HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam sent more than 78,000 workers abroad in the first half of this year, fulfilling 62.4 per cent of the yearly target, according to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Japan, Taiwan (China), and the Republic of Korea (RoK) remained the largest recipients of Vietnamese guest workers. Apart from the markets, Vietnamese workers were also sent to European countries like Germany, Romania, and Hungary, said Phạm Viết Hương, deputy head of the department. Last year, over 159,000 workers went abroad for employment, surpassing the yearly target by 33.3 per cent, and the highest recorded over the past 10 years. For this year, the ministry aims to send 125,000 workers abroad, focusing on key traditional markets such as Japan, Taiwan, and the RoK.

HÀ NỘI A number of food poisoning cases reported recently at schools nationwide raised the urgent need to strengthen supervision on school meals, as well as highlighting the importance of carefully selecting and managing school meal providers. Dr Trương Hồng Sơn, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Medical Association, director of the Việt Nam Institute of Applied Medicine, said school meals are very important for children's health, especially for preschool and primary school children. However, we have not paid enough attention to school meal safety. Schools need to publicly disclose information about meal providers, including food origin, cooking process and certifications related to food safety. Parents need to have the right to access and get involved in this monitoring process, he said.

The current regulations, under Decree 100/2019/NĐ-CP which took effect on January 1, 2020, stipulated the fine ranging from VNĐ6-8 million ($237-317). The ministry said that reducing the fines stipulated in the decree for alcohol concentration levels to better align with the nature and severity of the violation. The fine for alcohol levels exceeding 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood or 0.4 milligrams per litre of breath remains at VNĐ30-40 million ($1,189-1,586). Specifically, it prohibited driving with any level of alcohol in the blood or breath. The Ministry of Health has been assigned to regulate the health conditions of drivers and operators of specialised motor vehicles and to establish guidelines for determining both blood alcohol levels and endogenous alcohol concentrations.

Cabinet members observed a minute of silence to commemorate the late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. World leaders expect newly elected Party leader To Lam to move Vietnam forwardThe leaders of Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Belarus and other countries all expected newly elected Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam would drive Vietnam forward domestically and internationally. He expressed his belief that the Communist Party of Vietnam and all Vietnamese people, under To Lam’s leadership, will achieve greater progress in building socialism. Residents in the Central Highlands and central Vietnam felt the tremors and shaking. The two-day festival, which is organised by the Vietnamese Trade Office in India, the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, Vietnam Airlines, Vietravel and Uniben Food JSC, is expected to bring a professional event, imbued with cultural identity.

As a partner country, Vietnam arranges a booth showcasing its products and organises a cuisine festival and masterclasses by famous Vietnamese chefs. After the opening ceremony, the Vietnam Trade Office in India inaugurated the Vietnam booth in the presence of Indian Minister for Tourism & Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and representatives of Vietnamese and Indian businesses. The Vietnam booth has attracted much attention and appreciation from Indian and foreign businesses. This is an important opportunity for Vietnam to promote its culture, cuisine, high-quality tourism and air services, and for Vietnamese companies to expand their trade relations and improve their presence in regional and international markets. The four-day event is expected to attract over 1,000 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors./.

SEOUL — Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng paid a working trip to the Republic of Korea (RoK) in early August, aiming at bolstering cooperation between the two countries in the areas of digital transformation and AI. He congratulated the two establishments for their effective cooperation, and highlighted that the SCU’s digital university model is an advanced one and an example for Vietnamese universities. This was an opportunity for the Vietnamese ICT business community to promote trade and seek international partners in the RoK. It also helped promote coordination and sharing of policies, initiatives and advanced technology measures between the two nations. Hùng also had talks with Vietnamese students who are studying ICT, and visited FPT representative office in the RoK.

Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam. Photo: VNARecently, many Vietnamese students aspiring to study in Australia have expressed concerns about being "stuck" due to pending visa approvals, despite contacting the relevant authorities. According to the Australian Ambassador, as always, visa processing times depend on the quality and completeness of the visa application and the applicant's ability to respond to requests for additional information. The Australian Ambassador informed that global visa processing times are available at: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times. I hope this is just 'a small price to pay' to ensure a high-integrity system that benefits Vietnamese students for many years to come," Ambassador Goledzinowski stated.

The concert will be performed by pianist Hoàng Hồ Thu, violinist Hoàng Hồ Khánh Vân and musicians from NEU Philharmonic Club. The concert script is close to the book’s spirit and content, telling the story of a dialysis patient who has been treated for 17 years. His dialysis journey, like that of other dialysis patients, has been filled with many adversities and difficulties. Tickets will be freely given to those who buy the book Memoir of a Dialysis Patient. Profits from book sales during the concert will be used to support dialysis patients in the most disadvantaged circumstances at the hospital where the author is treating dialysis.

The 37-year-old author, also known as Quân Võ, released Profit-Driven Digital Marketing in March this year. The newbie's first book is in Vietnamese entitled Digital Marketing cho nhà quản lý (Digital Marketing for Managers) released by the end of 2022. “Of course, making the book global was not easy. According to author Quân, KDP is breaking down traditional barriers in publishing procedures, paving the way for books to reach readers more easily. He constantly challenges himself with different milestones, overcoming numerous difficulties in the journey of exporting knowledge.

Top 3 Winners of Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024. On the evening of August 3rd, the Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024 pageant concluded in Quang Ninh. Among 40 contestants from across the country, Pham Thi Ngoc Quynh from Hai Duong emerged victorious, claiming the top title. Pham Thi Ngoc Quynh, Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024, was born in 1998 and graduated from Foreign Trade University in Hanoi, majoring in English. While attending Nguyen Trai High School for the Gifted, Ngoc Quynh also won third prize in the provincial English competition.

Top 10 prestigious companies in the banking, insurance, technology, and high-tech agriculture sectors in 2024 receive awards (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam Report and VietNamNet newspaper announced the Top 50 prestigious and effective public companies (VIX50) in Vietnam 2024 during a ceremony on August 2. Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) topped the ranking, followed by tech giant FPT Corporation, real estate developer Vinhomes, Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB), Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank), Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank), Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank), Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) and Gemadept Corporation. Since 2021, Vietnam Report has annually revealed the VIX50 ranking, which recognises the prestigious and effective public companies. Vietnam Report acknowledges the Top 50 prestigious and effective public companies in 2024 to celebrate public enterprises with a robust financial footing, notable accomplishments in delivering products and services to customers, and establishing an impressive reputation among the public and investors. Notably, the announcement ceremony for the Top 50 prestigious and effective public companies this year was elegantly held concurrently with the Vietnam Top 500 CEO Golf Championship 2024 (VCG500).

HÀ NỘI — Another earthquake of 3.8 magnitude hit District, the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, on Saturday, according to the Institute of Geophysics. Earthquakes have been recorded frequently in Kon Plông since 2021. Recently, the area was hit by a 5.0 magnitude earthquake on July 28 with its disaster risk categorised as Level 2 - the strongest ever recorded in this area. Nguyễn Xuân Anh, Director of the Institute of Geophysics, stated that earthquakes are forecast to continue hitting Kon Tum Province in the near future, but are unlikely to be stronger than 5.5 degrees. Between 1903 and 2020, Kon Plông District recorded about 33 earthquakes with magnitudes of 2.5 or higher.

InBook has been originated from the small bookstore Blue Horizon established in 2017 and located within the premises of the The Gioi (World) Publishing House. Over time, through a passion for books and persistent efforts, the bookstore has earned the trust and enthusiastic support of readers. To stay up-to-date on the international book market and catch the latest trends, Blue Horizon has actively participated in major international book fairs such as the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Salon du Livre de Paris. In next three years, the InBook bookstore has a plan to expand their business to become a publisher and literary agent to support emerging Vietnamese writers. “During our working with foreign publishers and participating in international book fairs, we have recognised the ever-present potential for cultural development.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has expressed its regret over the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)’s decision that continues to classify Vietnam as a non-market economy country. Following the determination, the methodology used in calculating U.S. antidumping duties on imports from Vietnam remains the same, said the media release. In its announcement, the Vietnamese agency extended its thanks to 41 American organizations, business associations, trade associations and individuals for their strong advocates for recognizing Vietnam as a market economy country. The ministry said it will continue studying and analyzing the DOC’s assessments on the Vietnamese economy in order to supplement and complete its briefs and submit dossiers again to the DOC requesting another review to recognize Vietnam’s market economy status. Last year, the U.S. was Vietnam's largest export market, with export earnings from this market amounting to US$97 billion, representing 27.3 percent of Vietnam's total export turnover.

Pomelo has officially become the third fresh fruit from Vietnam permitted for import into South Korea, following dragon fruit and mango, the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Thursday. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) of South Korea has issued import regulations for fresh pomelo from Vietnam after three months of consulting with relevant agencies. The department initiated the market expansion program for fresh pomelo, targeting the South Korean market, in 2018. After two years of information exchange and negotiations, the Plant Protection Department and APQA reached a technical agreement during a meeting in April this year. On July 18, the Plant Protection Department published draft requirements in plant quarantine and food safety for Vietnam’s fresh pomelo to be exported to South Korea on its website.