Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)– Vietnam recorded 410 new COVID-19 cases on October 31, according to the Ministry of Health The new cases brought the country’s total number of infections to 11,502,885.Meanwhile, 216 patients were declared to be free from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on the same day, lifting the total number of recoveries to 10,603,212.The death toll from the disease was still kept at 43,163, accounting for 0.4% of the total infections, as no fatality was logged on the day.More than 261.88 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far./.

Rescuers search for victims and rescue those trapped at the scene of the bridge collapse. (Photo: AFP/VNA)– Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 31 sent a message of condolences to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu over the collapse of a bridge in Gurajat state a day earlier, killing many people.On the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also extended condolences to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.The death toll rose to 134 on October 31, including many children, as police detained nine people as part of a criminal investigation into one of the deadliest accidents in the country in the past 10 years, Reuters reported.Footage from just before the collapse showed a group of young men taking photos while others tried to rock the bridge from side to side, before they tumbled into the river below as the cables holding it together gave way.The bridge over the Machchhu river around 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Gujarat's main city, Ahmedabad, had only reopened several days earlier after months of repairs./.

In accordance with the bereaved family’s wishes, the dead body will be brought back to Vietnam for a funeral at home. The high tides are estimated to last during October 26-31 and their levels are higher than the average of many years such as 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2020, which had high levels of high tides, said the directorate. In Sóc Trăng Province, the ongoing high tides are expected to reach their peak at 2.25-2.35 metres high, equal to or higher than the levels of the high tides two weeks ago. The event brought together 100 talented circus artists from Vietnam, Japan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Belarus, Russia, and the host country. Forum on innovation in education in Vietnam launchedThe Ministry of Education and Training and Microsoft Vietnam yesterday jointly organized the forum ‘Innovation in Education in Vietnam on the basis of information technology 2022 - 2023’.

Vietnam invests over 450 million USD overseas in 10 months. Meanwhile, 19 projects registered to increase their investment capital by over 61.9 million USD, equivalent to 14.5% of the amount in the corresponding time last year. Vietnamese investors poured capital into 14 sectors, mainly processing and manufacturing with 224 million USD; real estate, 42.8 million USD; and mining, wholesale and retail. As of October 20, Vietnam counted 1,594 overseas valid projects worth over 21.68 billion USD, mainly specialising in mining (32.1%) and agro-forestry-fishery (15.9%). The total newly-registered capital, adjusted capital, and capital contribution and share purchase stood at 22.46 billion USD in the January-October period, down 5.4% year-on-year.

Health Thousands of HIV carriers benefit from PrEP programme More than 60,200 people living with HIV nationwide have been provided with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) service over the last five years, helping to better control HIV infections in the community. Health COVID-19 situation still unpredictable, not yet time to declare pandemic over: official The Ministry of Health believed the COVID-19 situation is still unpredictable due to the risk of more new dangerous virus variants, and countries must continue working to strengthen their surveillance systems.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health (MoH) will propose to the Government to issue policies aimed at encouraging domestic pharmaceutical enterprises to produce rare medicines in order to ensure domestic supply, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong at the Government’s regular press conference on October 29. Huong said a specific mechanism for the storage of some rare medicines and those necessary for the treatment of rare diseases will be proposed. She added that the application of information technology will be promoted to connect medicine producers, importers and exporters, thus facilitating the supply supervision and making timely adjustments. The official said the ministry has helped medicine manufacturers and importers identify the fluctuating trends of the pharmaceutical market, thus developing supply plans to meet the demand. In the coming time, the MoH will renew the registration of medicine circulation through minimising administrative procedures, Huong said.

According to the Noi Bai International Airport, the move aims to comply with Australian powder, liquid, aerosol, and gel restrictions. The airport will work with Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines to screen carry-on luggage to ensure the volume of liquids stays within the limit. The intense liquid screening will be applied for flight QH82 of Bamboo Airways and flight VN787 of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. Noi Bai International Airport spokesman said the control of carry-on liquids is subject to Article 71 of Circular 13/2019/TT-BGTVT issued by the Ministry of Transport. The event aims to respond to the city’s 2022 “For the poor” month, and celebrate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam National Unification Front and Traditional Day of Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930).

He held that policies to encourage the development of e-vehicles in Vietnam have remained limited in the absence of a common set of standards and sufficient charging stations. The official stressed that the Ministry of Science and Technology has yet to set standards for the construction of charging stations and equipment. The number of e-vehicles in the country remains low and has yet to affect the power network, but when it rises, VinFast will encourage customers to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours. At the same time, the firm is building a network of charging stations with a wide coverage and safety to ensure convenience for users, contributing to promoting the use of green vehicles, he said. He noted that VinFast has opened about 3,000 charging stations in the 63 localities nationwide, while developing a team of support technicians to provide on-the-spot charging services./.

Politics Vietnam making utmost efforts to tackle IUU fishing: Deputy PM Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh affirmed Vietnam’s all-out efforts to fight and eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing while meeting with an inspection delegation of the European Commission (EC) in Hanoi on October 28. Politics Steering Commitee on overseas citizen protection set up The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on October 28 held a ceremony to announce a decision on the establishment its Steering Committee for the protection of Vietnamese citizens abroad. Politics One more arrested over repatriation flight bribery scandal The investigation agency under the Ministry of Public Security on October 28 issued decisions to prosecute, arrest and search the residence and workplace of one more person for involvement in a bribery case at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Department. Politics Legislators look into socio-economic issues, special policies for HCM City The 15th National Assembly (NA) spent the eighth working day of its fourth session on October 28 discussing socio-economic issues and special pilot policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, speaks at the open debate on October 28. (Photo: VNA)– Vietnam reaffirmed its consistent stance on the Palestine issue while attending the UN Security Council’s open debate on the Middle East situation on October 28.In his speech, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, voiced his concern about the escalating violence, especially in the West Bank.He held that people of both Israel and Palestine need to be equally entitled to protection measures, calling on all the parties concerned, especially authorities of Israel, to exercise self-restraint to avoid inciting more violence.Regarding solutions for the time ahead, he urged the parties concerned, particularly Israel, to seriously implement the UN Security Council ’s Resolution 2334, halt the expansion and construction of resettlement areas, and stop the demolition of houses and the eviction of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.Giang opined that the implementation of Resolution 2334 is beneficial to Israel’s security itself.The diplomat also affirmed Vietnam’s support for parties to play an active role in the peace process, including diplomatic efforts by the Quartet, the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as any initiative by the international community that is beneficial to the region.Vietnam welcomes the Israeli Prime Minister’s recent statement on supporting the two-state solution, and also welcomes Palestinian organisations reaching an agreement in Algeria which includes the organisation of elections in the future, he added.The Vietnamese representative noted that while pending a comprehensive, durable, and equitable solution to the Palestine issue, it is necessary to continue paying due attention to humanitarian assistance to help Palestinians in the current trying times.At the open debate, other participants also expressed their concerns about the escalating violence. Most of them showed objection and appealed for an end to Israel’s expansion of resettlement areas in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, along with its demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property, which they said have violated Resolution 2334.Some countries called on the parties concerned to exert efforts to promote the stagnant peace process. Many also stressed the importance of humanitarian relief for Palestinian people.Resolution 2334, adopted by the UN Security Council in 2016, affirms that the resettlement areas built by Israel in the occupied territories since 1967 are invalid. It requests Israel immediately cease the construction of new structures and calls on all the parties concerned to end violent acts and work towards substantive negotiations on all the final status issues in the Middle East peace process./.

China has remained Vietnam’s biggest trade partner. (Photo: VNA)China has remained Vietnam’s biggest trade partner, while Vietnam has continued to be the sixth largest trade partner of the neighbouring country, and the biggest in the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) despites impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical upheavals in the world.According to the Vietnam ese Ministry of Industry and Trade, China has been Vietnam’s biggest importer with turnover of some 55.9 billion USD, up 37 times from the figure in 2002.Notably, the group of processed and manufactured goods makes up 77.6% of Vietnam’s total export value to China. Meanwhile, machines and production materials accounted for up to 94.15% of Vietnam’s import revenue from the neighbouring country.Over the past two years, the bilateral trade still exceeded 100 billion USD despite impacts from the pandemic.Statistics released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that the two-way trade was valued at 165.8 billion USD in 2021, up 24.6% from the previous year.Vietnamese passion fruits have been exported to China via the official channel on a pilot basis from July 2022 and fresh durians from Vietnam has also been also officially shipped to the country from September 2022.In the first nine months of this year, Vietnam’s export turnover to China reached 41.22 billion USD, up 6.22% year-on-year, making up 14.6% of Vietnam’s total export value. Meanwhile, the country's import revenue from China was 91.15 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 12.12%, making up 33.08% of Vietnam’s combined import revenue.Under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), China has cut tariffs for more than 8,000 items imported from Vietnam, including farm produce.Le Hoang Oanh, Director of the MoIT’s Department of Asia-Africa Markets, suggested Vietnamese exporters carefully study the market, change their mindset and observe relevant regulations set by the market.For the long term, the MoIT has asked domestic businesses to accelerate the shift to the export via the official channel in accordance with international trade rules to ensure stable, sustainable export.At the 11th session of the Vietnam- China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee earlier this month, the Chinese side affirmed that China attaches importance to economic and trade ties with Vietnam, and proposed some orientations and measures to step up the two-way trade.The official visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, from October 30 to November 2, is also expected to deepen the trade ties between the two countries./.

With a smartphone in hand, taxpayers can easily fulfill their tax obligations through e-Tax application. Meanwhile, the portal of the General Department of Taxation for Foreign Providers was launched in March for companies to declare taxes and track their payments. Enterprises and local residents have benefited a lot when taxes are declared and paid online. Administrative procedures are streamlined, helping cut costs and save a great deal of time. With the product “e-invoice system – solutions to accelerate digital transformation”, the General Department of Taxation was honoured as a state agency with excellent achievements in the digitalisation process at the Vietnam Digital Awards 2022.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)VNA- Vietnam is on track to see a trade surplus of 10 billion USD this year despite enduring global market uncertainties and fluctuations, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien reported at the ongoing fourth session of the 15th National Assembly last weekend.As of October 20, the country’s total foreign trade turnover stood at an estimated 620 billion USD. Exports are estimated at 313.8 billion USD, and imports 306.1 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of roughly 8 billion USD.The import-export value is likely to climb to 800 billion USD by the end of the year, with the trade surplus set to rise to 10 billion USD.This is certainly a spectacular achievement for Vietnam this year, stressed the minister.He attributed these positive results to solutions the Government, ministries, and especially the business community have implemented to stimulate consumption demand and connect product consumption outlets in order to promote trade exchanges.Dien recalled that despite facing the negative impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam’s total foreign trade turnover last year hit 668 billion USD, making the country one of the 20 largest economies in the world in terms of international trade.He went on to say that export businesses no longer rely on key markets but have branched out to new ones. Decreasing demand coupled with high inflation in major markets such as China, Europe, Japan, and the US have forced local businesses to return to the Eastern European market.Furthermore, the effective application of e-commerce services has enabled Vietnamese commodities to reach more overseas markets. Currently, the country’s e-commerce sales have fetched approximately 14 billion USD, with the figure projected to rise to up to 18 billion USD for the whole year./.

The plenary sitting was broadcast live by Radio the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, and the NA Television channel. The engineering subject witnessed the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City place in the 1001+ band. The Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters 2022 was held by the Vietnam Sports Administration, Vietnam Golf Association and Vietnam Golf Service Joint Stock Company (VGS), with VNĐ 1.2 billion given out as prizes, including VNĐ1 billion for men and VNĐ200 million for women. The show in Vietnam will feature famous dancers, such as the winners and runner-ups of the reality TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” in Vietnam. This cultural event aims to enhance ties between Vietnam and South Korea, widely spreading Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts to the Korean people and the young generation of Vietnam.

Fishing vessels of Ca Mau province (Photo: VNA)Roberto Cesari, head of the anti-IUU fishing unit of the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, at the meeting (Photo: VNA)– Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh affirmed Vietnam’s all-out efforts to fight and eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing while meeting with an inspection delegation of the European Commission (EC) in Hanoi on October 28.The host said the European Union (EU) has become a leading partner of Vietnam in various spheres, especially trade, investment, and development cooperation.He appreciated the recommendations by the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to help Vietnam deal with IUU fishing, noting that most of these recommendations match the country’s policy of promoting responsible fisheries and sustainable development of the industry.Thanh underlined that Vietnam has been making all-out efforts to handle the EC’s recommendations in the best possible manner to develop a sustainable, responsible, and well-controlled seafood fishing industry. He also reaffirmed the strong commitment and joint efforts by authorities, fishermen, and businesses to prevent, end, and eradicate IUU fishing.However, the Deputy PM noted, Vietnam’s fishing grounds in the East Sea are affected by many factors while its resources remain modest, so the IUU fishing combat needs great efforts, a roadmap, and time to sustainably put an end to the IUU fishing.Given this, he called on the EC and EU member states to keep close cooperation with and timely technical assistance for Vietnam, with specific features of the country’s fisheries industry taken into account, to implement the recommendations.He asked the EC to recognise Vietnam’s efforts against IUU fishing and the positive results obtained, and to lift the “yellow card” warning for the country.At the meeting, Roberto Cesari, head of the anti-IUU fishing unit of the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said fighting IUU fishing is an increasing priority in the EU’s agenda, and that the bloc views this as a top priority in its and each of its members’ cooperation with partner countries.The delegation highly values Vietnam’s efforts to engage the entire political system in drastic and methodological measures to combat IUU fishing, he said, noting that through random examination of coastal localities, the delegation has seen considerable progress and improvements in anti- IUU fishing actions, including boosting information transparency and improving capacity for fisheries management personnel in 28 coastal localities.It perceived that Vietnam has taken drastic actions at the central level as seen in the issuance of many legal regulations, mechanisms, and policies for IUU fishing prevention, but the enforcement at the grassroots level is still weak.In the time ahead, the country should have effective management mechanisms with strict legal regulations, ensure consistent and uniform enforcement from the central to local levels, stringently deal with all violations, devise an all-round plan for managing fishery resources and strictly controlling the import of fishery materials for export processing, and eradicate fishermen’s infringement of foreign waters, Cesari said.The delegation is set to make another examination and assessment trip to Vietnam in the next six months, the official added./.