100 dishes, drinks made from sweet potatoes set Vietnamese record
The making and performance of 100 dishes and drinks made from Binh Tan sweet potatoes set a Vietnamese record . (Photo: VNA)The dishes and drinks are made by 20 teams at the competition. (Photo: VNA)– The making and performance of 100 dishes and drinks made from Binh Tan sweet potatoes have set a Vietnamese record at a cooking competition held within the framework of the 3rd Tourism Festival in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long on December 23 - 25.The Vietnam Records Organisation ( VietKings )’s recognition for the dishes and drinks, which were made by 20 teams at the competition, was handed over to the team from the People’s Committee of Binh Tan district.Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Van Giau said that farmers in Binh Tan district are planting many famous sweet potato varieties in a combined area of over 10,000 ha with a yield of over 300,000 tonnes per year.The recognition contributes to promoting the development of sweet potato cultivation associated with developing specific products of the locality, thus attracting visitors to Vinh Long, he said.The contest also created a useful playground for food lovers to show their creativity in making and decorating dishes and drinks, thus introducing the values of local cuisine to domestic and foreign tourists, he added.Products made from sweet potatoes were also exhibited and sold at the festival./.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 25, 2023 09:41 UTC
Positive outlook for Vietnamese economy: foreign experts
According to Coppola, Việt Nam is considered one of the most open economies in the world. Việt Nam’s economic performance in 2023 is positive when the very challenging global context is put into consideration. Economic growth in the US was about 2.5 per cent in 2023, he said, adding that in the European area, economic growth was even weaker at about 0.5 per cent. Despite the global challenges, Việt Nam was able to continue growing at relatively fast rates. However, according to him, Việt Nam's growth rate is quite good compared to many countries in the region.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 25, 2023 09:19 UTC
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 25/2023
The deputy minister added that President Vo Van Thuong’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit Vietnam reflects the Vietnamese State’s goodwill. The project will reduce the travel time from Tuyen Quang Province to the capital city of Hanoi to nearly two hours. The province is committed to preserving and promoting its cultural identity, aiming to stand out on the path of heritage in Central Vietnam. The Vietnamese diplomat cited UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Rana Flowers as saying that Vietnam is an active, proactive and responsible member in multilateral processes. Regarding development, Ambassador Giang emphasized that Vietnam continued to demonstrate its strong commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 25, 2023 08:08 UTC
'Bamboo diplomacy' a valuable concept in int'l relations: Indian expert
NEW DELHI — Việt Nam's 'bamboo diplomacy' is a strategic and valuable concept in international relations, according to former Deputy National Security Advisor of India SD Pradhan. He held that over the years, the 'bamboo diplomacy' school has helped Việt Nam reap important achievements in external relations amid the complicated world situation. Total import-export revenue of Việt Nam last year grew 9.5 per cent to US$732.5 billion, he said. The expert underlined that the 'bamboo diplomacy' school should be popularised and added to research topics of academic organisations. Besides, Việt Nam and India should strengthen cooperation in developing advanced technology to promote economic growth, while fostering cooperation in the field of defence, he asserted.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 22:59 UTC
Severe cold spell to end early this week in North
Sa Pa Township in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai engulfed in fog caused by severe cold spell. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — The severe cold spell, which has blanketed the northern region as well as the north-central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An for about 10 days now, is expected to end early this week. The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting has warned that the severe cold weather will continue hitting the northern mountainous provinces with the lowest temperatures of 4-7 degrees Celsius. In the meantime, the lowest temperatures in other areas of the northern region and the two north-central provinces will be 8-11 degrees Celsius. Due to the severe cold spell, frost will appear in midland and northern mountainous areas.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 14:09 UTC
Moc Chau listed as Asia’s Leading Regional Nature Destination 2023
Moc Chau listed as Asia’s Leading Regional Nature Destination 2023The Moc Chau National Tourist Area in the northwestern province of Son La was recently honoured as “Vietnam’s Leading Natural Destination 2023” and “Asia’s Leading Regional Natural Destination 2023” at the World Travel Awards 2023 in Asia and Oceania.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 12:54 UTC
Special wanderer: disabled traveller offers inspiration for all
Trần Khánh AnOn Check in Việt Nam, the largest group for the Vietnamese travel community on Facebook, Phan Vũ Minh is considered by many travel fellows to be the most special Vietnamese wanderer. “I was the second case with this disease in Việt Nam,” he said. Since then, he has visited 45 provinces across Việt Nam, alone or with his nephew. You can be proactive on your trip and travel anywhere whenever you want if you drive yourself,” Minh said. “A traveller helped me by lifting the wheelchair through up the stairs, so I could explore Mèo King's Palace,” he said.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 07:27 UTC
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 24/2023
At the event, participants introduced the tourism strengths and potential of Binh Thuan and India, their new tourism products and trade cooperation. Along with high-end tourism products such as golf, luxury beach resorts, marine sports tourism, and off-road sports tourism, Binh Thuan is developing tourism product lines such as green tourism, tourism activities combined with natural resources preservation and environmental protection, cultural tourism products associated with festivals, sightseeing and experiencing the daily life of local people. Tiền Giang Province develops concentrated fruit growing areasThe Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta of Tiền Giang is developing concentrated fruit growing areas to improve fruit quality and value. Concentrated fruit growing areas are developed with the natural conditions of each locality to serve domestic and foreign markets. Concentrated fruit growing areas have begun harvesting off-season fruits and the price of durian, dragon fruit and pineapples are increasing.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 04:41 UTC
Solo travelling, a new trend among young people
Solo travelling is not rare in western countries, but in Asian countries including Việt Nam it is somewhat of an oddity. “Waste of money and time is what people dub solo travelling,” she said. “Recognising the significance of this trend, the tourism industry must prioritise specialised and personalised services tailored to the preferences of solo travellers. “Catering to the needs of solo travellers, who typically value flexibility, entails providing services that align with their distinct preferences. At a time when information is available everywhere, solo travelling is no longer all that difficult.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 24, 2023 01:58 UTC
PM extends Christmas greetings to Catholics in Bac Giang
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 23 visits extends Christmas and New Year greetings to priests and Catholics in the Bac Giang Parish. (Photo: VNA)- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 23 visited and extended Christmas and New Year greetings to priests and Catholics in the Bac Giang Parish as part of his trip to the northern province.The PM conveyed Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's best wishes to priests and the Catholic community in Bac Giang in particular and the country in general.PM Chinh underlined that the Party and State always respect and guarantee human rights, including the right to freedom of belief and religion, the right to follow or not to follow any religions and beliefs of all people, and create optimal conditions for religious organisations to operate in line with the law.The Government leader highlighted socio-economic achievements that the country has gained so far, with good economic growth, controlled inflation and ensured major economic balances. The relations between Vietnam and the Vatican have been expanded, he added.The PM attributed the achievements to the efforts of the whole political system and the support of the business community, international friends and especially contributions from the people, including the Catholic community.He hailed the efforts of priests and Catholics of Bac Giang in implementing the motto of living gospel amid the nation to serve the people's happiness, joining with the people across the country to recover and promote socio-economic development.He said he hopes Catholic priests, nuns and followers will continue to show strong performance in implementing the Party and State's policies and laws, promoting the national cultural and historical tradition as well as the great national solidarity.Head of the Bac Giang Parish, priest Giesu Nguyen Van Phong thanked the Party and State, and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in particular, for their great attention to the material and spiritual life of religious communities, including the Catholic community.He underlined the community's determination to continue to implement the Party and State's policies and laws, building a wealthy and happy life for the people, and making contributions to the construction of the homeland and the country as a whole.On the occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented Christmas gifts to the family of Nguyen Ngoc Dang and Nguyen Thi Ngot, an outstanding Catholic family with successful business and positive contributions to the community in Bac Giang city./.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 22:50 UTC
32nd National Diplomatic Conference wraps up
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son presents certificates of merit to individuals and collectives with outstanding performance in implementing their diplomatic tasks (Photo: VNA)- The 32nd National Diplomatic Conference concluded on December 23 after five working days.With 23 sessions and more than 300 delegates giving opinions, the conference evaluated the overall situation, opportunities and challenges in the diplomatic environment, while seeking measures to renovate and enhance the efficiency of diplomatic activities towards pioneering, comprehensive, modern and professional direction.Participants also discussed ways to strengthen coordination among Party, State, and people diplomacy as well as between the diplomatic sector and other sectors, localities and businesses.They agreed that the inclusive task of the diplomatic sector in the coming time is to promote its pioneering role in building and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, protecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity, mobilising outside resources for the national development, and enhancing the position and reputation of the country.They defined major focal points and priorities for the sector in the time to come, including strengthening and deepening relations with other countries, elevating multilateral diplomacy, and promoting Vietnam 's role in regional and international organisations.Addressing the closing of the conference, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son asked all officials of the diplomatic sector inside and outside the country to work harder to generate higher operational outcomes.On the occasion, FM Son presented certificates of merit to individuals and collectives with outstanding performance in implementing their tasks./.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 21:45 UTC
Conference spotlights achievements, outlook of Vietnam-India ties
An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese and Indian scholars and experts gathered at a conference in Hanoi on December 22 to discuss achievements of the Vietnam-India relations over the past 50 years and outlook for the bilateral ties in the future. Participants agreed that Vietnam and India have shared a time-honoured relationship with strong connections in history and culture. The modern stage of bilateral ties is closely attached with the name of President Ho Chi Minh. Former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, the first Vietnamese diplomat deployed to India to set up Vietnamese Consulate General, underlined that the Vietnam-India relationship is a special one. India provided Vietnam with great support during the past struggle for independence, he said.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 19:52 UTC
Indonesia: Marapi volcano eruption shuts Minangkabau airport down
- Volcanic ash spewing from Indonesia’s Mount Marapi forced airports on Indonesia 's Sumatra island to shut down and locals to evacuate to safer places on December 22.The nearly 2,900m volcano in the Agam district of West Sumatra province is about 113 kilometers north of Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, the provincial capital.This is the third time that the volcano has been active this month. On December 3, Marapi shot thick columns of ash as high as 3 kilometers that killed 23 climbers.Last weekend, its sudden eruption also injured many people.Smaller eruptions since then spewed more ash into the air, and on December 22 the volcano began belching ash that reduced visibility hundreds of kilometers away, said Indra Saputra of Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Minangkabau airport was closed on December 22 afternoon after ash, which can pose a deadly threat to aircraft, reached its airspace. Due to the closure, two international flights from Kuala Lumpur and 13 domestic flights were canceled.Marapi is known for sudden eruptions that are difficult to predict. The volcano has been at Indonesia’s third highest alert level since 2011, indicating above-normal volcanic activity that means climbers and villagers must stay more than 3 kilometers from the peak, according to Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.Marapi is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The country is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin./.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 16:06 UTC
“Bamboo diplomacy” a valuable concept in int'l relations: Indian expert
Former Deputy National Security Advisor of India SD Pradhan (L) in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)- Vietnam's “bamboo diplomacy” is a strategic and valuable concept in international relations, according to former Deputy National Security Advisor of India SD Pradhan Speaking to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in New Delhi, the expert said that the “bamboo diplomacy” characteristic demonstrates the steadiness in policy and flexibility in external relations of Vietnam based on the Ho Chi Minh ideology as well as national interest.It reflects Vietnam's great attention to the role of multilateralism in settling global issues, said Pradhan.He held that over the years, the “bamboo diplomacy” school has helped Vietnam reap important achievements in external relations amid the complicated world situation.The policy has helped enhance Vietnam's position in the international arena and ensure the country's economic growth, said the expert, noting that Vietnam has so far established strategic partnership with countries from different blocs, ensuring the maintenance of independence and protection of national interests.In terms of economy, Vietnam has posted fast growth, at 8.02% in 2022, higher than the forecast by the IMF and World Bank. Total import-export revenue of Vietnam last year grew 9.5% to 732.5 billion USD, he said.He underlined that the “bamboo diplomacy” school should be popularised and added to research topics of academic organisations.Pradhan also highlighted Vietnam's contributions to building an environment of peace and prosperirty in the world, especially as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and ASEAN Chair in 2020. In the period, Vietnam chaired more than 30 meetings to discuss security issues in the Middle East, Colombia, the Central African Republic and West Africa, and evaluate operations of peacekeeping missions in Yemen, Cyprus and Libya, the expert said.Regarding the relationship between India and Vietnam over the years, Pradhan said that the two countries have shared the same approach. Both have emphasised the significance of maintaining peace and security for economic development, and the role of multilateralism, while sharing friendly relationships with other countries, he added.The expert held that the two sides should continue coordinating actions at multilateral forums to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region In addition, the two countries need to become production/ processing centres to promote their role as trade bridges between the East and the West. Besides, Vietnam and India should strengthen cooperation in developing advanced technology to promote economic growth, while fostering cooperation in the field of defence, he asserted./.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 15:40 UTC
More foreign travellers to visit Việt Nam: Travel sites
HCM CITY — Việt Nam this year has consistently grown in attractiveness to travellers worldwide, according to online travel platforms. Accordingly, the data, which showcases the evolving travel patterns of both international visitors to Việt Nam and Vietnamese travellers looking to explore global destinations, revealed an extraordinary 298 per cent year-on-year increase in inbound searches for Việt Nam. The top five nations looking to travel to Việt Nam were South Korea, the United States, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. "The increase in travel searches for Việt Nam is a testament to the country's appeal as a destination and the growing wanderlust among its residents. In terms of outbound travel, Vietnamese travellers were also looking further afield to satisfy their hunger for travel, with outbound searches from travellers here surging by 45 per cent.
Source:Viet Nam News
December 23, 2023 14:12 UTC