Author: admin

A contest named “Show It NOW 2021” has been launched with the theme of ‘Green Your Mind’.

The contest is organised by Arena Multimedia in collaboration with the Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) and Clean and Green Vietnam Organisation.

The contest aims to look for ideas and lifestyles that speaks of civilisation and good virtues in a person, expressed in extremely small actions in life. That’s when you maintain general hygiene, do not litter, turn off the lights before leaving the company and save water.

The theme of the contest is reflected when you show civility in public places such as queuing or giving way to the elderly on a bus. It is the moment you wear a mask when you go out or when you know how to invest and take care of yourself by reading books to develop knowledge or exercising to improve your health.

At Show It NOW 2021, the participating contestants will submit works to compete in such categories as drawing, photography, design, and video. They will be divided into two contest groups for the community and students (for Arena students and alumni nationwide). The age to participate in this year’s contest will range from 15 to 30 years old.

The total prize value of the contest is up to more than 600 million VND (26,000 USD), accompanied by many “passenger tickets” to join the Arena Multimedia creative community.

Entries will be accepted from July 15 until August 15, 2021. Contestants can visit the website http://show-it-now.art/ for more details.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese U23 football team has been ranked eighth in the Asian region, according to the latest rankings as announced by global football website Footy Rankings.

The rankings are based on the achievements of each national team during the most recent Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

In line with this, Vietnam’s U23s are ranked eighth in Asia with 25,897 points, followed by Jordan on 24.228 points, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 23.535 points, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 22.964 points, Thailand on 20.441 points, and China with 20.360 points, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) cited the website.

During the 2016 AFC U23 Championship, the Vietnamese team failed to make it past the qualifying round after losing eight matches and finishing with no points.

Two years later the national U23 team led by head coach Park Hang-seo put in a number of outstanding performances in China to finish as runners-up of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship.

In the 2020 version of the event, Vietnam failed to progress through to the final round, despite defeating Jordan and the UAE.

Vietnam will play in Group I in the qualifiers for the 2022 AFC U23 Championship, alongside the likes of Myanmar, Hong Kong (China), and the hosts, Chinese Taipei (China).

The national U23 team is one of 19 sides in the East Zone, a region which has been divided into five groups.

A total of 19 teams in the East Zone will join 23 teams in the West Zone in competing in the qualifiers for the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup between October 23 and October 31.

The 11 group winners and the four best runners-up will qualify for the finals of the tournament, an event which is scheduled to take place between June 1 and June 19, 2022, in Uzbekistan.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ha Long Bay Management Board in the northern province of Quang Ninh is carrying various measures to protect coral reef ecosystems in the area.

Ha Long Bay is home to 147 species of coral. Areas with high coral coverage of over 30 percent are located in Cong Do-Tra San, Hang Trai-Dau Be with a total area of about 5,108 ha. Coral reefs are distributed mainly in Tra San, Soi Van and Luoi Liem areas.

To save the coral reef ecosystems in the bay, the management board has surveyed and built a database of the ecosystems useful for implementing conservation solutions. In addition, it has also trained human resources specialising in the management and protection of the coral reef ecosystems.

Patrols are regularly organised while violations in fishing and protection of aquatic resources are strictly handled.

The management board has regularly monitored and periodically supervised the conservation of coral reef ecosystems to promptly detect threats and carry out restoration measures.

Along with zoning off and strictly preserving coral reefs with high coverage from 30 percent or more, it also erected warning signs and has stopped boats from operating as well as increasing the frequency of inspections.

Activities to protect the water environment of Ha Long Bay have been enhanced to protect the habitat of coral reefs such as banning polluting acts or collecting floating waste, especially garbage at the foot of the islands where coral reefs are often distributed.

The Ha Long Bay Management Board, in collaboration with the municipal People’s Committee of Ha Long city and related agencies have regularly launched dissemination campaigns and instructed vessels not to anchor on coral reefs and prevent fishing in prohibited areas.

Pham Dinh Huynh, Deputy Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, said thanks to the adoption of synchronised solutions, the coral reefs of Ha Long Bay are showing signs of recovery.

The number of coral reefs with coverage of over 60 percent and branched corals are growing, he said.

In 2019, Quang Ninh province issued a regulation on the management of Ha Long Bay, including a ban on fishing in the heritage area. This rule is of great significance for the conservation of coral reef ecosystems because fishing boats might cause environmental pollution, especially oil pollution, which is one of the main reasons for coral death.

Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Quang Ninh province, is one of Vietnam’s most popular travel destinations, receiving 14 million visitors in 2019.

Ha Long Bay literally “descending dragon” bay, was twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1994 and 2000. The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes.

The limestone in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments. The geo-diversity of the environment has created biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea biosystem.

According to Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Cao Tuong Huy, the province has outlined ways to increase its sea-based economy, focusing on tourism, sea services, and coastal industries that are environmentally friendly.

With a vision of becoming an international tourism centre with uniformed infrastructure, a kaleidoscope of high-quality tourism products, and a competitive edge over rivals in the region and the world, the province has invested heavily in tourism and trade facilities, developing eco-tourism in a sustainable manner, and forming high-end tourism sites in Ha Long, Van Don, Co To, Hai Ha Mong Cai, and Bai Tu Long.

The province will prioritise turning Ha Long into a modern tourism city while developing Van Don-Co To into an international entertainment centre. It is also studying how to develop new tourism products such as yachting, water taxis, seaplanes, hot air ballooning, and scuba diving. Due attention will be paid to upgrading local fishing ports and anchorages, improving fisheries logistics in Co To and Van Don districts, and forming three fishing centres in Co To, Van Don and Dam Ha, and two seafood trading centres in Ha Long city.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Nguyen Huynh Kim Duyen, the runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2019, will represent the country at this year’s Miss Universe global event, to be held in the resort city of Eliat in Israel this December.

Israel has been on the shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination, Miss Universe Organization president Paula Shugart said in a statement.

Beauties from around 100 countries and territories are expected to gather at the competition which will be aired around the world.

The 2020 global competition was postponed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nguyen Tran Khanh Van, who was crowned Miss Universe Vietnam 2019, presented Vietnam at the event in Florida, the US, and was named among the Top 21 for receiving the highest number of votes from fans.

Miss Universe Vietnam began in 2008 and is organised every two years

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people always treasure the practical and timely support of international friends during the COVID-19 fight, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry said since the pandemic broke out, Vietnam has received valuable support from people and Governments of foreign countries, as well as international organisations.

The medical supplies have helped the country sail through waves of COVID-19 outbreaks, it noted.

Given the complex developments of the pandemic, the Vietnamese Government has considered vaccine access and widespread inoculation a crucial, urgent solution.

Therefore, Vietnam has stepped up “vaccine diplomacy,” with the engagement of Party, State, Government and National Assembly leaders, and ministries, and agencies.

Such efforts paid off as the country has received the warm response from partners, neighbours and international friends that have committed up to 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, despite a global shortage of vaccines.

Vietnam has so far got more than 8 million doses from foreign countries and partners, of which 4.5 million doses were channeled through the COVAX Facility, with 2 million doses from the US, 3 million doses from Japan, 0.5 million doses from China and 1,000 doses from Russia.

The partners have also pledged to further aid the Southeast Asian nation in the time ahead.

Other countries like India, the UK, Australia, Cuba and Germany have also made specific commitments to donations and cooperation in the transfer of vaccine production technology.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and countries like Laos, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Australia, Germany, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have also provided Vietnam with medical supplies and sources to serve the pandemic combat.

Vietnam is rolling out its largest-ever inoculation campaign. As of July 20, more than 4.3 million people have been vaccinated, of whom over 300,000 got full two shots.

According to the ministry, the Vietnamese leaders have thanked the valuable support during their meetings and online talks, and in letters to foreign leaders, saying it demonstrates the fine relations between Vietnam and partners and international friends.

At the same time, Vietnam has joined hands with the international community in the combat through cooperation activities and the exchange of experience and sources.

The country has contributed 500,000 USD to the vaccine sharing scheme COVAX.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Techcombank has recorded positive results in the first half of this year maintaining the leading CASA ratio of 46.1 percent.

In a report released on July 21, Techcombank said its before-tax profit in the first six months of the year reached 11.5 trillion VND (498.8 million USD). This was an increase of 71.2 percent over the same period last year. Its total operating income (TOI) in the period grew 52.1 percent year-on-year to 18.1 trillion VND as net interest income (NII) and non-fee income (NF) both saw double-digit growth.

The bank’s securities-related fees, the largest component of NFI, grew 18.4 percent in H1 from the same period last year, comprising 420 billion VND in bond underwriting fees and 865 billion VND in other services – including trustee, consulting, agency, brokerage and fund management fees.

Its bancassurance grew 60.1 percent in annualised premium equivalent (APE) and net bancassurance fees grew 48.1 percent year-on-year despite the impact of social distancing on in-person consultations.

Operating expenses were up 29.6 percent year-on-year to 5.2 trillion VND and cost income ratio (CIR) was 28.4 percent as a result of COVID-19 related delays in IT and marketing investments.

Its provision expenses were 1.4 trillion VND, 19.6 percent more than in the same period last year.

Techcombank’s total assets ended in the first half of the year up 27.4 percent to 504.3 trillion VND while credit provided to customers as at 30 June was up 11.2 percent to 353.7 trillion VND. Retail loan pick-up in the second quarter of the year kept credit demand healthy.

Its outstanding credit to large corporates and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) grew 11 percent from the end of 2020. Total deposits in H1 were also up 15.8 percent year-on-year to 289.3 trillion VND.

Techcombank maintained ample liquidity with a loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) of 76.6 percent. It remains one of Vietnam’s best capitalised banks with a Basel II CAR of 15.2 percent, higher than the Basel II Pillar I minimum requirement of 8 percent.

Non-performing loan (NPL) ratio was 0.4 percent as at 30 June 2021, against 0.9 percent last year. Restructured loans under Techcombank’s support programme for COVID-19 impacted customers fell to 2.7 trillion VND, or 0.8 percent of outstanding loans, with 67 percent of these customers having recovered by the end of first quarter of the year.

“An expanding customer base and higher level of banking engagement in both retail and corporate sectors helped grow fee income. While we remain confident about medium and long-term economic prospects, COVID-19 continues to challenge some of our customers. This was exacerbated towards the end of the second quarter when the government mandated stricter social distancing to control recent outbreaks while ramping up its vaccination programme. As we have since the pandemic started, Techcombank remains focused on protecting our employees and providing customers with increasingly digital, branchless solutions,” said Jens Lottner, CEO of Techcombank

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén has praised the solidarity and valuable support of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people to Cuba during hard times.

Cuba always attaches importance to the special, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, the ambassador told a meeting with reporters held by the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi on July 21.

Hernández Guillén said Cuba is in the most difficult period in 60 years due to the impact of economic embargo and COVID-19. However, the situation has been put under control.

He accused foreign hostile forces of taking advantages of the present difficulties in Cuba to incite violence and illegal acts, and condemned social media campaigns that aim to defame and distort the situation in the Caribbean nation.

Such social media campaigns against Cuba took place in the context of the economic blockade adversely impacting the Cuban economy, cutting its revenue from goods and service exports and hindering the country’s access to medical materials and supplies given the complex developments of the pandemic, thus severely affecting people’s daily activities, according to the ambassador.

Against the backdrop, the Cuban Government has made efforts to protect people’s lives through effective health measures, helping to keep the rate of fatalities caused by the coronavirus at 0.66 percent against the world’s average of 2.15 percent and Latin America’s 2.61 percent, Hernández Guillén stressed.

He said Cuba has approved the emergency use of its home-grown Abdala vaccine which has proven 92.28 percent effective against COVID-19.

Besides, the country is developing four other vaccines, using domestic sources, of which Soberana has completed its phase III clinical trials with 91,2 percent efficacy. Other vaccines have also entered clinical trials.

On this occasion, the ambassador proposed priorities to strengthen the special friendship, solidarity and mutual trust between the two Parties, States and peoples of Cuba and Vietnam, and talked about bilateral collaboration in vaccine supply and the transfer of vaccine production technology.

He pledged efforts to boost the friendship and cooperation in the areas of both sides’ strength

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The northern mountainous province of Son La held a ceremony on July 21 to grant a Trademark Registration Certificate to Son La longan, and export a batch of Song Ma – Son La longan to the EU and UK markets.

Statistics showed that the province’s total longan growing area is estimated to surpass 19,200 hectares in 2021, with an expected output of 98,500 tonnes, of which 2,200 hectares of longan with an output of nearly 22,000 tonnes are eligible for export, mainly to China, Australia, the US and Europe.

Song Ma district is currently the largest longan granary of Son La province with over 7,200 hectares, of which nearly 5,900 hectares have been harvested with an output of over 55,800 tonnes, accounting for more than 55 percent of the province’s total longan yield.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Son La has actively connected with major exporters to select high-quality products for export, thus helping increase the value of Son La longan.

At the ceremony, the National Office of Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Science and Technology handed over a decision to grant the Trademark Registration Certificate to Son La longan, while the provincial Department of Science and Technology awarded certificates of right to use the trademark to 25 cooperatives of Song Ma district.

Representatives of enterprises and cooperatives signed memoranda of understanding on longan production and sale.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Quoc Khanh said that the granting of the Trademark Registration Certificate by the National Office of Intellectual Property is an affirmation of the reputation and quality of the province’s agricultural products, contributing to the completion of the legal framework, and creating a solid foundation for the supply of longan to both domestic and foreign markets.

Source: Vietnam News Agency