Vietnam Coast Guard's vessel coded 8001 is the largest of its kind in Vietnam, operating in the waters of the Truong Sa (Spratly) islands. VNA– The Vietnam Coast Guard has for years worked to promote its external relation and international cooperation, creating favourable conditions for the implementation of its assigned tasks in contribution to keeping a peaceful and stable environment for national construction and defence from early and afar.Highlights in the force's international cooperation include the signing of a protocol on a hotline communication mechanism with the Cambodia National Committee of Maritime Security, a letter of intent with the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) in 2017 and a letter of intent with Malaysia in 2019. Currently, the force’s Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia and the Philippines are in the preparation phase.Under those documents, many practical and effective cooperation activities have been implemented, including those that contributed to Vietnam’s fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated ( IUU ) fishing in recent years.Many countries, such as the US, Japan, India and the Republic of Korea, have been willing to offer Vietnam their practical and effective support in terms of equipment, ships, logistical facilities and training to improve Vietnam's coast guards' capacity and knowledge on law, security and safety in law enforcement at sea.The visits and exchanges of the Vietnam Coast Guard vessels to India in 2018 and Japan in 2019 contributed to enhancing the position of the force in the region and in the international arena. These trips provided opportunities to organise training for the force's officers and soldiers, thus improving its capacity.In addition, the Vietnam Coast Guard has actively and responsibly participated in multilateral mechanisms and forums, including the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP); the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative (SEAMLEI); and the Coast Guard Global Summit (CGGS).In the time to come, the force will continue to promote its external relation s and cooperation with its foreign counterparts, with priority given to countries in the region, those with sea areas bordering Vietnam, and traditional partners.The Vietnam Coast Guard’s proactive expansion of its relationships with maritime law enforcement forces of other countries has contributed to maintaining security, order, safety, peace and stability in the waters of Vietnam, and to deepening the country's ties with Southeast Asian nations. Such external activities deliver a message of cooperation, growth and integration./.

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has deemed biodiversity as a vital asset for Indonesia to become a biotechnology-based medicine producer in the near future. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 57th anniversary of National Health Day on November 12, Sadiki said in the western part of Indonesia, the flora and fauna resemble the Asian biodiversity, while those in the eastern part are the genomic-based ones in Australia. The existing biodiversity wealth and genomic diversity will be determining factors in making Indonesia one of the biotechnology-based medicine producers in the future, he said. He added that health technology becomes one of the six health service system transformations to soon be conducted in the country. The health industry in the near future will also be massively transformed with the help of advanced information technology, either the diagnostic sides, screening, or delivery services to the public./.

Thailand is now the largest trade partner of Vietnam in ASEAN and the ninth leading foreign investor out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The Argentine Government asserts that the COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge that requires a united strategy towards equitable access to vaccines. Vietnam, Russia bolster cooperation in COVID-19 fightVietnamese and Russian firms operating in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment have discussed experience and technology in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “Vietnam and Russia boast great potential for cooperation in the production and supply of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19 treatment. Notably, pharmaceutical exports from Russia to Vietnam grew by 3.5 times, reaching a figure of US$39 million that indicate strong growth.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) receives British Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss at the Merdeka Palace on November 11. (Photo: voi.id)Jakarta (VNA) – British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and her counterpart Retno Marsudi on November 11, discussing strategic economic relations between the two countries and multilateral cooperation. President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia is communicating with Oxford University on training support for its students and researchers. The Indonesian President congratulated the UK on successfully organising the recent 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). For her part, Elizabeth Truss said the UK Government considered Indonesia a major partner of this country.

Construction workers complete work on two underground railway tracks of HCM City's Metro Line No. (Photo courtesy of MAUR)– Two final underground railway segments for Metro Line No 1 in Ho Chi Minh City are being installed and will be completed in two months.The HCM City Management Authority of Urban Railways (MAUR), the project’s investor, said that work on the two railway track segments began on November 9.The two segments are 660m long and 1.43m wide, and run parallel to each other between the Opera House and Ben Thanh rail stations.Around 56 engineers and construction workers assigned to do the work are fully vaccinated and strictly adhere to COVID-19 regulations.The Metro Line No 1’s underground railway system is 2.6km long, with three stations in the city centre. Facilities such as lobbies and ticket machines for the Ba Son and Opera House stations have been completed.Work on Ben Thanh Station is slated to be completed by the end of the year. Ben Thanh, Metro Line No 1 ’s central station, will connect to three other metro lines in the future.Around 88 percent of the work for the metro line had been completed as of November 10. Many locals said they preferred to use the metro line over their personal vehicles because of affordability and less traffic congestion and noise pollution./.

VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang (R) shakes hands with Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office Shimizu Akira (Photo: VNA)Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office Shimizu Akira has voiced his hope to continue receiving consultations and support from the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in the planning and implementation of cooperation projects in Vietnam.He made the remark during a meeting with VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang on November 11 to bolster communications cooperation between the two agencies.At the event, the two sides agreed that the Vietnam-Japan relations have been thriving in a comprehensive, extensive and practical manner across multiple fields, with significant contributions by the information-communications sector.Shimizu spoke highly of the VNA’s updated and accurate flow of news which helps the JICA promptly grasp Vietnam’s socio-economic situation as well as aspirations of the Vietnamese people.The VNA boasts a widespread network of correspondents and a system of diverse information products serving local and foreign audiences that can fulfil the Japanese agency's demand for information, Trang said, affirming that it is the VNA’s duty to promote mainstream information on Vietnam and its people to the world.The enhancement of information sharing between the two sides is believed to further strengthen the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership./.

People wait in line to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 31, 2021. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia is ranked 10th among countries with the highest percentage of population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 globally, according the New York Times' CodeBlue vaccination tracker. Reports on health policy and management issues worldwide conducted by CodeBlue show that 77 percent of Malaysia’s total population had fully inoculated, and about 80 percent of its total population had been vaccinated with at least one dose as of November 8. Malaysia also ranks 33rd of only 44 countries that have inoculated booster COVID-19 vaccine doses, with 1.5 percent of Malaysia’s population receiving boosters or extra shots. The New York Times stressed that although 52.2 percent of the global population have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, vaccination rates show stark gaps between countries./.

Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine (Source: AFP/VNA)– The Ministry of Health on November 10 granted conditional approval of Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine produced by India's Bharat Biotech International Limited.The vaccine is formulated from an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen and is presented in single dose vials and multidose vials of 5, 10 and 20 doses.The ministry also gave detailed conditions going along with the approval of the vaccine for emergency use in COVID-19 prevention and control.Earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech, adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.WHO’s EUL procedure assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and is a prerequisite for COVAX vaccine supply. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines.So far, Vietnam has approved nine COVID-19 vaccines namely AstraZeneca, SputnikV, Janssen, Spikevax, Comirnaty, Vero Cell, Hayat – Vax, Abdala, and Covaxin./.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang highlighted the role played by the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) over the last 15 years in strengthening trust and building common awareness on regional security issues, including the East Sea issue. Giang stressed that ASEAN needs to stick to its principled stance on the East Sea, and settle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. At the retreat, a representative of Brunei said that the Retreat focuses on how to further promote the role of ADMM in moving the ASEAN Community forward in the spirit of the ASEAN 2021 theme of “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”./.

The article reported that about 200 factories in the country contracted to make sportswear for Nike have resumed operations. Japan's Furukawa Electric expects to return to full capacity at its Vietnamese plants. Vietnam has a high concentration of wire harness factories, while Malaysia is a production hub for automotive semiconductors. Vietnam was the source of about 40 percent of Japan's wire harness imports in 2019. Suppliers Yazaki and Sumitomo Electric Industries are restoring production at their Vietnamese plants as well.

Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 10, 2021 (Photo: AFP/VNA)– Vietnam has highlighted the role played by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in seeking a peaceful solution to the Myanmar issue during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on November 8 to listen to a report by Erywan Pehin Yusof, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei and ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar, on the block’s efforts regarding the Myanmar situation.Addressing the meeting, Minister Counsellor Nguyen Phuong Tra, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, lauded a number of positive moves in Myanmar recently, including the freeing of thousands of detained people.However, she showed her concern about the absence of progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus and the destruction of offices and essential civil infrastructure facilities as well as clashes and violence inciting activities by parties, including armed groups, making it difficult for the process of dialogue and reconciliation, deepening divisions and increasing the risk of a civil war in the country.Tra called on the parties concerned in Myanmar to end violence, ensuring life, safety and security of people as well as the safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid in line with international humanitarian law with the priority given to COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.Vietnam urged the parties to implement the Five-Point Consensus in a timely and full manner, including dialogues to seek a peaceful, sustainable and comprehensive solution for the interest of Myanmar people.Besides, the parties should deal with the root of the crisis in Rakhine state and create all necessary conditions for those who have been forced to leave their residence to return to their home in a safe, voluntary and sustainable way, she said.Vietnam welcomes the support by outside partners to ASEAN’s efforts, including humanitarian assistance and support to the role and voice of ASEAN, said Tra.She said that Vietnam highly appreciates contributions by the UN Secretary General and former Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Myanmar, and welcomes the appointment of the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the country.The Vietnamese representative reaffirmed commitments by ASEAN and Vietnam in particular in supporting Myanmar to return to the normal situation as wished by local people.All UN member countries underlined the need to immediately and fully implement the Five-Point Consensus , and expressed their wish that the ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar will arrive in the country as soon as possible to promote dialogue, trust-building and meet relevant parties. Many countries showed their concern about attacks and violence across Myanmar, especially in the northern and northwestern regions recently, and called on all parties to restrain and end violence, ensuring people’s humanitarian access, security and safety.At the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting held in late April in Jakarta, ASEAN leaders reached consensus on five points on Myanmar situation: ending violence, conducting constructive dialogue among all parties, appointing a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate the dialogue, providing humanitarian assistance for Myanmar’s people through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance./.

Medical workers collect swab sample for COVID-19 testing (Photo: AFP/VNA)Singapore (VNA) – COVID-19 patients in Singapore who are unvaccinated "by choice” have to cover their own medical costs from December 8 if they are admitted to hospitals or COVID-19 treatment facilities, the Ministry of Health has announced. The Singaporean Government is currently footing the full COVID-19 medical bills of all Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, other than for those who test positive soon after returning from overseas travel. From January 1 next year, only Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who are fully vaccinated and have not recently travelled to other countries will have their COVID-19 medical bills fully paid for by the government. To date, 85 percent of the country’s population of 5.45 million has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Singapore has reported more than 218,330 infections so far, with about 8,000 child patients./.

Next to them, the phrase ‘Việt Nam Quê Hương Tôi’ (Việt Nam My Homeland) appears as fragmented, separated, singular words. It was run by the United Nations (UN) in Việt Nam, in partnership with the University of Education - Việt Nam National University (VNU-UEd) and the Việt Nam Network of Young Key Affected Population (VYKAP). "The event showed a strengthened partnership between the VNU-UEd, VYKAP and the UN in Việt Nam", said Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative to Việt Nam. Along with that, we launched Netflix's first 'Cinema Beauty – Vietnam Creative Economy' fund in Việt Nam to support the creative economy at scale and help local filmmakers from lesser known groups," she added. Việt Nam will have the addition of eight players from the U23 team after they successfully qualified for the AFC finals.

Destinations Infographic Cuc Phuong National Park With a 22,500 – ha rainforest, Cuc Phuong National Park is the centerpiece of Vietnam’s conservation efforts and one of the most accessible parks in the country. Destinations Infographic What awaits tourists in Quang Binh province Quang Binh province is endowed with various natural landscapes and topographies. Each provides tourists with a distinctive experience. Destinations Infographic Visiting Cuc Phuong National Park all-year round Cuc Phuong National Park attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Visitors come here to explore its rich flora and fauna, admire the beautiful natural landscape, and participate in eco-tourism programmes.

JAXA said the rocket will be launched into outer space on November 9 (Screenshot photo)The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on November 6 announced the delay of the launch of its fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket that is expected to carry nine small satellites, including Vietnam’s NanoDragon In its announcement, JAXA said the rocket will be launched into outer space from the Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture at between 9:48-9:59 am on November 9 (local time), instead of November 7 as planned due to adverse weather forecast.Previously, JAXA had to stop launching Epsilon-5 twice. On October 1, about a minute before launching the rocket, JAXA stopped the process to check the machinery system. In another attempt to launch the rocket on October 7, the agency had to cancel its plan because of unfavorable weather.The NanoDragon, a nano-layer cubesat satellite which weighs 3.8 kilograms, was developed by the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology . The development of the NanoDragon satellite is part of VNSC's "made in Vietnam" small satellite development roadmap.Earlier, it was delivered to Japan on August 11 and tested at the Uchinoura Space Centre from August 16-17 before being officially transferred to the JAXA for launching under the second "Innovative satellite technology demonstration" programme./.