Legislators on May 31 debated the draft Law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Intellectual Property as part of the ongoing third session of the 15th National Assembly.

According to member of the NA Standing Committee and Chairman of the NA Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung, the Government proposed the adjustments to Clause 2 of Article 7 of the Law on Intellectual Property regarding the implementation of intellectual property rights on the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem.

Under the proposal, the dissemination and use of the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem must be in accordance with the law. Organisations and individuals exercising intellectual property rights related to the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem must not prevent or obstruct the dissemination and use of the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem.

Tung said that the NA Standing Committee found that regulations related to the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem have been stipulated in Article 13 of the 2013 Constitution.
Amid the current period when Vietnam is integrating deeper into the world with more regular external affairs and international cooperation activities, the NA Standing Committee recommended that Clause 2 of Article 7 of the Law on Intellectual Property should be change as "The exercise of intellectual property rights must not infringe upon the interests of the State, the public interests, the legitimate rights and interests of organisations and individuals as well as other relevant legal regulations. Organisations and individuals exercising intellectual property rights related to the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam must not prevent or obstruct the dissemination and use of the National Flag, National Emblem, National Anthem,” said Tung.

Meanwhile, regarding the security control over inventions before filing an application for copyright registration abroad, the NA Standing Committee suggested that the bill clarify the principle and scale of security control over the inventions and assign the Government to make details on this issue. The processing of registration applications for confidential inventions should be carried out in accordance with the Government's regulations, Tung added.

UNFPA further helps Vietnam respond to gender-based violence

The Vietnam Farmers' Union (VFU) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on May 31 launched a 7-million-USD project to prevent, combat and respond to violence and other harmful behaviours in the 2022 – 2026 period.

The project is part of the 10th country programme for Vietnam funded by UNFPA in the 2022 – 2026 period.

As a coordinator of the project, the VFU’s Central Committee will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to deploy it in Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang and Lam Dong.

According to UNFPA, the project will support advocacy and advice on amending the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, and Gender Equality Law.

A survey supported by UNFPA in 2019 showed that nearly two in three married women (almost 63 percent) have experienced one or more forms of physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence and controlling behaviours by their husbands in their lifetime. About 48 percent of victims did not tell anyone about the violence they endured, and 90.4 percent did not seek any help from public services.

Quang Binh works hard on bomb and mine clearance

A workshop on building a database for coordination in overcoming post-war bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the central province of Quang Binh was organised in the locality on May 30.

As part of a project on establishing and assisting database units, and coordinating the settlement of UXO consequences in Quang Binh, the event was held by the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) of Norway.  

The non-refundable aid project is funded by NPA, which is a non-governmental organisation operating in mine action, disarmament, development, and humanitarian assistance.

According to statistics released in 2009 by the Defence Ministry’s Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, nearly 225,000ha of land across all communes, wards and townships in Quang Binh was contaminated with UXO, accounting for 27.9 percent of the province’s area. 

In particular, UXO polluted 96.9 percent of residential land, 95 percent of agricultural land, and 84.3 percent of land under perennial trees.

Tourists to Hanoi surge in first five months of 2022

The capital city of Hanoi welcomed 6.53 million tourists in the first five months of 2022, more than double the figure in the same period last year.

The city greeted 126,200 foreign visitors, particularly during SEA Games 31 held earlier this May. It earned an estimated 18.9 trillion VND (815.36 million USD) from tourism, doubling the previous year's figure.

The municipal Department of Tourism projected that tourist arrivals in the first half of 2022 will triple from the same period last year to hit 8.61 million, including 211,300 foreigners; and tourism revenue will reach 25.2 trillion VND.

Hanoi home to most “bile bears” in Vietnam: seminar

By the end of April this year, 149 captive bears were found in 27 establishments in Hanoi, accounting for more than half of the total nationwide, heard a seminar on May 30.

Co-organised by the Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV), Four Paws, and World Society for the Protection of Animals, the event aimed to raise awareness and propose solutions to the bear problem for the capital's administration.

Bui Thi Ha, ENV Vice Director, called on the city to direct the forest protection sub-department and districts’ authorities to crackdown on bear-related violations to put an end to the animal torture. 

Ioana Dungler, Director of the Wild Animals Department at Four Paws, said with support and rigorous action, Hanoi can reduce the problem and set the trend toward removing the practice from the community.

Experts suggested a series of solutions at the event, including intensifying inspection of bile farms, strictly handling related violations, seizing illegally caged bears, and banning breeding bears in private facilities.

The city should mobilise owners to voluntarily hand over bears to the State, while encouraging the use of herbs and more humane alternatives to bear bile, they said.

Challenges remain in prevention and control of tobacco harms: expert

A drop has been reported in the number of male adult smokers, but the ratio of e-cigarette smokers among adolescents is rising in Vietnam, according to Associate Professor Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, and Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF).

Khue cited a survey on smoking among adults, which showed that the ratio of adult men who smoked decreased from 45.3 percent in 2015 to 42.3 percent in 2020.

The rate of passive smoking was also down significantly from 42.6 percent to 30.9 percent in the workplace, and from 59.9 percent to 56 percent during that time. The number of patients who successfully quit smoking from 2017 to 2020 was 1,111.

A survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on student health behaviour in 2019 showed the smoking rate among students aged 13-17 decreased from 5.36 percent in 2013 to 2.78 percent in 2019, while the percentage of students who tried tobacco products decreased from 12.1 percent to 8.3 percent.

Public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco also improved in the 2015-2020 period, with 96.2 percent of people believing smoking causes lung cancer, 81.1 percent saying smoking causes strokes, 77.8 percent believing smoking causes heart attacks, and 72.2 percent saying smoking causes all three diseases. Meanwhile, 65.2 percent of people have heard of the Law on Prevention of Tobacco Harms, said Khue, who held that this is an encouraging result to prevent and control the harmful effects of tobacco in Vietnam.

A report showed that in the 2019-2020 period, non-smoking regulations were implemented in 7,957 kindergartens, 7,846 primary schools, 4,606 secondary schools, 1,318 high schools, 202 universities and colleges, 598 provincial and district hospitals, 4,325 factories, 371 hotels and 513 restaurants.

AFC announces list of Vietnam team to play in U23 Asian Cup final

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has released a list of 23 members in the Vietnamese team to compete at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, which will take place in Uzbekistan from June 1 to 19.

The list saw the elimination of Tran Van Cong and Vu Minh Hieu compared to the one announced earlier by head coach Gong Oh-kyun of the squad. Meanwhile, all 14 key players who won the goal medal at the recent SEA Games 31 hosted by Vietnam are kept on the list. They include goalkeeper Van Toan, defenders Viet Anh and Thanh Binh, midfielder Ly Cong Hoang Anh, and strikers Nguyen Van Tung and Nham Manh Dung.

Freshly completing their short training session in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the U23 team of Vietnam is now in Uzbekistan for the finals.

According to the draw results, Vietnam is in Group C with the defending champion of the Republic of Korea (RoK), Thailand and Malaysia. The squad will play the first match against Thailand on June 2, then meet the RoK on June 5 and Malaysia on June 8.

Coach Park wants Viettel star to play abroad

The future is promising for Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, who won his first Vietnamese Golden Ball at the age of 23 and was a key part of both of Việt Nam's successful SEA Games campaigns in 2019 and 2022. 

And for Park Hang–seo, who has been watching the 24-year–old midfielder since the days of his career, Đức’s talent can transcend borders.

“Hoàng Đức can follow in Quang Hải’s footsteps and go and play abroad,” coach Park said to President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Saturday.

“We see a lot of clubs from different countries interested in Vietnamese players. Beside Quang Hải, Đức is also on the shortlist of many Japanese and South Korean clubs.

“However, he still has a three-year contract with Viettel. If we wait for the contract to end, the golden time will pass for Đức.

Since joining Viettel FC in 2017, Đức has become an indispensable pillar in the midfield of the military team. In the National First Division Tournament in 2018, he played in 17 matches, scoring nine goals and providing three assists, helping Viettel secure promotion to play in the national premier league in 2019. For his performance, Đức won the tournament's best player award.

In 2020, the Hải Dương Province-native helped his team win the V.League 1, and finish second in the National Cup.

Đức also shone at the U20 World Cup in 2017, and has participated in all the successes of Vietnamese football in recent years, such as SEA Games 30, SEA Games 31 and the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.

The Viettel midfielder is the only Vietnamese player on the list of 11 excellent players at the 2020 AFF Cup, selected by ESPN.

Lam Dong prepares for Da Lat Flower Festival

The Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng People’s Committee has requested local authorities to be well prepared for the 9th Đà Lạt Flower Festival 2022, held at the end of this year in the tourism hub city of Đà Lạt.

The provincial authority in its recently issued document asked local authorities including district departments and agencies to boost urban embellishment, advertisements, dissemination, and plans for flower planting in preparation for the festival.

It has directed to urgently review and speed up the progress of investment projects especially those in infrastructure upgrading and urban embellishment, to be completed before October 30, 2022, to serve the organising of the big event.

Based on assigned functions and tasks, the committee has also ordered local authorities to complete the clearance of works encroaching on road safety corridors, strictly control constructions in the area, and regularly organise deployments to handle issues related to street encroachment and temporary markets, while performing environmental protection work in accordance with regulations.

The committee early this month announced plans for the 9th Đà Lạt Flower Festival from November to late December this year.

Special circus show released for Children’s Day

The Vietnam Circus Federation is putting on a special show for youngsters to mark Children's Day.

The circus act ‘Lord of the Jungle’ portrays the narrative of animals coexisting in an ancient jungle.

The performance marks the beginning of the Việt Nam Circus Federation's restriction on the use of elephants, tigers, and other exotic animals in performances. Instead, the federation has moved its focus to the training of a variety of performing animals and building acts with artists dressing up as animals.

Tạ Duy Ánh, a People's Artist, is in charge of the play's production. All of the performers are members of the Việt Nam Circus Federation, which includes the show's playwright, Tống Toàn Thắng.

HCM City lists hurdles to Govt’s housing rental assistance policy

The HCM City Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs has apprised the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs about some problems plaguing the Government’s employees housing rental assistance policy.

It listed five major obstacles to implementing the policy under Decision No.8 issued in March to provide housing rental assistance to 3.4 million employees at a cost of 6.6 trillion (US$284.92 million).

Workers at businesses and those returning to the labour market will get financial assistance of VNĐ500,000 per person per month (US$21.7) and VNĐ1 million.

Nearly 1.2 million people in HCM City are expected to benefit from it, the largest number in the country, at an estimated cost of VNĐ2 trillion.

Over the past two months, more than 21,100 workers at 1,855 enterprises in the city received the money, according to the HCM City Social Security Agency.

Tourists still feed monkeys on Son Tra despite ban

Many tourists to Son Tra Peninsula in the central city of Danang continue feeding local monkeys despite a ban by local authorities.

It’s easy to see monkeys rushing to roads on Son Tra Peninsula to seek food.

On May 29, lots of visitors fed monkeys along the road from Linh Ung Pagoda to the Intercontinental Resort despite the nearby signage.

Nguyen Thi Le, 36, from Hai Chau District, said she got negative reactions from visitors when she told them not to feed the monkeys.

Monkeys mostly come to areas near Doi Temple and Linh Ung Pagoda.

According to Phan Minh Hai, deputy manager of Son Tra Peninsula and Danang Beach Management Board, many people think that it’s fine to feed the monkeys, but the public often give the primates the wrong types of food.

There are currently no sanctions for feeding wild monkeys. But, if the problem continues, monkeys may lose their natural instinct for survival. It also poses traffic risks for both people and monkeys.

Some months ago, a visitor had a traffic accident while distracted by monkeys on a road in Son Tra. In another incident a monkey was hit by a motorbike driver, leaving it injured.

Authorities in Son Tra have tried to raise public awareness about how to treat wild animals.

Quang Ngai seaside village faces pollution threat

A seaside village in the central province of Quang Ngai is facing pollution due to rising amounts of waste floating from neighbouring rivers.

Residents in An Vinh Village in Quang Ngai City are having to endure bad odours coming from tonnes of decomposing rubbish on the nearby coast. Many have to keep their doors and windows closed all day to avoid the bad smell.

A resident, Ho Thi Thu Huong, said that the rubbish came from surrounding rivers and canals which were then pushed ashore by rising tides.

The situation has badly affected the lives of some 50 households with over 200 people for many years. The 400-metre-coast has been full of various waste, causing serious pollution.

Another resident, Nguyen Tuan said that they have never dared to organise events or parties in the area due to the pollution.

Vice-chairman of Tinh Ky Commune People's Committee, Nguyen Xi, said that they called an environmental company and mobilised over 100 residents to collect and move nearly 100 tonnes of rubbish in 2021. But now they are facing the same scenario again.

More than 97,000 candidates register for 2022 high school graduation exam in Hanoi

According to the latest information from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, Hanoi has more than 97,000 candidates registering for the 2022 high school graduation exam.

More than 86,000 of the 97,900 candidates wish to get the graduation results for admission to universities and colleges.

Meanwhile, nearly 7,000 students will attend the exam to get the graduation results and more than 4,500 candidates only registered for admission to universities and colleges.

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training is scheduled to organise 181 test sites, with more than 4000 exam rooms. The Department is also expected to mobilise about 11,000 teachers to participate in the examination supervision.

HCMC sets response plan to monkeypox

The Department of Health of HCMC has released a document asking the HCMC Center for Disease Control (HCDC), medical centers of districts and Thu Duc City, public and private healthcare facilities in the city to strengthen prevention and control measures of monkeypox.

The HCDC is required to improve the monitoring system and installation of contactless temperature and distance measuring devices at border gates to identify suspected cases of monkeypox, especially those returning from monkeypox endemic countries including Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.

The center must have preparedness and response plans for monkeypox. The grassroots healthcare system has to receive and monitor suspected cases of the virus and provide instructions for examination and treatment.

The public and private medical units have to immediately report to the HCDC after the identification of suspected cases of monkeypox.

Telefilm 2022 returns to HCMC after two-year hiatus

The 10th Vietnam International Exhibition on Film and Television Technology – Telefilm 2022 will be held at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in HCMC’s District 7 from June 9-11.

The exhibition attracts nearly local and international enterprises specialized in the fields of media, audiovisual (films, photos), graphics, telecommunications, data processing, computer, advanced technology, materials, composite R&D ( research and development ) from 15 countries and territories, such as the US, Germany, Russia, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The event will see regular participants of KOCCA, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc., Media Quiz International Holdings Ltd, China Huace Film & TC Co., Ltd., Zoland Distribution, GMA Network Inc.

Exhibits include Content Production programs, TV advertising, TV formats, technology and equipment in the broadcast industry as well as related services and products.

The exhibition is also an opportunity for insiders to exchange and share experiences and seek partners as well as promote the Vietnamese Film and Television industry to international visitors.
The event was suspended for over two years due to the Covid-19 outbreak

Review of five key traffic projects delayed

Based on the actual preparation situation and at the request of relevant agencies, the National Assembly decided to delay the submission of five expressway construction projects.

Specifically, five highway construction projects, comprising Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang (phase 1); Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot (phase 1); Bien Hoa - Vung Tau (phase 1), and two ring road construction projects - Ring Road No.4 in the Hanoi capital region and Ring Road No.3 in Ho Chi Minh City, will be rescheduled to June 6 from May 31.

This adjustment was approved by 381/381 members of the National Assembly participating in the vote, equaling 76.35% of the total number of delegates. At the same time, the National Assembly adjusted the organization of live broadcasts of some meeting sessions on the Vietnam National Assembly Television.

Some content directly related to the national welfare and the people's livelihood, which attract the attention of many voters and people across the country, will also be broadcast live on the Vietnam National Assembly Television to enhance publicity and transparency in the activities of the National Assembly, including the morning sessions of May 31 and June 13, and the session on June 14.

Health ministry gears up vaccination rollout

The Ministry of Health has urged local authorities to speed up the rollout of the third and fourth vaccine jabs for adults and children.

Specifically, localities were tasked to complete administration of the third jabs for the over 18-year-old population in Q2 and the fourth shots for over 50 year-old people, over 18 year- old people having moderate to severe compromise immune systems, and adult population at high risks including healthcare workers, frontline workers, workers at industrial parks.  

Local authorities were asked to administer vaccines to children aged 5 to 11 in a safe and effective manner.  

Localities were urged to review and estimate the volume of vaccines needed for the injection of the 3rd and fourth shots for people aged from 18, or children from 5 to under 12 years old.

As of May 29, a total of 220,720,278 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Viet Nam, including over 199 million for adults, 17.46 million for children aged 12-17 years, and 4.15 million for children aged 5-11 years.

On May 25, the minister asked leaders of provinces and centrally-run cities to step up vaccination against COVID-19 as some localities have recently proposed not receiving vaccines or transfer the allocated vaccines, leading to the fact that the COVID-19 vaccination target is likely to be missed. The number of vaccines received is enough to give the 3rd and 4th shots for people aged 18 years and older who are eligible for vaccination, the ministry said.

Record number of methamphetamine pills seized in East, Southeast Asia

Anti-drug forces of East and Southeast Asian nations seized over 1 billion meth tablets in 2021, according to statistics announced by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) on May 30.

The UNODC said the "Golden Triangle" area, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand come together, is a drug trafficking hot-spot.

Law enforcement agencies of the countries seized nearly 172 tonnes of methamphetamine, a seven-fold increase from the total seizures a decade ago, it added.

Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC’s representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said that the scale and scope of methamphetamine trafficking in East and Southeast Asia is a matter of concern.

Criminal gangs and armed groups have taken advantage of the political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic to increase their activity, he said.

Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul, the UNODC regional synthetic drugs analyst for the global SMART programme, said the drug's plummeting prices had made it much more accessible and available to those that could not afford it before.

Vietnam, Russia review 30-year partnership in preserving President Ho Chi Minh’s body

The Management Board of President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR) reviewed their 30-year direct partnership in ensuring long-term preservation and absolute safety of the body of President Ho Chi Minh during a conference in Moscow on May 30.

Addressing the event, Major General Bui Hai Son, Acting Head of the Mausoleum Management Board, noted that the two sides have directly cooperated in preserving the preservation of the Vietnamese national leader since 1992 and are implementing their collaboration agreement for the 2021-2025 period.

Over the past 30 years, their partnership has been fruitful, ensuring that the body of President Ho Chi Minh is preserved with absolute safety, he said.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi highlighted the loyal friendship between Vietnam and Russia, and lauded the effective support that Russian experts have given to Vietnam in many areas, including the preservation of President Ho Chi Minh’s body.

VILAR Director, Academician Nikolai Sidelnikov said that over the years, the institute has coordinated closely with the Mausoleum Management Board to set up Vietnam-Russia medical and scientific councils at the national level to evaluate the state of President Ho Chi Minh’s body. In 2019, the council, comprising Vietnamese and Russian experts, assessed that the body is in good conditions without any changes in data compared to the examination data recorded in previous evaluations.

Programme benefits more pandemic-hit children

Twenty children representing 160 beneficiaries of Phase 4 of a programme supporting pandemic-hit children gathered at a meeting held in Hanoi on May 30.

The programme, named “Noi vong tay thuong” (Connecting Arms of Love), was first launched in October 2021 by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee to call for assistance for children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Focusing on the localities hit hard by the pandemic, it targets children orphaned by COVID-19, those with disadvantaged backgrounds, and the ones who are children of frontline workers.

It will provide long-term support for the children in terms of spirit, education, finance, and health until they reach the age of 18, thereby helping them stabilise their life and strive for a bright future.

World No Tobacco Day 2022 observed in Vietnam

Vietnam requires stronger policies to build a smoke-free environment whilst it ramps up communication work in order to raise public awareness of the damage caused by tobacco.

The statement was made by Vu Dang Minh, an official of the Interior Ministry during a meeting held in Hanoi on May 31 in response to World No Tobacco Day and Vietnam No Tobacco Week from May 25 to May 31.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that following the COVID-19 pandemic the globe is facing potential outbreaks of non-communicable diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and strokes.

Non-communicable diseases made up between 70% and 75% of all deaths nationwide, and tobacco use is one of the major causes, said Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination, at the meeting.

Kim Duyen expected to win Miss Supranational 2022

Kim Duyen, the Vietnamese representative to Miss Supranational 2022, is anticipated to be named the ultimate winner of the global contest, by beauty website Sash Factor of the Philippines.

As the first pick the local beauty was followed by the entrants from Colombia and South Africa.

Elsewhere, the other contestants to make up the Top 20 include the entrants from Mexico, Thailand, Poland, India, Indonesia, and Peru.

Meanwhile, beauty website International Poll predicts that the Vietnamese contestant will make the Top 5 finalists alongside the participants from South Africa, the Czech Republic, Colombia, and Thailand.

The top 10 hopefuls also include popular faces from India, Poland, Paraguay, Indonesia, and Mexico.

Nguyen Huynh Kim Duyen, 27, is currently a model who stands at 1.73 metres tall with measurement of 83-62-89.

The Can Tho native previously won the runner-up title at Miss Universe Vietnam 2019 and clinched a Top 16 finish in Miss Universe 2021. She will vie for the Miss Supranational 2022 title in Poland this July.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes