Domestic violence awareness month

Passengers, including children, wishing to fly on domestic routes are no longer required to undergo a COVID-19 test at the airport even when they have not received a single vaccine dose. The new rule laid down by the Ministry of Transport took effect as of January 22 which helps ease travel restrictions for passengers on domestic air routes. The rule does not apply to passengers coming from the red zones or lockdown areas which are at a high risk of virus infection. Passengers coming from these areas are still required to undergo COVID-19 testing with the result coming back negative 72 hours before their departure. For children living in the red zones or lockdown areas and wishing to fly on domestic routes, the Ministry of Transport has requested the Ministry of Health to give detailed guidance. Under the new rule, the Ministry of Transport also no longer requires COVID-19 testing for domestic flight crew every seven days. However, all passengers are still required to … [Read more...] about No COVID-19 testing required for air passengers on domestic routes

Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the groundbreaking ceremony (Photo: market.bisnis.com) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on January 24 launched the construction of a 2.3 billion USD coal gasification plant, in a bid to reduce the country's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports while optimising its coal resources. The plant is designed to utilise 6 million tonnes of low rank coal to produce 1.4 tonnes of dimethyl ether (DME) annually, which can reduce Indonesia 's LPG import by 1 million tonnes per year, according to state coal miner Bukit Asam which is building the plant in partnership with US firm Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. The plant is in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, a mining hub of state coal miner Bukit Asam. Construction is slated to take 30 months and state energy company Pertamina is expected to use gas produced from the plant. Last year, Indonesia consumed 7.95 million tonnes of LPG, of which 6.4 million tonnes were imported, … [Read more...] about Indonesia starts work on 2.3 billion USD coal gasification plant

How mobile money services operate, illustration photo With an appropriate application, a customer can use their cellphone to transfer values wherever there are wireless phone services, and the recipient of such a transfer may then use that value for trading goods or visit an authorised agent for changing it into cash. Mobile money has thus proven an effective way to provide access to finance to millions of unbanked people around the globe. In Vietnam, mobile money services came to public attention at the beginning of 2020, when it was mentioned on social media as the newcomer in financial services. It was not until last March that the prime minister adopted a pilot programme for mobile money services (MMS) under. The pilot will run for two years from last November. The aim of the pilot programme has been to promote cashless payments and encourage access and use of financial services in Vietnam, especially for people living in rural and mountainous areas suffering from … [Read more...] about How mobile money services operate

Hanoi, a bustling commercial and cultural hub, ensures social welfare for local people in special occasions like Tet holiday. Hanoi’s health sector is tasked with taking care of residents in the upcoming Tet holiday (the Lunar New Year) amid the rising number of Covid-19 infections. Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung at the meeting on Jan 25. Photos: Minh An/ Kinh Te Do Thi Health workers will be available around the clock during the 9-day holiday, which will fall in early February, according to a meeting chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung. The deputy chairman made the request at the meeting on January 25 when local authorities discussed measures to bring the pandemic under control while maintaining activities during the biggest holiday. Hanoi has reported an average of 3,000 Covid-19 cases per day for the past month, making it the most affected area in Vietnam. However, the high … [Read more...] about Hanoi to ensure healthcare in Tet holiday

Tran Quoc Pagoda. Source: dothi Visiting a pagoda and worship in pagoda were never before of my interest, confided Tran Lan Anh, an employee of a privately-run company in Hanoi. It has changed. “I got accustomed to worshipping at pagodas with my mother in law,” the 35-year-old Hanoian said, elaborating that she now visits the Tran Quoc pagoda, perhaps the most ancient pagoda in Vietnam, on every first and fifteenth day of the lunar months. “Now, when an occasion comes around, I bring flowers, fruits and joss sticks for the Buddha to pray for peace and happiness for my family,” she said. Unlike Anh, many Vietnamese people do not visit pagodas on a regular basis but still take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and in the Sangha. For them, and Buddhist followers alike, burning incense dedicated to the Buddha and praying for peace are common practices. Only when visiting a pagoda, can one feel peace and tranquility, free from the hustle and bustle of everyday … [Read more...] about Buddhism in Vietnamese people’s spiritual lives

Assigning tasks to the ship’s crew, Senior Colonel Le Phuc Tien, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of Flotilla 21, asked the crew to heighten vigilance, promote good images of Uncle Ho’s soldiers and coast guards, observe combat readiness regulations, safeguard national maritime sovereignty, and maintain security, order, and safety in the waters of the Central region. They were requested to prevent trade fraud before, during, and after Tet and stay ready to undertake search and rescue missions and assist fishermen operating at sea during the Tet holiday. Col. Tien also asked the ship’s party committee and chain-of-command to organize Tet-welcoming activities for troops. According to Sr. Lt. Le Xuan Truong, Captain of the ship, together with preparation of food imbued with national tradition, the unit organized a chung-making program for new recruits to help ease their nostalgia when welcoming Tet far from home. Sr. Lt. Truong confirmed that all troops are … [Read more...] about Naval troops ready for Tet duties

As a result, in January, members of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) directed units in the whole military to fulfill military and defense missions. Especially, the military units have strictly maintained combat readiness, grasped situations, and closely worked with relevant forces in task implementation. The CMC, MND also instructed military units to ensure forces, maintain equipment for task performance and promote international integration and defense diplomacy. In addition, Party and political as well as gratitude work was also well implemented so as to prepare for troops to welcome the coming lunar New Year (Tet) 2022. Delivering speeches at the conference, MND’s leaders pointed out the whole military’s achievements over the past month while mapping out leadership orientations for the next month. In acknowledgement of the leadership’s achievements in January, General Giang underscored that in … [Read more...] about Leadership over task implementation in January reviewed

On Jan 8, Vietnam's Immigration Department said the automatic extension of visas for foreign nationals stranded in the country due to Covid-19 would end on Jan 15 because the country had resumed regular commercial international flights. From January 1 to 15, Vietnam reopened regular commercial flights on nine international routes covering Bangkok, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Phnom Penh and Vientiane. Flights to Australia were launched on the 15th. Similar flights to France, Germany, Russia and the U.K. are yet to be added to the list. With many countries easing travel restrictions, it has not been very difficult for foreigners on tourist visas to leave the country for several months now. The launch of regular commercial flights to some major destinations has further eased travel back home. But the latest rule has been problematic to many as it came at short notice, especially for people who are stuck here for various reasons without money to afford … [Read more...] about Foreigners distressed as automatic visa extension stopped at short notice

Since earlier this month, authorities of Thanh Phong Commune, Nhu Xuan District have built three rows of temporary housing inside the old Quang Hung Village Cultural House and a local cultural center. They are divided into 60 rooms to quarantine those who returned for Tet , or Lunar New Year, Vietnam’s most important holiday. The tents are made of bamboo, leaves and sheets of plastic. Each room is around five square meters, equipped with a bed, electricity and Wi-Fi. Each room is reserved for one person only. Le Van Tuan, chairman of Thanh Phong Commune People’s Committee, said there were times all 60 rooms were occupied due to the high number of Tet returnees. The reason the tents were erected was because most houses in the area don't have separate, isolated rooms that satisfy coronavirus quarantine criteria. Authorities have consulted with the people before erecting the tents, he said. Since mid-January, over 300 people have returned to the commune for Tet , of whom … [Read more...] about Central Vietnam commune erects tents to quarantine Tet returnees

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ornamental peach blossom market is booming. Mr. Thang, a gardener in Nhat Tan flower village, Hanoi, is having a busy week managing his business selling peach blossoms during the Lunar New Year season. Although he has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, he is still optimistic since his garden with more than 40 peach blossom trees is growing well. Mr. Thang in his garden in Nhat Tan. This year, demand for whole peach blossom trees to decorate hotel lobbies will drop, so Mr. Thang is focusing on selling small peach blossom branches. “Depending on the customer’s needs, I sell different kinds of branches ranging from 1 to 4 million VND,” he said. A dozen of his trees have already been ordered. He estimates that by the last day of the last lunar month 2021, half of his peach branches will have been sold. Mr. Dung, owner of one of the biggest peach blossoms gardens in Nhat Tan, showed his garden with well over 100 … [Read more...] about The largest peach blossom garden in Hanoi