Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi (second from right) and Vice Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Nilton Caldeira (third from right). (Photo published by VNA)

Rio de Janeiro seeks sport and tourism cooperation with Vietnam

Vice Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Nilton Caldeira has proposed a football exchange with Vietnam as part of celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-Brazil diplomatic ties.

At a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi on April 10 in Brasilia, Caldeira expressed his desire to connect major football clubs of Rio de Janeiro with Vietnamese counterparts to foster sport cooperation. He proposed sending coaches and teams to Vietnam for exchanges, and even hosting the Vietnamese national team in Brazil for training, tournaments, and friendly matches.

Caldeira emphasized the necessity for Vietnam and Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, to step up cooperation in sports, tourism, culture and education, cited VNA.

The Brazilian side proposed sending Vietnamese football players to join in a 45-day football reality TV show filmed at a training center in Rio de Janeiro. The show's top two Vietnamese players could potentially secure contracts with Rio de Janeiro clubs.

Caldeira suggested several forms of commemorating President Ho Chi Minh's journey in Arcos da Lapa square, including naming a street after Vietnam, and creating a mural depicting his journey in the city.

The two sides expressed a wish to cooperate with the media and press agencies of both countries to strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

Nghi suggested cooperation in opening a Vietnamese television bureau in Brazil.

Hanoi moves three notches up smart city rankings

Hanoi has moved up three places from last year to reach 97th in the 2024 Smart City Index, as compiled by the International Institute for Management Development of Switzerland.

A view of Hanoi capital city (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

In Asia alone, Hanoi ranks 20th out of 28 cities, behind several cities such as Bangkok (Thailand), Osaka (Japan), and above some cities such as Jakarta (Indonesia), and Mumbai (India).

The capital city is highly rated in terms of safety in public places, employment services, and easy access to information from competent agencies. However, issues relating to air quality and traffic, specifically traffic jams need to be resolved urgently.

The top 5 smartest cities in Asia include Singapore, Beijing (China), Taipei (Taiwan, China), Seoul (the Republic of Korea), and Shanghai (China), according to VOV.

Zurich of Switzerland topped the global list, followed by Oslo of Norway, Canberra of Australia, Geneva of Switzerland, and Singapore.

The annual ranking grades a total of 142 cities on how well they use technology in order to enhance the overall quality of citizens' life.

Made-in-Vietnam wind turbine towers bound for RoK

Ten domestically manufactured offshore wind turbine towers are set to depart from Phu My Industrial Zone in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau by the end of April 2024, bound for Jeonnam 1 wind power project off the coast of the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Jeonnam province.

These 10 MW towers were produced at the CS Wind Vietnam Co. Ltd.'s factory in Phu My town. Established in 2003, this facility holds the distinction of being CS Wind's first wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in the world.

This batch of turbine towers is part of a supply contract between CS Wind and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Siemens Gamesa), under which Siemens Gamesa will equip the Jeonnam 1 offshore wind project with wind turbines, VNA reported.

Ten offshore wind turbine towers are bound for the RoK's Jeonnam province. (Photo: VNA)

Jeonnam 1, a joint venture between Korean conglomerate SK E&S and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), is expected to become RoK's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm. With a capacity of 99 MW, the project aims to generate clean energy for an estimated 60,000 Korean households when it begins operation in 2024.

CIP and CS Wind already signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) under which CS Wind is likely to become a supplier for La Gan offshore wind project in Vietnam's south central province of Binh Thuan, as well as support other CIP projects in the country.

Stuart Livesey from CIP Vietnam also announced the publication of a handbook which updates the Vietnamese professionals about career opportunities in the offshore wind sector.

Vietnamese Embassy in Israel advises community amid escalating conflicts

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel has recently issued a notice advising the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in the Middle East nation to proactively implement security and safety measures amid the escalating security situation caused by tensions between Israel and Iran.

After the Iranian Embassy building complex in Syria was attacked on April 1, international media and governments of many countries expressed concerns regarding the risk of direct attacks between Iran and Israel.

The Israeli National Emergency Information Portal also sent safety instructions to people from 6:00 p.m. on April 11 to 6:00 p.m. on April 14.

Emergency rescue forces on duty at the scene of the bombardment near the Iranian Embassy in Damascus (Syria).

Faced with this situation, the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel recommends that the community regularly monitor and stay updated on the situation via reputable local media and related safety and security applications to ensure absolute safety, reported VOV.

This is in addition to proactively taking necessary safety measures, strictly complying with local government regulations and instructions, limiting visits to crowded places, and regularly keeping in contact with the Embassy.

The Embassy of Vietnam in Israel has provided direct contacts and citizen protection hotlines for the community to contact in case of emergency, or if they need either support or information regarding citizen protection measures.

It also provides local government websites such as the National Emergency Information Portal and Home Front to offer people additional guidance when needed.

This comes after many countries have advised citizens to avoid traveling to Israel and Iran amid warnings regarding the risk of widespread conflict if Iran retaliates for the attack on their Embassy in Syria.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have intensified defense activities to prepare for future attacks from outside.

HCM City piloting electric vehicle service for sightseeing

HCM City has begun an electric vehicle service that will take tourists to sightseeing and amusement places.

Run by the city Departments of Transport and Tourism and Saigon.PT Limited Liability Company, it is being trialed in districts 1, 4, 5, and 6.

There is a fleet of 70 vehicles operated by Saigon.PT, each with eight seats.

They will operate from 6 am to midnight daily on a pilot basis until the end of 2025.

HCM City launches an electric vehicle service for tourists on April 12.

Passengers can buy tickets and book services through ticketing apps.

Tickets are sold by the hour and for travel from point to point, cited VNS.

A ticket for 30 minutes costs VND120,000 during the day and VND250,000 at night and fares for a single trip are VND60,000 and VND120,000.

Vo Khanh Hung, deputy director of the Department of Transport, said the electric vehicle services would be integrated with other modes of transport such as buses and public bicycles.

It aligns with the city and country’s plans for developing green transportation.

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