QUẢNG NAM — The central province of Quảng Nam has called for an emergency restoration plan to save the ruins of the Đồng Dương Buddhist monastery, a tower complex and pedestal altar built by the ancient kingdom of Champa, from complete collapse. “However, any restoration plan or architectural repairs related to the national relic must be approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It also needs a huge fund from the State budget to restore the Chăm complex to its original design from previous centuries,” he added. He said land clearance for the site restoration project would begin in 2025. The provincial department said a conference on restoring the ancient site will be scheduled for 2025.

“Unfortunately, Việt Nam's adoption of biotechnology has been slow, and the gap between Việt Nam and the rest of the world is widening. It is necessary to remove barriers to the adoption of GM crops in Việt Nam. Việt Nam is one of the countries with the most advanced legal frameworks for GM crops. However, Dr Phương expressed concern about the lack of clear regulations for gene-edited crops in Việt Nam. Since 2015, Việt Nam has imported over 13,000 tonnes of GM maize seeds, covering 662,000 hectares, with official cultivation starting in March 2015.

National flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched the first and only direct air service between Vietnam and Munich, Germany. Following the inaugural flight, Vietnam Airlines plans to open a direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Munich on Monday. The airline will offer a weekly flight departing Ho Chi Minh City for Munich on Mondays. Two decades ago, Vietnam Airlines started operating an air route between Vietnam and Germany. Particularly, Vietnam Airlines and Germany’s Lufthansa are offering direct air services from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt.

However, in Vietnam, the law permits children to ride on motorbikes from birth and does not mandate helmets for those under six years old. Even as late as 2012, when I first arrived in Vietnam, it was commonplace to see people riding around without helmets. Children need to be on motorbikes and there is no product available to apply to the law to improve the safety of riding for children. Motorbikes in Vietnam go slow and they go even slower when carrying children. Indeed, stopping children from riding on motorbikes breaks the very fabric of this culture that I love so much.

The three members of Michael Learns To Rock at present (Photo: MLTR FB)The concert is part of the band’s Asia tour of the same name, which will visit six countries Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Notably, the artists will introduce new songs for the first time in Vietnam. This is the fourth time Michael Learns To Rock has performed in Vietnam, following concerts in 1997, 2015, and 2016. At a previous press conference in Vietnam, Michael Learns To Rock revealed that since English is not the band’s native language, they use plain English when composing and singing. Founded in 1988, Michael Learns To Rock is a Danish band known for their gentle pop and rock ballads, captivating millions of listeners around the world for over 25 years.

Besides, members of the committee include leaders from the Ministries of Construction, Finance, Planning and Investment, National Defence and Public Security and State Bank of Vietnam and General Director of Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam News Agency. He said that Việt Nam always remembers the valuable support and assistance that the Government and people of Mauritania gave Việt Nam in the struggle for national independence. For his part, Ghazouani congratulated Việt Nam on the country's achievements so far, regarding Việt Nam as a success example for African countries, including Mauritania. Both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Vietnam and the Francophone community, particularly in economic, trade, investment, and sustainable tourism cooperation. Meanwhile, Amherd noted that Vietnam is an increasingly important economic partner for Switzerland in the region, and a high-priority partner for development cooperation.

PARIS — More than 100 experts, scientists and partners in various fields from 10 countries gathered at the Global Việt Nam - La Francophonie 2024 (OGVF 2024) in Paris from October 5-6 to explore the prospects of the Francophonie in today's world, especially the important role of Việt Nam in the development of this dynamic partnership after 54 years of being an active member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đức Minh, Vice President of the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences, welcomed the initiative to organise the OGVF, affirming the significant role of the intellectual community abroad in connecting Việt Nam with the world. At the event, experts shared their ideas on the frameworks for unity within the Francophonie community and on economic, health, and educational progress within the North-South and South-South cooperation. AVSE Global is a non-profit organisation based in Paris, bringing together intellectuals, senior experts and prestigious scientists in many fields on a global scale. With about 300 resources present in more than 20 countries and working regularly on strategic projects, along with more than 2,000 supporting experts and 10,000 connectable people, AVSE Global has implemented strategic programmes and projects to promote sustainable development and prosperity of Việt Nam.

A blaze engulfed a Dien May Xanh electronics store in Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province, southern Vietnam in the wee hours of Saturday, charring the entire facility and causing a loss of over VND9 billion (US$364,000). The 1,500-square-meter store is located on Tran Hung Dao Street in My Phuoc Ward, local media reported. At around 2:30 am on Saturday, a fire erupted from the inside of the store, which was locked then. After discovering the inferno, some locals shouted out for help to extinguish the flames and reported the case to local authorities. The blaze destroyed the facility and burned hundreds of TVs, fridges, washing machines, laptops and, smartphones inside the store.

A huge fire at a factory in northern Vietnam destroyed 3,000 electric bikes and motorbikes Friday, state media said. Thick smoke rose from a warehouse belonging to the DK Vietnam-Japan Electric Vehicle Company in Lang Son City after the fire reportedly broke out around 7:00 am on Friday. The fire started on the second floor of the parts warehouse and spread to other floors and adjacent workshops, according to state-owned VTV. The DK Bike electric vehicle production facility spans over 3,000 square metres (32,300 square feet) and includes areas for production, assembly, parts and a showroom for finished vehicles. The company specialises in manufacturing bicycles, electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and 50cc small-displacement motorcycles.

HCM CITY — Việt Nam's economy could reach a value of US$2 trillion by 2050, said Professor Klaus Schwab in a talk show held on Sunday by the HCM City People’s Committee. The talk show, with the theme Knowledge Economy - The Foundation for a Prosperous Future and Youth Action, featured about 1,200 leaders of departments, businesses and outstanding young citizens in HCM City. He said that the shift from a traditional economy to a market economy required a comprehensive restructuring process that must be realised not only simultaneously but also in a harmonious and reasonable manner. In particular, human resources will be the main target and driving force to enhance the market economy. The market economy was the future, and drastic actions of the young generation would be the decisive factor for the success, he said.

Standing proud for decades in Hà Nội but destroyed in the blink of an eye because of Typhoon Yagi. Around 40,000 trees were damaged during the storm but now, thanks to the authorities' efforts, the capital is gradually becoming green again, and the tree-lined streets are reviving.

HÀ NỘI – A new horror-comedy movie will be soon released in five Asian countries and territories. Produced by Bluebells Studios, the movie tells a humorous story of a wealth-making deal between a man and a ghost. “Viewers will feel many meanings through the character of Mr. Đào,” Trung said. By imbuing the ghost character with human-like emotions and an authentic, natural performance, the filmmaker hopes to get the audience to see the ghost as a sympathetic figure. After the launch in Việt Nam, the movie will be released directly in five Asian countries and territories including Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei and Taiwan.

HÀ NỘI — About a hundred circus artists from across Việt Nam will show off their skills in the National Circus Talent Competition 2024 that will be held from August 9-13 at the Việt Nam Circus Federation in Hà Nội. The competition will feature 20 acts spanning various categories such as acrobatics, juggling, balance, magic, comedy and animal training, performed by artists from four groups, the Phương Nam Performing Arts Theatre, Việt Nam Circus and Variety Arts College, Hà Nội Circus and Variety Arts Theatre and the Việt Nam Circus Federation. The performance acts must be complete, with a stage performance duration from seven to twelve minutes. As part of the National Circus Talent Competition 2024, there will also be a street circus parade featuring spectacular performances by professional artists on the Trần Nhân Tông pedestrian street and around Thiền Quang Lake. There will also be an award for outstanding achievement given to one director and one trainer who have demonstrated exceptional creativity in the competition acts.

The CSSP offered seed investment, technical training in tea farming and a drying machine. Acquiring new skills and techniques“Through tea farming, we have learned innovative methods for cultivation and tea processing, thereby enhancing the quality of our tea and making us more competitive,” Lanh said. Tea farming has empowered the farmers in Thach An District, Lanh said. The local residents and authorities are dedicated to expanding tea farming, ensuring adherence to quality standards and meeting consumer demand. They plan to employ advanced techniques and technologies to make tea farming more sustainable and develop the tea industry in the region.

HÀ NÔI — Việt Nam Railway will launch cargo transport platform on Saturday with an aim of creating favourable conditions for customers to select the railway transportation services. The website (https://sanhanghoa.vtds.vn) will provide information of trains, routes and types of cargo that can be transported, as well as schedules so that customers can select the most appropriate services to their demand. After saving the booking on the website, transportation staff will contact customers to handle the logistics and customers will be able to track transportation progress via the platform.