Legal foundations sought for tiger conservation in VietnamThe Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) on January 17 organised a seminar on raising tigers for conservation efforts in Vietnam. Ngo Quang Trung, a fourth-year student at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, won first prize in the logo design contest. The 15-volume book series introduces 3,300 works written by President Ho Chi Minh between 1912 and 1969. Additional 16,378 COVID-19 cases reported in Vietnam on Jan. 17A further 16,378 new COVID-19 infections, along with 179 deaths, were registered in Vietnam on January 17. The most crowded flights were from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Hue, Quy Nhon, and Quang Nam.

At the reception (Photo: qdnd.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam hosted a reception for Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Wojciech Gerwel on January 17. Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam (R) hosts a reception for Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Wojciech Gerwel (Photo: qdnd.vn)For his part, Ambassador Gerwel said Poland wishes to closely cooperate with Vietnam in various fields, including national defence and security. The two sides noted with satisfaction that the bilateral national defence cooperation has been bolstered over the recent past, especially after the signing of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation in 2010, primarily in exchange of delegations, human resource development and defence industry. They agreed to intensify defence cooperation in the coming time in a flexible manner and in tandem with the COVID-19 situation, with a focus on maintaining the exchange of delegations, particularly of high-ranking ones. The sides will step up discussion towards the prompt approval of the Vietnam-Poland defence cooperation plan for this year./.

(Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Relevant agencies and localities in Vietnam are speeding up preparations for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) which is scheduled to be held from May 12 to 23 this year. According to the local SEA Games Organising Committee, Hoa Binh will host five terrain and seven road cycling events. This project will serve not only the SEA Games but also other domestic and international tournaments. Earlier, the deputy general director also inspected the preparation for SEA Games 31 in Vinh Phuc province which will host Muay Thai and golf competitions. The 31st SEA Games, hosted by Vietnam, will run in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities.

Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia organised a Lunar New Year gathering on January 16 with the participation of Vietnamese diplomats, businesses, expatriates and students in the country.The event featured musical performances and Vietnamese traditional dishes.In his remarks, Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang lauded the business community for its hard work and the expatriates for their support for one another given the impacts of COVID-19 last year.On the occasion, the diplomat presented gifts to honour five Cambodian families with Vietnamese origin for their outstanding contributions to the activities of the Vietnamese community in Cambodia and to Vietnam’s revolutionary cause.The embassy’s community support fund in collaboration with a number of Vietnamese firms investing in Cambodia, Vietnamese localities and philanthropists, meanwhile, committed to implementing a programme that assists more than 3,500 needy Vietnamese-origin Cambodian households across 16 Cambodian provinces and cities as the Lunar New Year is just around the corner.Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam association Sim Chy and representatives of participating enterprises stressed their commitment to join hands with the embassy and other diplomatic agencies in implementing policies issued by the Party and State.Also celebrating the upcoming Lunar New Year, the Vietnamese Embassy together with the associations of Vietnamese expatriates and students in Singapore on January 15 and 16 organised a competition make Banh Chung and Banh Tet, the must-have traditional food for the occasion./.

It is considered the first novel series with a different perspective on the bourgeoisie and Sài Gòn (now Hồ Chí Minh City) in the 1970s, written by a true insider. Other members of the team are staying in Spain for COVID-19 treatment following their training and friendlies there. Vietnam have been drawn in Group C and they will play the Republic of Korea on January 21, Japan on January 24, and Myanmar on January 27. The remaining 17 cases are all asymptomatic and being quarantined at the Covid-19 treatment hospital No. The batch was among over two million doses of the vaccine that the COVAX Facility donated to centers for disease control across Vietnam through the Health Ministry.

Vietnam's seas and islands: Spring epic amid seas and islandsThe Lunar New Year is approaching, when most people are quickly returning to their hometown for the holiday, navy soldiers on the islands of Truong Sa district (Khanh Hoa province) still stay vigilant to safeguard the country’s sacred sovereignty.

Vitality of ancient Vietnamese outfitsWhen it comes to traditional Vietnamese outfits, many will think of the “ao dai”, the traditional long dress. However, Vietnam has a wide range of outfits bearing the cultural imprint of every period of history. With growing interest among many young people and the development of films and historical art projects, Vietnam’s ancient outfits have come back into the spotlight.

Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 to be launchedThe selection round of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022, a national event featuring fitness enthusiasts, will open on January 16 in Ho Chi Minh City. Ten finalists will compete for the crown at the final, which is scheduled for April 16 in HCM City. The jury includes Miss Vietnam 2014 Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen and experts from the HCM City Weightlifting & Bodybuilding Federation. Up to 57 foreign non-governmental organisations sent 123 aid packages worth nearly 10.64 million USD to Vietnam, Son said. To date, Vietnam has administered over 14 million COVID-19 vaccine shots for children in the 12-17 age group, with first-dose coverage hitting 90 percent and second-dose coverage reaching 68.5 percent.

The book on Vietnam-Thailand trade and investment released in Bangkok. (Photo: VNA)A book featuring the Vietnam -Thailand enhanced strategic partnership was released at a ceremony in Bangkok on January 14.The book was jointly complied by the Commercial Affairs Office at the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand, and the Thailand-Vietnam Business Council.In his remarks at the ceremony, Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said Thailand has now become Vietnam’s biggest partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ).“I am confident that we will not only continue to be productive in our partnership, but we will take our relationship to new heights of progress, development and the achievement of the goals we have set before us,” said Sanan, who is also Chairman of the Thailand – Vietnam Business Council and Chairman of the Thailand – Vietnam Friendship Association.For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh said 2021 was an important milestone celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic relationship between the two countries.In the long and comprehensive establishment, the two countries have achieved many successes in three key pillars: political-security, economic and socio-culture on the firm basis of the enhanced strategic partnership, he said.In terms of economic cooperation, Vietnam-Thailand is among a few success stories in the region and beyond, celebrating a blooming cooperation in the past decades, according to the diplomat.Thailand is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and the ninth largest FDI investor, while Vietnam is Thailand’s fifth largest trading partner in the world.The two countries are also members of many international trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).These strong foundations helped pave the way to further strengthen economic cooperation, allowing businesses to explore various trade and investment opportunities.“I believe that with strong determination and joint efforts, Vietnam and Thailand will complete the target of 25 billion USD in two-way trade in 2025,” the ambassador said.Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Thailand Tran Thi Thanh My told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondents that the book would serve as a useful reference for businesses and readers who are looking for cooperation opportunities in the two countries./.

Hundred-year-old wooden cathedral in Kon TumKon Tum’s wooden cathedral, which is considered the most beautiful of its kind in the Central Highlands, boasts unique religious architecture and a history spanning more than a hundred years.

The event, the first of its kind, was co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the World Bank in Vietnam, and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam). The hospital has received and treated 10,000 COVID-19 patients so far, with only two related deaths. As of late January 13, Vietnam recorded 1,975,444 cases of COVID-19 in total, including 1,661,930 recoveries and 35,170 deaths. To date, Viet Nam has administered over 14 million COVID-19 vaccine shots for children in the 12-17 age group, with first-dose coverage hitting 90 per cent and second-dose coverage reaching 68.5 per cent. Currently, 107 Covid-19 patients are being treated in Cat Hai District.

A package of Molacovir produced in Laos (Photo: Laotiantimes.com) Vientiane (VNA) – Laos is to step up production of its Laos is to step up production of its antiviral drug molnupiravir with the trade name of Molacovir to serve treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. 3 – the medicine manufacturer in Laos, said demand for the medication is to triple this year, Vientiane Times reports. The factory, which began producing the drug in December last year, has been unable to meet demand because of the increase in the number of COVID-19 patients. The factory is selling Molacovir at 400,000 LAK (36 USD) for one course of treatment, which lasts for five days. To qualify for treatment, patients must not show signs of pneumonia or oxygen shortage.

SEA Games 31, ASEAN Para Games 11 release official sloganThe 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 11th ASEAN Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 11) have launched their official slogan as “For a Stronger South East Asia”. The national steering committee for the organisation of SEA Games 31 agreed at the latest meeting to set the date for the regional sport event on May 12-23, 2022. Sophie Maysonnave, director of L'Espace, revealed that the one-month event will offer 13 new French films with subtitles to audiences free of charge. This is such a proud and rewarding result to all the medical staff as well as research team of Vietnam. The Law on Vietnamese workers working abroad under the contract (revised), including eight Chapters and 74 Articles, becomes effective since January 1, 2022.

A security guard checks the vaccination status of a shopper before allowing entry into a market in Phnom Penh (Photo: khmertimeskh.com)Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia’s Ministry of Health is looking into the possibility of requiring proof of booster shots status before allowing quarantine-free entry into Cambodia, in an effort to contain the Omicron strain of COVID-19. Cambodia posts a high vaccination rate and is heading toward achieving the herd immunity target for people in the country, he said, adding that the booster shot requirement is being implemented because the highly infectious Omicron variant is circulating widely. However, it will be difficult to implement the booster shot entry requirement in the near future because some countries have yet to establish a booster shot regime. Authorities of Phnom Penh capital have urged people to get booster shots, imposing stricter conditions for those who wish to enter public or private institutions or businesses. The country on January 12 began to administer the booster shots as it reported the highest COVID-19 daily caseload in the recent three months prompted by the fast-spreading Omicron variant./.

Illustrative photo. (Source: WB)– The World Bank has predicted that Laos will see economic growth of 4.5 percent in 2022 and 4.8 percent in 2023 despite projected slower growth of the global economy, Vientiane Times reported.However, the global economy is entering a pronounced slowdown amid fresh threats from COVID-19 variants and a rise in inflation, debt and income inequality that could threaten the recovery in emerging and developing economies, according to the WB’s latest Global Economic Prospects report.Global growth is expected to decelerate markedly from 5.5 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent in 2022 and 3.2 percent in 2023.The rapid spread of the Omicron variant indicates that the pandemic will likely continue to disrupt economic activity in the near term.In Laos , the government has eased a number of measures and expedited the vaccination programme to enable the private sector to resume businesses, factories and investment projects to further boost economic growth The government reopened the country to international visitors this month in a bid to revitalise the tourism and service sectors which have been hit hard by the pandemic since 2020./.