Day: August 16, 2021

Vietnam’s 15-member delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (Tokyo Paralympics) have been ready for the event, which will take place from August 24 to September 5.

Vietnamese athletes will compete in three sports – weightlifting, swimming and athletics.

Chau Hoang Tuyet Loan and Le Van Cong will show their strength in weightlifting; Vo Thanh Tung, Trinh Thi Bich Nhu, Do Thanh Hai will compete in swimming; and Cao Ngoc Hung and Nguyen Thi Hai will demonstrate their skills in athletics.

According to the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the team will leave Hanoi on August 20 morning and arrive in Narita airport in Tokyo later the same day, and then move to the athlete village.

Five years ago, Vietnamese athletes with disabilities made their mark at the Rio 2016 Paralympics when they won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

The opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will take place August 24 night. Vietnamese swimmers will compete on August 25, while weightlifters will have first game on August 26 and track and field athletes on August 27.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 16 signed the Prime Minister’s Dispatch No.1081/CD-TTG on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Under the dispatch, the PM asked the People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces under social distancing order in accordance with Directive No.16/CT-TTg to actively decide whether to continue with distancing measures in line with the directive based on local realities.

Localities were required to ensure food, housing and medical support for residents so that they could rest assured to stay in place and follow prevention and control measures.

Cities and provinces under social distancing must reach consensus with localities concerned to receive and welcome those wishing to return to their native homes, with priority given to pregnant women and those with small children, as well as assist firms in safe production.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has signed Decision No.1409/QD-TTg directing the Finance Ministry to allocate over 4,100 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang in support of residents hit by COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, Binh Phuoc will receive more than 559 tonnes, Bac Lieu over 636 tonnes and Soc Trang over 2,921 tonnes.

Authorities of Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang must be responsible for accuracy of data provided by them and support for the right persons in line with regulations.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Young Initiative Programme – InnoCity 2021 will be officially launched at a ceremony held in both in-person and online forms on August 19.

The programme was initiated by the Union of Students and Youth Unions in Europe under the sponsorship of the National Innovation Center (NIC), with the aim of collecting ideas of young Vietnamese all over the world for restoring national socio-economic development after the pandemic and helping building sustainable and smart Vietnamese cities.

The programme has been popularised among young Vietnamese intellectuals across the world since April this year.

From August 2021 to October 2021, the programme will be held both in-person and virtual forms in Vietnam and Europe. The 50 most outstanding initiatives will be selected for intensive discussions with leading experts in relevant fields.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The People’s Court of the central province of Nghe An on August 16 sentenced Tran Huu Duc, a resident in Xuan Lam commune of Nam Dan district, to three years in prison on the charge of “engaging in activities to overthrow the people’s administration” in accordance with Clause 3 of Article 109, and Clause 1 of Article 51 of the Penal Code 2015.

On January 13, 2021, the Investigation Police Agency under the Public Security Department of Nghe An received citizens’ denunciations on Duc’s collecting and providing other persons’ personal information to a reactionary organisation called “Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi” (Provisional National Government of Vietnam).

The police arrested Duc on January 21, 2021 and conducted a search of his private house, during which they found a list of citizens in Nam Dan district whose personal information was provided to Ho Thi Xuan Huong, a resident in Kon Lor 2 village, Dak Ro Wa commune, Kon Tum city of Kon Tum district via Facebook to serve a referendum to elect Dao Minh Quan as the president of the so-called “De tam Viet Nam cong hoa” (Third Republic of Vietnam).

Investigation showed that between June 2020 and January 2021, through Facebook, Duc contacted Huong and Ngo Cong Tru from Phu Yen province, both of whom are members of the US-based Provisional National Government of Vietnam that is led by Dao Minh Quan.”

Following Huong and Tru’s instruction, Duc gathered information of 36 citizens in Nam Dan district and sent to Huong to register for the referendum.

Duc then wrote a letter volunteering to join the Provisional National Government of Vietnam with an aim to overthrow the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and destroy the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In addition, Duc also posted, shared and sent through Facebook many videos and articles with contents distorting and opposing the Party and State of Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese team has been ready for the upcoming Army Games 2021 in Algeria, said its head Lieut. Col Hoang Ngoc Sang while paying a courtesy call to Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Vinh on August 15 (local time).

Sang lauded the host country for its reception and support for the Vietnamese team.

He informed the ambassador that the service dog training contest in the competition will open on August 22 and wrap up on August 30. The Vietnamese team is determined to achieve the best results to foster defence ties between Vietnam and partners, he said.

Vinh briefed his guest on the situation in Algeria and traditional ties between Vietnam and the African country, saying that it has laid a solid foundation for bilateral links in various areas, including in national defence.

He also wished the Vietnamese team good health and success in the event.

The Army Games 2021 is scheduled for August 22 – September 4 with 34 contests and 260 teams from more than 45 countries. The contests will be held in Armenia, Algeria, Belarus, Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Russia.

Vietnam is due to host the Military Medical Relay Race and Sniper Frontier contests.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Red Cross Society of Hanoi has rolled out a programme to present 10,000 aid packages containing food and foodstuff worth 200,000 VND (8.8 USD) each to pandemic-hit people across the capital city.

The activity was in response to a campaign initiated by the Vietnam Red Cross Society, aiming to ease difficulties facing the disadvantaged in the city and help them overcome the adverse impacts of COVID-19, said Chairman of the Hanoi Red Cross Society Dao Ngoc Trieu.

With the target of “Leaving no one behind during the pandemic”, the programme prioritises people with disabilities, the elderly, people with severe diseases, disadvantaged families, laid-off workers, and those who are staying in locked-down areas.

Since Hanoi has been placed under social distancing measures, the Red Cross Society at all levels have launched programmes to promptly support medical and frontline workers, as well as the poor and pandemic-hit people.

More than 3.5 billion VND were raised from August 5 to 13 to provide relief aid for the targeted people.

The ongoing COVID-19 social distancing measures in the capital city will last until 6am on August 23.

Accordingly, non-essential businesses continue to remain closed, people are not allowed to go outside except for essential purposes like buying food or medical emergencies. Public transport also remains halted.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Trade Office of Vietnam in Indonesia has advised Vietnamese importers to not trade with 34 Indonesian mining companies whose coal exports have been suspended by the local government for failing to meet domestic market obligations.

Accordingly, Indonesia has introduced sanctions for producers that fail to meet their domestic market sales obligations, with 34 companies temporarily banned from exporting coal because of unfulfilled supply agreements with state-run power utility PT PLN between January 1 and July 31 this year.

Starting on August 7, the ban will be in effect until these companies fulfill their supply obligations.

The Trade Office of Vietnam in Indonesia has provided the Ministry of Trade and Industry with the list of the 34 firms, saying that Vietnamese coal importers should not sign new contracts with them until the ban is lifted.

Customs data shows that Vietnam’s coal imports from Indonesia slid 9.3 percent to 9.66 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2021. The import value, meanwhile, surged 42.6 percent to exceed 732.8 million USD as global coal prices was soaring on the back of sharply increasing demand from China and several North Asian countries.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A signing ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18 to provide 1 million meals worth 25 billion VND (1.08 million USD) for the poor and those hit by COVID-19 pandemic in the southern metropolis in August and September.

The activity is under a programme benefiting poor and disadvantaged families in over 4,000 quarantine facilities, unemployed workers, and frontline medical staff.

The programme will also partner with other charity organisations to carry out practical activities during the period.

Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City To Thi Bich Chau, who is also Director of the municipal centre for reception and support of necessities for the disadvantaged, thanked mass organisations for their assistance during the current difficult period.

She said the centre will hand over the gifts to the right persons for the right purpose.

The centre was established a day earlier to promptly offer necessities to local residents and frontline forces.

HCM City is now the largest coronavirus hotspot in the country with nearly 150,000 infections as of August 15.

Source: Vietnam News Agency