At the ceremony (Photo: VNA) Phnom Penh (VNA) – A Vietnamese cultural week was kicked off in Cambodia at a ceremony held in the capital Phnom Penh on August 10. As part of the activities marking the 55th anniversary of Vietnam – Cambodia diplomatic relations, the event runs in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap until 14. Its opening ceremony featured songs and traditional dances performed by Vietnamese and Cambodian art troupes. In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong highlighted the nations’ solidarity, traditional friendship and cooperation, and good neighbourliness. The bilateral ties have grown robustly over the past more than five decades, bringing about important political, socio-economic, cultural, and educational outcomes and practical benefits for the two peoples, he affirmed. Their regular organisation of cultural programmes is key to increasing the countries’ solidarity, friendship, mutual understanding and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese cultural week underway in Cambodia
Wearing 2 week contacts for a month
Vietnam has 4th highest number of weekly Covid cases worldwide: WHO
Vietnam has been recording over 571,000 new Covid-19 cases a week on average, which is only behind South Korea (713,000 cases), the U.S. (760,000 cases) and Japan (1.4 million cases), according to a World Health Organization report. But the report did not mention Vietnam among countries with top Covid deaths. The WHO said the high numbers of recorded cases in Vietnam were partly because of extra data provided by certain localities, which were recorded since February. Over the past week, the northern port city of Hai Phong added another 402,830 cases to its tally and the northern province of Thai Nguyen added another 152,485 cases, the Ministry of Health said. Vietnam records around 2,000 new Covid-19 cases a day on average over the past week, the ministry added. There has been a spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases as reported on Thursday, with 6,775 new cases, which is three times that of the average number of new cases recorded in the previous week, the ministry said. … [Read more...] about Vietnam has 4th highest number of weekly Covid cases worldwide: WHO
Mai Phan Loi has jail term reduced by three months
Mai Phan Loi at court (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The High-Level People’s Court of Hanoi has reduced the prison sentence handed down to Mai Phan Loi , Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Centre for Media in Educating Community (MEC), by three months in an appeal trial on August 11. Accordingly, Loi will spend 45 months in prison for tax evasion instead of 48 months in the first-instance verdict. His accomplice Bach Hung Duong, MEC Director, also received a revised sentence of 27 months, down from 30 months. MEC was founded in 2012 under a decision by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. It is funded mostly by grants and donations from domestic and foreign organisations. As a stakeholder, Chairman of the Founding Board and Chairman of the Scientific Council of MEC, Loi directed MEC’s all activities. From 2012 to March 2021, MEC recorded funding of over 19 billion VND (826,000 USD), but whenever MEC received financial support, Loi … [Read more...] about Mai Phan Loi has jail term reduced by three months
Climate risks dwarf Europe’s energy crisis, space chief warns
The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) has warned economic damage from heatwaves and drought could dwarf Europe's energy crisis as he called for urgent action to tackle climate change. Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters successive heatwaves along with wildfires, shrinking rivers and rising land temperatures as measured from space left no doubt about the toll on agriculture and other industries from climate change. "Today, we are very concerned about the energy crisis, and rightly so. But this crisis is very small compared to the impact of climate change, which is of a much bigger magnitude and really has to be tackled extremely fast," he said. He was speaking in an interview as heatwaves and floods generate concerns over extreme weather across the globe. More than 57,200 hectares have been swallowed by wildfire in France this year, nearly six times the full-year average. In Spain, a prolonged dry spell made July the hottest month since at least 1961. … [Read more...] about Climate risks dwarf Europe’s energy crisis, space chief warns
The Grand Ho Tram Strip launches fountain-side Sound Waves concert series
The Grand Ho Tram Strip on Friday announced its ongoing series of entertainment events set against the breathtaking backdrop of The Fountains of Ho Tram. Dubbed Ho Tram Sound Waves, the concert series will see Toc Tien, My Tam and Issac 365 take to Vietnam’s most spectacular stage. Bubbling with energy, pop sensation Toc Tien will be first to grace the six-storey water stage, following the incredible reception that Phuong Vy Idol and Son Tung M-TP received when they inaugurated the Fountains at a VIP event in July. All Sound Waves events will be free to the general public. Speaking at a staff rally earlier this week, Toc Tien said: “I’m honored to be teaming up with TGHTS not once but twice in the same month! It’s even more of a pleasure to be the opening act for such an extraordinary line up of Vietnam’s top artists and of course, I’m positive my colleagues in show business will be just as excited as I am to be a part of this unique project..” “The Fountains of Ho Tram … [Read more...] about The Grand Ho Tram Strip launches fountain-side Sound Waves concert series
Hanoi promotes industrial infrastructure development for sustainable growth
The capital city is committed to accompanying the business community in promoting industrial products using advanced and environmentally friendly technologies with high-added value. Hanoi is pushing for the development of industrial infrastructure and key industrial products, seen as the driving force for the capital city’s sustainable economic growth. Thang Long Industrial Park in Dong Anh District, Hanoi. File photo During the first six months of 2022, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade started the construction of six industrial parks and is working on accelerating 38 other projects in the city. For the 2021-2025 period, Hanoi aims for supporting industries to make up 30% of the total value of industrial production, an increase of 5% from the current level; raise the value of key industrial products to 40-45% of total industrial production, and expects 10% of businesses in Hanoi to stay among Vietnam’s top 500 companies. To realize this goal, … [Read more...] about Hanoi promotes industrial infrastructure development for sustainable growth
RoK singer shows love for Vietnamese destinations in new MV
A scene of the MV featuring Ninh Binh's Trang An complex. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam looks stunning in a music video “ Waiting for You – 5 , 000 Years ” newly released by Republic of Korean singer and composer Joseph Kwon to mark the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries (December 22, 1992 – 2022). A press conference took place in Hanoi on August 10 to launch the new MV with Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu in attendance. Sieu said he appreciates Kwon for his love for Vietnam’s nature, people and culture, stressing his brilliant MV makes the beauty of Vietnamese tourist destinations shine through and expecting the MV will promote Vietnam’s landscapes globally. According to Kwon, for almost two months, he and his production team have travelled to numerous popular destinations across Vietnam, from Hanoi, Cuc Phuong National Park and Trang An (Ninh Binh), Tam Chuc (Ha Nam), … [Read more...] about RoK singer shows love for Vietnamese destinations in new MV
Football: Vietnam reach final of AFF U16 Youth Championships
Vietnam on August 10 beat Thailand 2-0 at the semifinal of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U16 Youth Championships 2022. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam on August 10 beat Thailand 2-0 at the semifinal of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U16 Youth Championships 2022, winning a ticket to the final of the tournament in Indonesia on August 12. Right in the first minutes, the Vietnamese players put pressure on their Thai rivals, and their efforts paid off in the 30th minute when Cong Phuong opened the scoring. Trong Tuan scored the second goal with a header in the 83rd minute. Vietnam are to meet host Indonesia, which defeated Myanmar earlier this week, in the final. Following the match, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) awarded 300 million VND (12,828 USD) to coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan and his players, raising their total awards to 600 million VND. Earlier, Vietnam beat Thailand 1-0 in its third match of the 2022 International U19 Tournament in the … [Read more...] about Football: Vietnam reach final of AFF U16 Youth Championships
Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel
Foreign tourists visit the Independence Palace in HCM City on August 8. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Strict visa policies and a shortage of human resources and infrastructure in the tourism sector have stymied recovery of the travel industry, and the target of five million international arrivals this year could be out of reach, industry players have warned. Domestic travel has seen a strong rebound whereas international tourism, with a target of five million arrivals this year, remains in a slump, said Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association. Domestic visitor numbers topped 71.1 million in just the first seven months of this year against a full-year target of 60 million, he said. In the same period there were only 733,000 international visitors, or 8% of pre-pandemic numbers, he told a two-day programme titled ‘Lien Ket Suc Manh Du Lich Vietnam Nam 2022’ (Power of Vietnam Tourism Linkages) that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9. Though … [Read more...] about Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel
Universities increase school fees despite MoET’s proposal
Some students might not be able to attend their dream university due to increases in tuition fees. (Photo: nld.com.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Sudden increases in university school fees have brought challenges to both parents and students. Even though the Ministry of Education and Training ( MoET ) has written a proposal to keep the tuition fee unchanged between the 2021 and 2022 school years, many universities have announced multiple price hikes. HCM City University of Law is one of the schools with the highest tuition fees next school year. According to the school's announcement, the lowest tuition fee for Course 47 applied from the academic year 2022-23 to 2025-26 for general programmes of law, international commercial law and business administration is 151 million VND (6,455 USD). The tuition fee for remaining general majors range from 179 million VND to 205 million VND per course. For high-quality programmes of administration and law, a student would have to spend … [Read more...] about Universities increase school fees despite MoET’s proposal