout southern South America. Competitors represent all of Argentina's 23 provinces arranged kiosks up and down the July 9 Avenue, named for the country's day of independence. Photo: AFP … [Read more...] about Contestants spar in great Argentinian grill-off

Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai and delegates plant barringtonia asiatica trees at Ben Duoc Memorial Temple. (Photo: SGGP) Attending the ceremony were Major General Dang Van Lam, Deputy Commander of Military Region 7; Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nam, Member of the Standing Committee of the HCMC Party Committee, Commander of the HCMC Command; Colonel Le Ba Quan, Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff of Naval Region 2; Ms. To Thi Bich Chau, Member of the Standing Committee of the HCMC Party Committee, Secretary of the District Party Committee of District 1; Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Hien, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Cu Chi District. Deputy Secretary of HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai and delegates planted barringtonia asiatica trees at Cu Chi District Cultural Center, Ben Duoc Memorial Temple, and Memorial Temple of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Revolutionary Traditional Area in Cu Chi Tunnels Relic Site. According to Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai, over the past time, the Party, State, and Ministry of … [Read more...] about More barringtonia asiatica trees given by Truong Sa Island planted in HCMC

Vietnamese contestants in the 34th International Olympiad in Informatics in 2022. (Photo: SGGP) With a 100 percent medal-winning rate, including one gold and three silver medals, the Vietnamese national team ranks in the top nine countries and territories, after China, Japan, the US, South Korea, Iran, Ukraine, Croatia, and Taiwan, according to the medal tally. Specifically, Tran Xuan Bach, an eleventh grader of the High School for Gifted Students, College of Natural Science, under the Vietnam National University (VNU), won the gold medal. Duong Minh Khoi, a twelfth grader of the High School for Gifted Students, College of Natural Science; Le Huu Nghia, a twelfth grader of Binh Long High School for Gifted Students in Binh Phuoc Province; Truong Van Quoc Bao, a twelfth grader of Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students in Nghe An Province, won the silver medals. The 34th International Olympiad in Informatics in 2022 was held online and in person. The Vietnamese team … [Read more...] about Vietnam wins four medals at 34th International Olympiad in Informatics

Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 34 and her friends had their tickets from Singapore to Jeju Island canceled on August 9 because they did not have visas. The island, however, has a visa exemption policy for tourists. Hien, from Hanoi, said she'd already visited Jeju back in 2018 under the visa exemption policy and wasn't aware that it had changed when she booked the tickets for her and her friends to fly there from Singapore. "When we got to the Changi Airport for check-in procedures, an employee told us to discuss the issue with the airline. A representative of Scoot Airlines said Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolians and people from certain other countries would no longer be able to enter Jeju Island under the visa exemption policy. The airline said it would refund our tickets," Hien said. Vu Quoc Hung, 31, who had booked tickets with 11 other Vietnamese to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Jeju on August 11 via Singapore, had the same experience. Hung's group reached the Changi Airport and did some … [Read more...] about Airline cancels Vietnamese tourists’ tickets to South Korea’s Jeju Island

China's financial hub Shanghai said on Sunday it would reopen all schools including kindergartens, primary and middle schools on Sept. 1 after months of COVID-19 closures. The city will require all teachers and students to take nucleic acid tests for the coronavirus every day before leaving campus, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission said. It also called for teachers and students to carry out a 14-day "self health management" within the city ahead of the school reopening, the commission said in a statement. Shanghai shut all schools in mid-March before the city's two-month lockdown to combat its worst COVID outbreak in April and May. It allowed some students of high school and middle school to return to classrooms in June while most of the rest continued home study for the remainder of the semester. The announcement on schools reopening brings great relief to many residents but fears about COVID lockdowns continue to persist, as China vows to stick to its dynamic … [Read more...] about Shanghai to reopen all schools Sept. 1 as lockdown fears persist

At the event, General Nghia heard opinions of the forces directly involved in the opening and closing ceremonies and proposals made by functional agencies. He lauded artists, troops, and other relevant forces for their great efforts during the practice for the important ceremonies. The deputy chief of the General Staff emphasized that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense’s hosting of the “Emergency Area” event of the Army Games 2022 is of practical significance and a highlight in the defense diplomacy. It contributes to enhancing exchanges, boosting friendly cooperation between Vietnamese military and their foreign peers. He asked functional agencies and units to double check the work, ensure solemn protocols at the ceremonies and the spread of nice images of Vietnam, its culture, traditions, people and military among international friends. He also urged involved forces to make the most of time to practice to ensure the success of the ceremonies. This is the second … [Read more...] about Preparation for opening ceremony of Army Games 2022 in Vietnam sped up

In 2016, Ho Chi Minh City drew up plans for a series of projects in the Tan Son Nhat International Airport area, an important traffic hub that connects with downtown areas of several districts like Tan Binh, Tan Phu and Go Vap. Among the projects were overpasses over the Truong Son Road, the Nguyen Thai Son-Nguyen Kiem intersection and expansion of the Hoang Minh Giam Road, which were all completed within three years and helped relieve traffic congestion in the area. But several other projects have suffered repeated delays, including a road to connect the major streets of Cong Hoa and Tran Quoc Hoan. This 4 km road with an investment of over VND4.8 trillion ($205.1 million), has been delayed by land clearance issues, mostly related to military land. About 15 km away, traffic at the Cat Lai Port area in Thu Duc City has also been a headache for years. Since 2016, HCMC has worked on the first phase of a My Thuy Intersection project, which includes overpasses, underground tunnels … [Read more...] about HCMC key traffic infrastructure projects delayed for years over land clearance, fund issues

Visitors at the 20th International Medical, Hospital & Pharmaceutical Exhibition that opened on Thursday in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo The Vietnamese medical devices market, which is growing annually at more than 18 per cent, relies heavily on imports, representing significant opportunities for foreign businesses, according to the HCM City Medical Equipment Association. The market is now worth US$1.5 billion, up from US$1.1 billion in 2017, Hua Phu Doan, deputy chairman of the association, said. Domestic medical devices manufacturers make mostly basic stuff and meet only 10 per cent of demand while the remaining 90 per cent is imported, he told a meeting held recently in HCM City. The number of foreign manufacturers in Viet Nam remains modest due to the lack of development of supporting industries and the absence of an industrial cluster in this sector, he said. Foreign investment in the production of medical devices is vital to reduce reliance on imports and facilitate … [Read more...] about Viet Nam seeks foreign investment in medical devices production

In 1992, when the agreement between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union became invalid, with permission by the Vietnamese and Russian Governments, the Mausoleum Management Board and VILAR switched to direct cooperation in preserving the body of the President. Addressing the conference, PM Chinh said when President Ho Chi Minh passed away in 1969 at the age of 79, with the endless love and gratitude for the leader and to realize the strong aspiration of the entire Party, military and people, the Politburo and the Party Central Committee decided to preserve his corpse in the long term and to build a mausoleum so that his reputation, great career, and enormous devotion would exist forever in the heart and mind of every Vietnamese people and become an everlasting symbol of the national solidarity and unity. Braving the fierce war, experts from the Soviet Union worked side by side with Vietnam’s military officers and soldiers to make tireless efforts to surmount every hardship to … [Read more...] about PM appreciates Russia’s help with preservation of President Ho Chi Minh’s body

During a meeting with the German official on August 11, Ambassador Minh highlighted the fruitful development of the friendship between Vietnam and Saxony state in recent years, expressing the gratitude to the government of Saxony state for promoting the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Germany in general and Saxony in particular. The diplomat suggested the state government considers promoting the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the state’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, thus creating a favorable framework for recruiting more Vietnamese skilled workers for German enterprises. For his part, Kretschmer said the collaboration between Saxony and Vietnam has been developing positively in recent years, adding that the Vietnamese community here has made important contribution to the cultural diversity of the state. As President of the association of public universities in Saxony, … [Read more...] about Vietnam beefs up ties with Germany’s Saxony state