Illustrative image (Source: VNA)– The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group PetroVietnam ) pumped 4.55 million tonnes of crude oil in the first five months of 2022, surpassing the plan by 22 percent, contributing to ensuring national energy security and national development.In the period, the group faced numerous difficulties as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has prolonged for more than 100 days, causing disruption to supply chains, pushing up prices of power and materials, as well as transport and production costs.Besides, existing oil and gas mines have seen big reductions in output while the exploitation of new ones is hindered by regulations.In such difficult circumstances, PetroVietnam has undertaken a range of measures to maintain output and stable operation, including technical solutions to increase output.Along with crude oil, the production of other products such as gas, electricity, nitrogen fertilizer and petrol and oil has also been kept at high levels, meeting market’s demand. Petrol and oil output, excluding that of the Nghi Son Refinery, totaled 2.79 million tonnes in the five-month period, exceeding the five-month target by 8 percent and achieving 46 percent of the yearly plan. The output rose 20 percent from the same period last year.The group also turned out 776,400 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer, up 20 percent year on year and meeting 46 percent of the yearly plan.As a result, PetroVietnam earned an estimated 372.2 trillion VND (16.05 billion USD) in revenues in the five-month period, surpassing the five-month revenue plan by 63 percent, and up 58 percent from the same period last year.The group contributed 52.8 trillion VND to the State budget, up 59 percent year on year.At the same time, PetroVietnam continued to boost international cooperation with foreign partners in oil and gas exploitation, energy transition, digital transformation and technology.At a recent conference of the group, President and CEO Le Manh Hung required subsidiaries to continue with efforts to ensure safe and effective production, and keep close monitoring of the international market and macro-economic situation in order to make accurate forecast serving production-business management in June and the remaining months of the year.He added that besides the group’s own efforts, it is necessary to improve the institutions, including the Law on Oil and Gas and related legal documents, to facilitate investment, production and business activities in the oil and gas sector./.

An overview of the session (Photo: VNA)– The National Assembly will begin Question-&-Answer activities in the afternoon of June 7, starting with agriculture and rural development issues.The questions are expected to focus on the organisation of production in combination with markets for agricultural products; and coordination in building mechanisms, policies on trade promotion, negotiations on market opening for Vietnamese farm produce The deputies will also inquire into measures to control price fluctuations regarding some agriculture and fishery products, animal feed and agricultural materials, the simplification of administrative procedures, the attraction of investment in agriculture, hi-tech application in agriculture , and response to climate change.The main person to answer the questions will be the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Besides, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh and the ministers of some other ministries will field questions on issues related to areas under their management.The Q&A session will be broadcast live on national TV and radio./.

World muay champion Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat will take part in the MMA Lion Championship, which begins on June 10. (Photo: VNA)The 2022 Vietnam Lion Championship , a mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament, will lure the participation of local competitors as well as international fighters over the next six months, becoming the first professional MMA competition ever held in Vietnam. "More than 120 competitors have registered to participate in the championship," Mai Thanh Ba, general secretary of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF), said at a press on June 3 in Hanoi. Among them is eight-time world muay champion Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat and Warriors For Charity winner Tran Quang Loc, who is the first Vietnamese martial artist invited to compete in the prestigious ONE Championship. "I will target the highest position in my category and hope MMA will strongly develop in Vietnam .

Five of them are special gifts specifically for Vietnam that were created by 71-year-old Japanese artisan Abo Muchihide, reported the Voice of Vietnam (VOV). Minister Ha thanked USAID for its active support for Vietnam in the field, particularly climate change and environment protection; and for connecting Vietnam with partners in implementing environment protection and climate change response projects. It will also be a platform for discussions among regulators in IT; providers of internet, mobile, cloud, and content services; members of the Vietnam National Internet Exchange (VNIX) and Vietnam IP addresses; regional internet associations and organisations; and leaders of major internet and IT corporations like Cloudflare, NTT and Inforblox. Free cartoons for Hanoi children from summer to year-endChildren in Hanoi can watch cartoons free of charge at the Vietnam National Cinema Centre from this summer until the end of the year. Jointly organised by the Vietnam National Cinema Centre and the Vietnam Cartoon Company, the screening features 50 works by the Vietnam Animation Film Studio.

World Malaysia reiterates commitments towards achieving carbon-neutral by 2050 Malaysia will soon enact climate change-related legislation, given that the country has committed to becoming a carbon neutral nation by 2050, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. World Indonesia, Australia boost bilateral ties Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is leading a delegation to visit Indonesia from June 5-7.

The Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially sign co-operation agreement on the exchange of research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam. It is expected that by 2030, blockchain will create 40 million jobs, and 10 – 20 percent of the global economic infrastructure will run on blockchain technology systems. "Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance - the world's leading Blockchain development technology corporation, said blockchain is a new technology for the digital economy. Vietnam NFT Summit - Solutions for A New Era” was a part of a series of exchange events for research/application of blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam and worldwide between Binance and the Vietnam Blockchain Association. One of the central goals of the Association is to promote the digital economy and bring Vietnam to the international level in the digital economy./.

Vietnamese coffee popularised at the ASEAN Sports and Family Day in South Africa. (Photo: VNA)Pretoria (VNA) – Members of the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in South Africa recently attended the ASEAN Sports and Family Day hosted by the ASEAN Committee in Pretoria (APC). They introduced Vietnamese cuisine and interacted with about 250 members from embassies and representative agencies of other ASEAN member countries in South Africa. In his opening speech at the event, the Ambassador of Myanmar to South Africa, who is the rotating chair of the APC, highlighted the significance of the event, saying that it contributes to further tightening friendship, solidarity, cooperation and mutual support among the members of the committee at the African country. The event offered a chance for participants to enjoy traditional foods of Southeast Asian nations, thus getting insights into the culture, land and people of the countries./.

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency. On behalf of the Party and State, the President underlined that the Party and State always give special attention to the care for the elderly. Read full story– Question-and-Answer activities will be a focus of the third working week of the National Assembly (June 6-10). In his welcoming remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam highlighted the significance of the festival to the development of friendly relations between the two countries. This year’s event returns to its pre-pandemic scale after two years of scale-down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Deforestation-free jurisdiction al approach to ecosystem management and protection will be applied so that farmers can stay on their land for sustainable incomes. (Photo courtesy of the UNDP)- A project to strengthen integrated sustainable landscape management through a deforestation-free jurisdiction in the Central Highlands provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Nong was launched on June 4.The project has a total budget of five million EUR funded by the EU through UNDP Vietnam. From 2005 to 2020, the natural forest area in the Highlands was reduced from 2.83 million to 2.18 million hectares.In addition, the degradation of agricultural lands due to chemical pollution and soil erosion has become extremely serious and has led the Highlands to account for 22 percent of Vietnam’s natural emissions in land use. Each year, approximately 6.8 million of CO2 is released from coffee farms in the Central Highlands from fertilisers, residues, and fuel.In his remarks at the workshop, Jesus Lavina, first counselor, deputy head of the Cooperation Department of the Delegation of the EU to Vietnam, said: “The project’s three specific objectives – to enhance forest ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and sustain food production – are highly relevant in the Central Highlands and fully aligned with policies and strategies of both Vietnam and the EU. Joining our forces in tackling deforestation and forest degradation will positively impact local communities, including the most vulnerable indigenous peoples who rely heavily on forest ecosystems.”Patrick Haverman, deputy resident representative of UNDP Vietnam, said the project is designed to use a deforestation-free jurisdictional approach, a holistic framework to demonstrate sustainable development without deforestation in a particular jurisdiction as a key to achieve the expected results.Haverman also emphasised that the project will make significant contributions to sustainable forestry development in the Central Highlands and implement the Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy for 2021-2030 and the recently approved Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for 2021-2030./.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)– The Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Woodworking Association (HAWA) plans to organise a session to give consultations to domestic businesses on exporting furniture and interior decorating products to Canada, a promising market for Vietnam, on June 7.According to experts, the high demand and positive impacts from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ( CPTPP ) are factors making Canada a market with great potential for Vietnamese furniture and interior decorating products.According to marketinsightsreports.com, Canada's home furniture market is forecasted to expand 6 percent each year in the 2021 – 2025 period.Statistics showed that in 2021, Vietnam's export of wooden furniture to Canada reached 416.4 million USD, up 27.4 percent year on year and accounting for 16.7 percent of Canada’s total spending on the product in the year.Currently, Vietnamese products have been available in major supermarket chains in Canada such as COSTCO, IKEA and LEON’S. Particularly, conquering the Canadian market will also open up chances for Vietnam to increase exports to other Northern American markets.At the consultation session, Vietnamese Trade Councilor and head of Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada Tran Thu Quynh will brief participants on the current market situation and challenges in the Canadian market, as well as the support that the office can given to Vietnamese exporters.Meanwhile, Pham The Huy, First Secretary at the Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada will highlight some regulations, standards and conditions for exporting wooden furniture and home decorates to Canada.Representatives from some major Canadian importers will share their experience with Vietnamese exporters.Within the framework of the session, private consultations will be provided to Vietnamese businesses./.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)- Vietnam is lead ing the transition to clean energy in Southeast Asia and is a bright spot on an otherwise soot-black map, according to an article published recently on The Economist.In the four years to 2021, the portion of electricity generated by solar in Vietnam increased from practically nothing to nearly 11 percent, the article said, noting it is not only a faster rate of increase than almost anywhere else in the world, but also a bigger share than larger economies such as France or Japan have managed.It said Vietnam had become the world’s tenth-biggest producer of solar power last year and recalled that ưhile underlining Vietnam’s commitment to the energy transition, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh vowed in November last year to stop building new coal-fired power plants and to reduce Vietnam’s emissions to net zero by 2050.The article said that other Southeast Asian countries hoping to up their game can learn a few lessons from Vietnam - the country has quadrupled its wind and solar power capacity compared to 2019.It attributed the "extraordinary achievement" to Vietnam’s political will and market incentives.As many as 100,000 rooftop solar panels were installed in 2019 and 2020, lifting Vietnam's solar output to 16GW.Reforms have made it easier for foreign investors to do business in Vietnam, the article said, noting that the Southeast Asian country will have to make greater efforts if it hopes to achieve net zero emissions by 2050./.

Videos Aviation sector ready for summer travel boom The aviation industry is ramping up operations after two years of COVID-19 disruption, with airlines expanding domestic and international flight network and enhancing flight frequency to renowned tourist attractions to serve customers’ travel demand during summer holiday roster. Videos Early-ripening lychees in Bac Giang sold at good prices Vietnamese lychees are fetching a tasty price at the early season, putting a smile on farmers in the northern province of Bac Giang. Global-standard lychees are even priced at around 1.3 USD per kilo. Business Interest rate support package has little effect on stock market As securities and real estate sectors are not on the list to receive support, the 2 percent interest rate support package's positive effects on the stock market are not strong. Business MoIT to authenticate e-contracts from June The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has created the necessary legal framework for the authentication of electronic contracts in Vietnam and is ready to grant operating licences to authenticators from June.

Priority will be given to developing infrastructure and logistics services at fishing ports and storm shelters. By 2030, there will also be 160 storm shelters, comprising 30 regional and 130 provincial ones, capable of accommodating some 90,600 fishing vessels. By 2030 Vietnam will have 176 fishing ports, capable of handling 2.96 million tonnes of fish annually, and 160 typhoon shelters for boats, which can accommodate 90,600 boats in total. Out of the 125 fishing ports across Vietnam, 68 are currently operational, including three first-class, 54 second-class and 11 third-class ones. The development of fishing ports and storm shelters is considered a breakthrough task towards turning fisheries into an important sector of the national economy./.

The programme was co-launched by US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An, and USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock. He underlined the significant role of offshore wind power when Vietnam realises its net-zero emission by 2050. Miss Grand International President set for Vietnam arrivalPresident Nawat and Vice President Teresa of Miss Grand International will arrive in Vietnam along with the top 10 beauties of Miss Grand Thailand 2022 to attend a press conference on June 7 to mark the launch of Miss Grand Vietnam 2022. Vietnam National Cinema Centre screening free cartoons for summerChildren in Hà Nội can watch cartoons that are being screened for free at the Vietnam National Cinema Centre, starting from this summer until the end of the year. The screening of Vietnamese cartoons, jointly organised by the Vietnam National Cinema Centre and the Vietnam Cartoon Company, features 50 works by the Vietnam Animation Film Studio.

Ilustrative image (Photo: VNA)- Russia’s e-newspaper Infox.ru has run an article written by Grigory Trofimchuk, a Russian expert on foreign policy, defence and security, highlighting Vietnam's leadership role in the region.According to the article, Vietnam is not only one of the flagships of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but also really proves its leadership role, becoming a central player in regional issues and the "key" to those matters.Vietnam's strength lies in its growing prestige and position in the international arena, and its attractive business environment, political stability, and predictable foreign policy, Grigory said in his article.According to the Russian expert, Vietnam's consistent and constructive stance on establishing a peaceful and stable environment in the region, including in the East Sea, is an important factor to help Hanoi adapt to the modern geopolitical situation.He also highly valued Vietnam's role in the process of finding consensus with China on the East Sea-related issues, especially through the direction of the Communist Parties of the two countries to create specific results.According to the author, even in sensitive issues such as human rights, Vietnam has also made significant contributions, which are positively evaluated by the United Nations./.