The Department of Education and Training in Kon Tum province has recently integrated the teaching of gongs and xoang community dance into classroom lessons and extracurricular activities. Students perform gongs and the xoang folk dance at flag saluting ceremonies or include them in other artistic performances. Through the programme of the education sector, “little gong teams” have re-enacted cultural festivals of ethnic minority communities, including the Bahnar group’s new rice celebration. The number of young artists participating in gongs performances and xoang folk dances at local festivals has been increasing. This is a positive sign that the conservation of traditional cultural values is being effectively conducted by the community and localities around Kon Tum./.

FootballHÀ NỘI — Leading broadcaster of sports content in Việt Nam, K+, has signed an unprecedented agreement to acquire on an exclusive basis all competitions organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the 2025-26 to 2028-29 seasons in Việt Nam, starting with the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers' final round in September 2024. This agreement includes more than 25 competitions including the AFC Asian Cup 2027, the AFC Women's Asian Cup and the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. Furthermore, men’s senior national team and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final will also be covered on broad reach linear free-to-air television in the country. He was delighted to confirm the agreement with Canal+ Group to enhance the consumption and reach of the world-class competitions in football-loving Việt Nam and he was grateful for the groups' faith in the AFC and in the future of the Asian game. In Việt Nam, K+ broadcasts major competitions on an exclusive basis such as the Premier League, Formula 1, UFC, ATP, the Australian Open and LIV Golf.

A delegation from the Ministry of Public Security led by Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen participated in Asia Tech X Singapore (ATxSG) that is taking place in Singapore from June 6-9. Asia’s flagship tech event where technology intersects with society and the digital economy is organised by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Informa Tech, and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Attending the roundtable on scams and AI governance, Deputy Minister of Public Security Tuyen proposed solutions to effectively combat cybercrime, high-tech crime in general, and online fraud in particular in the coming time. Also at the Asia Tech X Singapore 2023, a delegation from the Ministry of Information and Communications and about 25 Vietnamese enterprises introduced advanced technology products to about 800 international partners./.

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng has made a commitment to resume operations at vehicle registration centres nationwide no later than early July. Citing the fact that 106 out of 281 vehicle registration centres across the country were closed for inspection for wrongdoings, the minister said violations found at those centres were serious, forcing drivers and businesses to waste a lot of time waiting. The country has more than 2,000 vehicle registration staff but one third have been prosecuted, he said, adding that it takes a long time to recruit and train new staff. “We are applying technology in supervising registration activities and reduce manual workload as well as launch the online application and payment for vehicle registration,” he told the NA meeting. The transport ministry and other relevant ministries and agencies will give consultations to the PM in capital allocation for the project, he said.

– The Prime Minister has decided to force former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam out of his job for serious violations and wrongdoings in work, as a disciplinary measure.The disciplinary measure is effective from December 30, 2022, when the Party Central Committee announced a decision on the enforcement of disciplinary actions against Party members who violate regulations.On December 22, 2022, the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Agency launched criminal proceedings against and detained Nam, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, for charges of accepting bribes.Nam is one of the suspects in the case of "Offering, brokering, accepting bribes, abusing power and authority while performing official duties, committing fraud to misappropriate assets" that occurred within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Hanoi and other cities and provinces.On December 27, 2022, Nam was expelled from the Party under a decision of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat for degradation in political thought, morality, and lifestyle; accepting bribes; violating the principles of democratic centralism, Party regulations and State laws; and violating the regulations on things that Party members are not allowed to do and the responsibility for setting an example.His violations have resulted in extremely serious consequences, causing public outrage and negatively affecting the reputation of the Party organisation and diplomatic sector.Nam, 60, was born in Nam Dinh and had many years working in the foreign affairs sector. From 1988 to 2022, he held various positions and gained extensive experience in diplomatic work.In 2014, Nam was appointed as Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and concurrently served as the Chairman of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs. In August 2018, he was appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan./.

HCM CITY — New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the government’s international business development agency, on Thursday kickstarted its 2023 Made With Care Campaign to reinforce the strong trade relations between New Zealand and Việt Nam. The campaign provides a platform for New Zealand brands to introduce their products to local retailers. Giang Nguyễn, country manager of NZTE Việt Nam, said: “We know Vietnamese consumers buy fruits based on trust in their retailers. Dobson handed over donations made by her government and 10 companies to four non-governmental organisations. Donated for a third year, it will see brands provide seven tons of fruits and almost 1,000 litres of milk to children and adults in HCM City and Hà Nội.

The event was hosted by the People’s Committee of Da Lat City and the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts with the presence of 150 domestic and international delegates. Currently, the capital city of Hanoi is the only city in Vietnam to join UNESCO Creative Cities Network since 2019. According to Vice Director of the ITPC Nguyen Tuan, Poland is the largest trade partner of Vietnam in Central-Eastern Europe, while Vietnam is Poland's fourth largest trade partner in Asia. The Mrs Vietnam International Global pageant was first held back in 2022 and is open to businesswomen aged 25 to 55 living and working in the nation. According to details given by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, as of December, 2022, Turkish businesses have invested 34 projects throughout Vietnam totally capitalized at US$791.88 million.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam resolutely opposes to and demands that Taiwan (China) cancel live-fire drills in the waters around Ba Binh island belonging to Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly), Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on July 8. Hang made the statement in response to reporters' queries about Vietnam’s reaction to the live-fire drills conducted by Taiwan on June 7. "Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Truong Sa," she said, stressing that the exercises conducted by Taiwan (China) seriously violates Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty over Truong Sa, threatens peace, stability, safety and security of navigation, causes tension and further complicates the situation in the East Sea. The spokeswoman urged Taiwan (China) not to repeat similar violations in the future./.

HCM CITY — Vietjet has offered a comprehensive insurance package Sky Care for passengers flying with the airline on all international flights from June 6 to increase the wonderful experience on international flights across five continents. These international routes connect Việt Nam and Kazhakstan, Australia, India, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan (China), Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. With Sky Care insurance package, passengers are fully insured on the entire flight journey with benefits including reimbursement of medical expenses incurred due to accidents or illnesses (including COVID-19), flight-related problems (including flight delay, baggage delay, baggage loss or damage, lost travel documents), and global travel and medical support services 24/7. The total value of insurance benefits is up to VNĐ100 million (nearly US$4,300), Vietjet said. It added that passengers who successfully purchase tickets and fly any international flights will be insured, applied to all ticket classes, including Eco, Deluxe, SkyBoss, and Business.

VNA: As a development partner that has helped Vietnam work its way toward human centered development and sustainable growth, what’re your assessments on the current economic situation in Vietnam? Pincus: UNDP policy recommendations to Vietnam and other countries is based on the principle that development should Leave No One Behind. Vietnam has demonstrated that rapid economic growth is consistent with a deep concern for equality. As a long-term development partner of Vietnam, what is UNDP’s plan to support Vietnam to achieve its goals? As already noted, UNDP is engaged in work on social protection reform and achieving a Just Energy Transition.

HCM CITY — There remains ample room to enhance the multifaceted cooperation between HCM City and Poland, especially in the field of information and communications technology (ICT), a city official said. Bilateral trade between the country’s largest city and Poland reached US$270 million last year, up 8 per cent year-on-year, he said. As of March, HCM City had 10 Polish projects worth a total of more than $469 million. Việt Nam’s total exports of computers, electronics and components to Poland reached $235 million in the first four months. The forum was co-organised by ITPC, the Polish embassy, and Polish Investment and Trade Agency in HCM City.

Experts said at the Vietnam ESG Investor Conference in Ho Chi Minh City that Vietnam businesses must implement their “sustainable and responsible corporate behavior” in order to expand exports to the European Union (EU) countries. At the conference, Daniël Stork, the Netherlands consul general introduced the new rule the EU has adopted in tackling climate change issues like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). According to Sirpa Jarvenpaa, director of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, the CBAM aims to tackle “carbon leakage”, referring to firms moving their production from the EU to places with less stringent emissions regulations to avoid carbon pricing and gain a competitive advantage. The mechanism will initially apply within the EU in October 2023, “but its effect will extend beyond the EU’s borders, even to Vietnam,” Stork said. Source: https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1549529/vn-businesses-need-to-embrace-green-practices-to-export-to-eu.html

Vietnam and the UK will also strengthen ties and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, including OECD, they added. They concurred to promote the establishment of the Vietnam - Guangxi and Vietnam - Yunnan associations of agricultural product businesses. The battle is celebrated in Vietnamese national history, ending 1,000 years of Chinese rule over Vietnam. The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee and the VBS Executive Board in HCM City. Vietnam will also hold a ceremony to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and an international defence exhibition in 2024, he said.

Vietnamese track-and-field athletes at 12th ASEAN Para Games. Notably, on June 7 alone, swimmers Trinh Thi Bich Nhu brought home three gold medals and Vi Thi Hang, two. From the start of the Games, Vietnamese swimmers have won 25 gold medals and set six new records. swimming event at 12th ASEAN Para Games (Photo: VNA)Also on the day, Vietnamese track-and-field athletes bagged 10 gold medals. Vietnam aims to win 50-55 gold medals and to be among the top four at the event./.

HÀ NỘI — Shares maintained an uptrend on both stock exchanges, fuelled by solid cash inflows. The liquidity of the two exchanges remained at a high level, with the trading volume of the VN-Index reaching one billion shares worth nearly VNĐ18.1 trillion (US$767 million). Meanwhile, the HNX-Index saw 116.9 million shares worth VNĐ1.9 trillion changing hands. According to Đông Á Securities, market liquidity remained at a high level, showing that the market's demand is very strong. Foreign traders concluded the day as net sellers on both exchanges, offloading shares worth net value of VNĐ179 billion.