HÀ NỘI — Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Việt Nam visit from August 27-29 offers an occasion for leaders of the two countries to set a future agenda for the bilateral relationship, as both look towards dealing with many common challenges, according to Singaporean Ambassador to Việt Nam Jaya Ratnam. “Singapore and Việt Nam are among the top three countries in having the start-up scene in Southeast Asia. The diplomat held that Singapore and Việt Nam could work together not just to develop renewable energy in Việt Nam but also to connect this to the larger ASEAN region through the ASEAN power grid. In October 2022, Singapore and Việt Nam signed an MoU to collaborate on carbon credits, aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This puts both Singapore and Việt Nam in excellent positions to capture the opportunities generated by carbon markets.

From 2022, the number of people over 60 years old in Ho Chi Minh City will be 1.033 million, accounting for 11.03 percent of the total population of Ho Chi Minh City - a milestone marking Ho Chi Minh City officially going into the aged population. Statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance show that currently, there are about 250,000 pensioners and social allowance brackets in Ho Chi Minh City, while 1,033 million people are over 60 years old citywide. In 2019, the number of elderly people in Ho Chi Minh City only accounted for 9.3 percent of the total population of Ho Chi Minh City, but in 2022, it increased to 11.03 percent. Responsible agencies plan to deal with noise violationsResponsible agencies planned to deal with noise violations as per Ho Chi Minh City authorities’ direction. Hue served as the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945), the last feudal in Vietnam, by the name of Phu Xuan.

ĐÀ NẴNG — It has been more than a year since the Dragons enjoyed a winning feeling in the VBA. Now they have finally tasted victory with the score 104-83 in their penultimate game of this season against the Ho Chi Minh City Wings. With this huge advantage, the host quickly controlled the game and ended the first quarter with the score 26-21. The fourth quarter continued with the same scenario as the Dragons were the better team. William Trần won the Player of the Game award with 46 points, 10 rebounds, Two assists and two blocks.

The Vietnam national under-23 team defended their AFF U23 Championship title with a 6-5 victory against Indonesia in penalty shootout in Rayong Stadium, Thailand on August 26 night. (Photo: VNA)Vietnamese and Indonesian players in the match. (Photo: VNA)- The Vietnam national under-23 team defended their AFF U23 Championship title with a 6-5 victory against Indonesia in penalty shootout in Rayong Stadium, Thailand on August 26 night.After a goalless 120 minutes, the match had to be decided on penalties, with keeper Quan Van Chuan proving to be the hero saving a penalty from Ernando Ari.The match started with Indonesia's young starlets on the front foot. Vietnam had to deal with enormous pressure and forced to play defensively.In the 26th minute, Rifky Setiawan's free kick from 20 metres could have opened the score for Shin Tae-yong's men, had it not been for Chuan's acrobatics.Five minutes later, Vietnam replied with a great opportunity for Nguyen Minh Quang on the counter. Quang was through on goal, but his shot hit the outside of the post.

He eventually decided to return and establish his own bamboo products business in the village of Khe Choăng in Nghệ An Province's Con Cuông District. “I grew up with the many bamboo trees around me. To make the thorny bamboo roots into useful products, workers needed to have a good imagination, as well basic knowledge of fine arts. “It is a potential market for bamboo products, which have received good feedback from buyers. Many of them choose bamboo items to use and decorate their homes because of their beauty, and environmental friendliness, safety for health, and competitive price.

Hoang My Lien and her creative team, consisting of young talents, have brought artist Hoàng Hữu Vân’s artwork “Autumn Moonlight” into the Moonlight collection for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival. The art features lacquer techniques from Hạ Thái village, designed to align with trends in “Quiet Luxury” and the dominant colours of this year, namely “Viva Magenta”. Like the moonlight itself, each design in the collection evokes a sense of delicacy and elegance and a touch of mystery. The project has been developed since 2016, creating numerous unique and creative products using traditional materials such as bamboo, lacquer, and ceramics, and featuring the culinary essence of Vietnam. The “Moon n Sun” project cooperated with artists, creators, cultural professionals, and artisans to create products of good quality with reasonable prices.

The musical performance is expected to bring to life Vietnamese fairytale characters such as But, Mai An Tiem, and Thanh Giong. When they are shown on stage, the organizers believes they will be loved by kids as much as Western characters like Queen Elsa, Batman, or Spiderman. The music, meanwhile, is inspired by Vietnamese nursery rhymes and folk songs and uses traditional musical instruments. Besides the musical performance on September 16 and 17, the “Fairytales and nursery rhymes” project also features books of fairytales and nursery rhymes with vivid illustrations, which have already been made available. Reading books and seeing fairytale characters come to life are expected to provide a wholesome experience for the children./.

The proposal was raised in the ministry’s recent report to the Government about the supervision on the conversion of State-wholly-owned enterprises into joint stock companies. The ministry wanted to handover all 11 SOEs at the same time and in their status quo to avoid the situation that only efficient SOEs were received while inefficient ones were rejected, the ministry said. The 11 SOEs included Việt Nam Motors and Agricultural Machinery Corporation (VEAM), Hanoi Beer Alcohol And Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Habeco), Việt Nam Paper Corporation (Vinapaco), Machines and Industrial Equipment Corporation (MIE), Việt Nam Industrial Construction Corporation (Vinaincon), General Construction and Export – Import Joint Stock Company, Việt Nam Agricultural Products Joint Stock Company, Investment, Construction and Building Materials Joint Stock Company, BMCC Commercial Construction and Building Materials One Member Limited Liability Company, Việt Nam Textile Research Institute Joint Stock Company, and Industrial Machinery and Instruments Holding. The ministry’s report showed that among 11 above SOEs, many had huge revenues and profits, reaching up to trillions of Vietnamese đồng per year. Currently 19 corporations were under the management of CMSC, including SCIC, Việt Nam Oil and Gas Group, Việt Nam Electricity, Việt Nam National Petroleum Group.

HÀ NỘI Samsung Vietnam, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and localities, held the closing ceremony of the "Smart Factory Development Cooperation Project", phase 1/2023 at 12 participating enterprises in the North to summarise and evaluate the performance of the project. After nearly three months of implementation (from June 7 to August 23, 2023), the first Smart Factory Development Cooperation Project has achieved many impressive results. Vietnamese consultants, together with Korean Samsung consultants, directly survey, evaluate and consult businesses. Nguyễn Minh Ngọc, General Director of the company said: "Previously, we managed data entirely by manual methods. This project helped us digitise and manage the data on the software and the system.”The project "Support for the development of smart factories" phase 2/2023 will be implemented in the southern region from September 2023, and will also advise 12 businesses.

He said that HCM City is an economic, culture, education-training, science and technology hub of Vietnam and the country’s centre for international integration. The ASEAN meeting is the most extensive financial cooperation channel of Vietnam so far, he said, adding that Vietnam has joined other countries to build and implement multi-sectoral cooperation activities in the financial industry. Quang introduced the overall goals, major tasks, and specific solutions for strengthening the CPV building since the 13th National Party Congress in early 2021. The diplomat also actively organised and participated in activities to promote the Venezuelan culture in Vietnam and vice versa. Nga highlighted the significance of the Vietnam – Venezuela relationship, and showed support for Venezuela’s national construction and development.

In addition, the team will study international experiences on strategy for development, assessment, and testing of 6G equipment and have proposals on the development of 6G equipment in Việt Nam. The group will also monitor the 6G equipment research and development in the world, such as equipment type, supportive band, price, and standardisation. The team will attend international and domestic conferences and seminars related to 6G equipment development, assessment, inspection and testing; and have international cooperation in research and development of 6G technology and equipment. Thereby, it proposes a roadmap for research, production and commercialisation of 6G equipment and services; and solutions to support Vietnamese enterprises in manufacturing and commercialising 6G equipment and services. Việt Nam is ready for 6G development when the ministry is developing standards for 6G.

To create momentum for tourism development, the Government issued a Resolution dated May 18, 2023, on tasks and solutions to accelerate the recovery and boost the effective and sustainable development of the tourism industry. The Government has requested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with units and agencies in localities to strengthen tourism promotion activities, and popularize Vietnam’s new visa policies in international tourism markets, including China, the Republic of Korea, India, and the UK. The ministry has been asked to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bolster cultural diplomacy activities to introduce images of Vietnam and its people to more foreign friends. Among others is the innovation and diversification of tourism marketing, promoting the application of digital technology, and deploying diverse and flexible forms of marketing communication depending on each market and each period. The ministry also affirmed the necessity of establishing Vietnam tourism promotion or representative offices abroad with the support of embassies, trade offices in the host countries./.

Exploring New Developments in Web3 and Creating a New Future for Digital EntertainmentHONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 25 August 2023 - The Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) 2023, an annual event organised by Cyberport, officially commenced today at Cyberport. We committed to the growth and development of the Web 3 industry in Hong Kong, cultivating talents and raising public awareness of the transportation of Web 3. The final day will showcase an array of exciting competitions, including the Senior Esports & Experience Day by Rotary Hong Kong, ER Marvel Snappers Assemble, KGD GCE Hong Kong Game Competition Expo 2023, and the Walking Football Tournament. About CyberportCyberport is Hong Kong's digital technology flagship and incubator for entrepreneurship with over 1,900 members including over 800 onsite and close to 1,100 offsite start-ups and technology companies. It is managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)Vientiane (VNA) – An exhibition on Vietnam, its people and culture opened in Vientiane, Laos, on August 25, on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and the 46th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Co-hosted by the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the Vietnam Culture Centre in Laos, the month-long event displays over 200 artifacts, photos and materials featuring the beautiful images of Vietnam as well as its nature and people, and the unity in diversity of the traditional cultures of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. They also depict the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the Parties, States, and people of both countries over the past six decades. The event is expected to help the people of both countries, especially the young generations, gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam and the bilateral special relationship./.

Apart from prizes totaling 300,000 USD, winning solutions will be implemented in Vietnamese localities. (Photo: NIC)– Technology experts and businessmen have so far submitted 758 initiatives to the Vietnam Innovation Challenge , which seeks innovative solutions from domestic and international organisations and individuals to tackle key national challenges on its path towards prosperity and sustainable development.Of the solutions, 60% came from startups and the remainder from technological groups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Those that submitted are located not only in Vietnam but also many foreign nations such as Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong (China), and the Philippines.Their submissions focus on the four key areas of enhancing the management capacity of SMEs through digital transformation; applying digital transformation to support SME participation in global value chains; strengthening the linkage between SMEs and FDI and large firms via digital platforms; and enhancing effective dialogue between the Government and businesses through these platforms.The annual programme is steered by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and organised by the National Innovation Center (NIC) and Meta Corporation.Apart from prizes totaling 300,000 USD, winning solutions will be implemented in Vietnamese localities. Their inventors will receive assistance from NIC, Meta and other partners, including Goldsun Media, Up Co-working Space, Amazon Web Services, Google and Viettel, to improve capacity, research and develop products, and advertise solutions.The programme is the first to realise the MPI’s InnovateVN initiative, in which NIC works with domestic and foreign tech firms and partners to promote innovation-based economic growth with new business models, products, and processes. This initiative aims to assist the development of 500 pioneering innovation businesses by 2030 and help improve the public sector innovation capacity./.