Molnupiravir pills (Photo: VNA)– Three pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam are planning to or are producing Molnupiravir pills to treat COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms , according to the Ministry of Health.Of the three, the drug manufactured by Stellapharm Vietnam has been approved for clinical trial. Because Molnupiravir has yet been granted with a circulation registration number in Vietnam, the Ministry of Health is considering asking the Government for approval of using the drug in emergency cases. If approved by the Government, it is expected that three registration numbers will be issued for three types of Molnupiravir drugs manufactured by domestic pharmaceutical companies.Regarding the effectiveness of Molnupiravir on COVID-19 patients in Vietnam, the Department of Science, Technology and Training under the Ministry of Health said that from the end of August, the ministry has piloted using Molnupiravir for non-hospitalised patients. Ho Chi Minh City was the first locality to implement this pilot programme. At present, it has been arried out in 34 provinces and cities.The ministry has provided 110,000 doses, including 50,000 doses of Molnupiravir 400 mg Stella VN, and 60,000 doses of Molnupiravir 200 mg Optimus produced by India to localities.The use of the drug in 22 provinces and cities show that Molnupiravir is safe and well-accepted, and has obvious effectiveness in reducing viral load, virus spread and the number of severe cases, and shortening treatment time, with no fatalities recorded.Molnupiravir is developed by the US-based pharmaceutical companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck & Co., Inc./.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien (left) and Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Nisaka Yoshinobu inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strengthening cooperation in the field of trade and industry . Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Nisaka Yoshinobu inked the MoU. Dien also said he hopes that Wakayama Prefecture will cooperate in sharing experience, consulting on industrial development policies and promoting collaboration in the production of components and equipment for the textile industry. He also affirmed that Wakayama will facilitate the granting of licence for the import of Vietnam's fresh longan in 2022. He also wished to welcome Vietnamese businesses to invest in Japan in general and Wakayama in particular in the near future./.

The export turnover of machinery, tools and spare parts from Vietnam to the US increased from 21 percent in 2016 to 44.9 percent in 2020 and 45.2 percent in the first six months of 2021. (Photo baodautu.vn)Speakers exchange ideas at a forum on promoting Vietnam-US trade in the new context. (Photo: VNA)– Vietnam–US trade could hit 100 billion USD in this year, up 221 times against the figure in 1995 when the two countries normalised relations The first eight months of this year saw bilateral trade of 73 billion USD, Hoang Quang Phong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said at a recent forum on promoting Vietnam-US trade in the new context.Despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its complicated developments which disrupted the supply chains, 2020 was the first year that the total trade turnover between Vietnam and the US has exceeded the 90 billion USD benchmark, reaching 90.8 billion USD, compared to 451 million USD in 1995, he said.Phong said that trade has become a pillar of the growing bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the US.Vietnam has been attractive to US businesses with a market of nearly 100 million consumers, positive growth, open policies, close connection with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market and other major markets in the world thanks to a network of free trade agreements, he saidVietnam has become the 10th largest trading partner of the US, while the US is also the largest trading partner of Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the first countries in Asia to sign a trade agreement with the US.Many commercial investment opportunities between the two countries will be opened up when there is a regular direct flight of Vietnam Airlines connecting the two countries, Phong said.Vietnam's export turnover to the US has increased by 230 percent, while exports from the US to Vietnam have also grown by more than 175 percent over the past five years. Key Vietnamese products exported to the US are machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts.Experts suggested that businesses pay attention to meeting requirements on products’ quality and dealing with technical barriers./.

(Photo: VNA)New York (VNA) - Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), has emphasised that countries must be held accountable for ensuring the management and control of weapons and fighting crime and illegal weapons. It was necessary to pay attention to specific characteristics in each region and country, support capacity building to handle post-conflict security and order issues, and have holistic and effective approaches, the Vietnamese diplomat said, adding that countries need to ensure their legitimate rights to purchase, produce, transfer and own weapons for defence and security purposes. Robin Geiss, Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and Maria Pia Devoto, a representative of the Forum on Arms Control, presented reports at the meeting. Delegates stressed that the prolonged illegal use of weapons has aggravated armed conflicts, causing civilian casualties, especially women and children, and impacting security, stability, socio-economic development in conflict and post-conflict areas. UN peacekeeping missions should continue to assist the host countries in arms recovery, disarmament, demobilisation, re-integration of fighters, security reform, and post-conflict reconstruction, they said./.

At a port in Hai Phong (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC) announced on November 23 that it will inaugurate a container shipping route linking Vietnam, Malaysia and India on November 25. A VIMC representative said the route is expected to ease pressure on cargo transportation, stabilise the supply of transport services and support domestic firms. On October 26, the first Vietnamese container ship passed through Malacca Straits to bring goods to Malaysia and India - major markets of the domestic exporters and importers. Next year, VIMC will continue investing in a fleet of specialised, high-capacity and modern container ships, seeking cooperation opportunities with foreign partners, perfecting its management model to become a national container transport group. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese exporters and importers incurred higher logistics costs, including container shipping costs on waterway.

Standing Vice Chairman of the committee Mai Son addresses the event (Photo: VNA)Bac Giang (VNA) – The People’s Committee of the northern province of Bac Giang has held a ceremony to launch the Lifelong Learning Week in 2021 via videoconference with connections to more than 700 locations in 10 districts and cities across the province. This year, the Lifelong Learning Week is themed “Digital transformation and chances for lifelong learning for all amid COVID-19”. The Lifelong Learning Week is a chance to honour, maintain and promote the tradition of studiousnes of Vietnamese people, he said. Son held that lifelong learning, along with the strengthening of digital transformation, especially amid COVID-19 pandemic, will help form a society in which all individuals are active in learning, and all people become more closely together. Lifelong learning also serves as a source of happiness and help people improve themselves, he added.

Lenger Seafoods Vietnam Co., Ltd exports canned clams to Europe (Photo: VNA)– Lenger Seafoods Vietnam Co., Ltd based in the northern province of Nam Dinh on November 22 marked the first-time export of a container of canned clams to Europe Tran Dinh Luan, general director of the Directorate of Fisheries said that the export of clam products to European markets is a good signal, confirming that clam farming and processing has met strict quality standards The container, with 200,000 cans, is is the first batch in an order of 2 million cans in ten containers, which will be delivered in 2022.Nguyen Ho Nguyen, director of Lenger Seafoods Vietnam said the export of products to fastidious markets like the EU is the result of many years of modernising canned clam production lines, and efforts of the firm to seek markets.Recently, Lenger Seafoods Vietnam has installed and put a modern equipment line with a capacity of up to 12 million cans per year into operation. The treatment of waste after processing also received due investment to meet European standards.According to vice director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Thi To Nga, the firm’s export orders has opened great opportunities for Nam Dinh’s aquaculture sector, helping improve incomes for local farmers./.

Politics Vietnam pledges more contributions to ASEAN - China ties Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said Vietnam will keep doing its utmost to help develop the ASEAN - China relations on par with their comprehensive strategic partnership. Politics President visits Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 22 visited the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre in Hanoi, during which he lauded the centre's outstanding achievements over the past 30 years. Politics Deputy Minister of National Defence promoted to Senior Lieutenant General President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council and commander of the armed forces, presented to Deputy Minister of National Defence Pham Hoai Nam a decision on the deputy minister's promotion from the rank of Rear Admiral to Senior Lieutenant General at a ceremony on November 22. Politics NA Standing Committee opens fifth sitting The National Assembly’s Standing Committee convened its fifth sitting in Hanoi on November 22 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Vietnam set ambitious goal ahead of AFF Cup 2020The Vietnamese national team will enter the AFF Cup 2020 as defending champions with a strong determination to defend their title. Vietnam stay atop Southeast Asian in the latest FIFA rankings, but Thailand are always their archrivals in the region. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has recently approved a strategy for cultural development to 2030, which prioritises a number of potential and advantageous cultural industries. This is a national cultural event held annually in Ha Long city, drawing the participation of nearly 100 artists from the Vietnam Circus Federation. He affirmed education - training is a national policy and science - technology the key to national development.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence (the seventh from the left) presents decision to the 12 officers. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Defence (MOD) on November 22 presented the President’s decisions to assign 12 officers, including two females, to South Sudan and the Central African Republic to work for the United Nations peacekeeping missions there. Vietnam has so far sent 41 female soldiers to work at the UN peacekeeping missions, accounting for nearly 16 percent of the total Vietnamese peacekeeping personnel, much higher than the average ratio of other countries. Since the 2021-2022 term, the United Nations has assigned two more positions to Vietnam at the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), of which the post of communications officer is reserved for women, meeting gender equality policy and increasing the number of female soldiers participating in UN peacekeeping operations. Addressing the event, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence, head of the MOD’s steering committee for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, requested deployed officers to firmly grasp the external policy of the Party, State and army and perform the assigned tasks to the highest standards possible ./.

Illustrative photo. (Source: vneconomy.vn)Smart & Sustainable Cities Forum will take place this week, bringing together speakers from the public and private sectors to share practices and knowledge about critical sustainability issues related to the development of Vietnam’s urban centres.It will be held by RMIT University in collaboration with the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and DXCentre, a Ho Chi Minh City-based provider of consultation and support in digital transformation, via video teleconference on November 24.With over 3.5 billion people living in cities globally now and a projected 70 percent of humanity living in cities by 2050, developing smart and sustainable cities is at the forefront of urban development and planning globally.In Vietnam, urban centres have also witnessed rapid expansion. Based on the latest census, the population of the two biggest cities – Hanoi and HCM City – are about 8 and 9 million respectively, and both metropolises are expected to grow further. Moreover, two thirds of the country’s provinces and municipalities have started building smart cities.The United Nations define “smart sustainable city” as an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve the quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects.As such, the forum will demonstrate in detail the symbiotic relationship between smart cities and sustainability, and why they are the only way forward for Vietnam’s cities.The morning session will focus on the linkage between smart cities and sustainability, exploring how the two concepts are critical for sustainable development.The afternoon programme will feature six separate tracks showcasing case studies and developments from both local and international academics, practitioners, and innovators.The first two parallel tracks will explore blockchain innovation and the concept of liveable cities in the Australian context.The second set of parallel tracks will examine the smart energy and climate change solutions, and three critical areas of smart development – specifically, logistics, tourism, and governance.The final parallel tracks will see experts share the necessity of moving toward a circular economy and showcase solutions for a critical existential problem facing humanity: plastic pollution.As part of the event, RMIT University will launch its newest whitepaper “Digital Transformation in Vietnam: the SME and SOE experience”, based on findings from surveys, interviews and focus groups conducted with middle- to senior-level managers at state-owned enterprises and small- to medium-sized enterprises operating in Vietnam./.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)- School culture contributes to promoting and improving the quality of education , and developing qualified and talented human resources that can meet the increasing requirements of the renewal cause and international integration, National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man told the Vietnam Education Conference on November 21.Therefore, improving the school culture is an urgent and important task, especially in the context that the COVID-19 pandemic is seriously affecting all aspects of the social life, including the education and training field, Man stressed.Over the past time, the education sector has had many solutions to build school culture, creating a healthy pedagogical environment. However, he pointed out several shortcomings, including the dishonesty in teaching and learning and in testing and evaluation, unstandardised behaviours of a few number of students and teachers, as well as school violence and child abuse in some educational institutions, thus affecting the quality of teaching and learning.The NA Vice Chairman showed his hope that the conference would propose practical solutions and policies to create a change in both awareness and action, towards a positive school culture environment.The Vietnam Education Conference was jointly held by the NA Committee for Culture and Education, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.Delegates touched on school culture from State management agencies’ viewpoints; Vietnamese and foreign experts’ opinions on the issue; and challenges, policy recommendations and solutions. They also scrutinised school culture and its relations with internal and external factors, and in the context of digital transformation and integration.Since 2017, the annual conference has offered a forum for NA deputies, domestic and foreign experts, and educators to share experience and discuss education-training issues and put forward solutions, mechanisms and policies for effective implementation./.

Business Vietnamese firm exports canned clams to Europe Lenger Seafoods Vietnam Co., Ltd based in the northern province of Nam Dinh on November 22 marked the first-time export of a container of canned clams to Europe. Business Enterprises in Tien Giang adopt flexible production models to revive production Businesses in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have adopted various ways to quickly restore production and business while ensuring pandemic prevention, according to Nguyen Thanh Liem, deputy head of the provincial management board for industrial zones. Business Vietnam Airlines launches its own online marketplace National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched an e-commerce platform called VNAMALL (http://vnamall.vietnamairlines.com/), offering discounted deals on more than 300 products as part of its Black Friday promotional event.

— VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet"Our monthly household expenses are nearly VND30 million (US$1,288) and we now depend on my husband's income. That has affected our family's financial plan in the long-term," Van told Việt Nam News. "We do not dare to inject our money in risky investments as we did in the pre-pandemic period," Van told Việt Nam News. For Thu Hang, who is working at a private bank in Hanoi, the pandemic and prolonged social distancing period have negatively impacted her personal finance. The electricity bill alone cost me more than VND3 million a month, even though I used electricity very sparingly," Hang told Việt Nam News.

Tam Dao's fresh chayote tops are popular among visitors. She told Việt Nam News she was addicted to the chayote tops. With favourable natural conditions, Tam Dao's chayote tops and fruits are more sweet and fragrant compared with others. Thanks to natural conditions, Dau earns a stable monthly income of between VND10-15 million from chayote tops and fruits. In addition to boiled chayote tops, diners also like fried chayote tops with beef.