Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai at the meeting (Photo:VNA)

HCM City aims for AI technology development with US

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai on April 25 had a meeting with a high-level delegation from the US chip giant NVIDIA led by Vice President Keith Strier, who is on a working trip to Vietnam.

The municipal leader stated that the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) is in line with the orientations of the southern city and is being carried out with a view to becoming a major partner and major customer of NVIDIA in the country through the delegation’s visit.

The southern metropolis aims, not only to apply AI, but also to become a center for AI technology development in the time ahead, Mai told his guest.

According to Mai, the municipal People's Committee has assigned relevant departments and sectors to research and apply this technology, first of all in administrative management, health care, education, urban management, and many other fields.

He went on to express his belief that the two sides will have plenty of opportunities for broader co-operation as the city boasts plenty of human resources, institutions, and other conditions to co-operate in AI development.

Mai also informed the NVIDIA delegation about contents aimed at implementing the cooperation efforts and pledged to develop AI with NVIDIA in a bid to become a regional AI hub, cited VOV

To reach this goal, NVIDIA and Ho Chi Minh City must set up a joint working group in order to outline orientations for further AI development and application, such as investing in AI and computing infrastructure.

In line with this, the two sides can immediately deploy training and conversion of human resources as a means of serving AI development as the city has abundant information technology human resources, with more than 100 universities, Mai continued.

For his part, Strier appreciated the preparations for AI development being made by Ho Chi Minh City and affirmed NVIDIA’s readiness to help the southern city to develop AI technology.

This represents a complex technology chain, requiring the city to continue modernizing information technology infrastructure, improving human resource skills, and the overall capacity of businesses. “If we fail to do these things, we will not be able to keep up with the development of AI,” he noted.

Strier added that the corporation wishes to work alongside the city, adding that NVIDIA's shareholders are highly interested in the Vietnamese market but do not place much emphasis on business but on development co-operation.

According to Strier, NVIDIA will support the development of local businesses and hopes Ho Chi Minh City will become one of the five leading cities in AI.

The corporation is very capable of training human resources in this industry for lecturers and students, particularly as it will organize free classes to help people understand more about AI, he added.

Da Nang to have first smart airport terminal in Vietnam

The international terminal of Da Nang Airport, based in the central city of Da Nang, is set to become a smart terminal under a partnership between the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC (AHT) and FPT Software.

The partnership, announced on April 22, aims to promote digital transformation in the short term and comprehensive modernisation in the long term. It looks to develop the first smart airport terminal in Vietnam to minimize the time needed for handling procedures and improve passengers’ experience.

At the event, AHT and FPT Software, an affiliate of tech giant FPT group, signed documents for implementing the project in the second quarter of 2024 and complete it this October.

Accordingly, AI-powered cameras will be installed at aviation procedure handling zones to assess density to help operators quickly detect hot spots and take effective solutions. More mobile apps will be launched to provide smart support solutions such as notifying the departure status and finding current locations on the map.

A new website will be built to ensure the best possible convenience for users when searching for multilingual information. More touch-screen systems will also be placed across the terminal for passengers to search for information and give assessments, helping the terminal make improvements.

AHT Deputy General Director Do Trong Hau said that it is not the technologies chosen that decide the success of digital transformation projects but how to use them. Therefore, instead of using available solutions in the market, the terminal decided to partner with FPT Software to develop solutions tailored to its demand.

He noted the cooperation between AHT and FPT Software will open up many chances for diversifying aviation services, thus minimizing the procedure handling time, improving passengers’ experience, and contributing to tourism development of Da Nang city, reported VNA.

The Da Nang international terminal was rated five stars by international airport rating agency Skytrax in January. (Source: VNA)

The Da Nang international terminal was rated five stars by international airport rating agency Skytrax in January. It received the certificate at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024 ceremony in Germany on April 17.

In 2022 and 2023, the terminal was equipped with auto gates, automatic boarding gates, and self-check-in kiosks. Particularly, it is the first airport terminal in Vietnam to have a self-service bag drop system, applied by Starlux Airlines. As a result, all aviation procedures at this terminal are now handled automatically.

Michelin-starred restaurant in HCM City among world's best

Pot Au Pho, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant based in Ho Chi Minh City, has been named among the top 31 best new restaurants in the world by editors of American magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

The restaurant first opened in 2023 and mainly specializes in serving the nation’s beloved pho noodle soup, cited VOV.

A bowl of pho is served at Pot Au Pho Restaurant.

“At Pot Au Pho, Vietnamese banker turned chef Peter Cuong Franklin sets new standards for Vietnam’s beloved noodle soup, his 10-course tasting menu deconstructing phở and then reassembling the iconic bone broth,” says magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

According to details given by the US magazine, in addition to pho, it also serves mi quang, a traditional prawn and pork turmeric noodle soup prepared by Cuong’s mom.

The restaurant is located on the third floor of a building at 89 Ton That Dam Street in District 1 and has been designed for just 14 guests.

Pot au Pho was also named among 'Asia's 50 Best Restaurants' list in both 2021 and 2023.

Rounding off the list of the top 30 are Maty's in Miami, Yess in Los Angeles, Chishuru in London, Kiln in San Francisco, Datil in Paris, Trescha in Buenos Aires, Le Pristine in Tokyo, The Guild in Dubai, and Papa's in Mumbai.

Severe heatwaves forecast for Northern and Central Vietnam

Nationwide, average temperatures in May are forecast to be one to two degrees Celsius higher than the average for this time of year.

Vietnam's Northern and Central Regions are bracing for a scorching hot season marked by intense heat waves and potential water shortages.

The forecast for May to September indicates a continuation of drought conditions, especially in the Northern, Central Regions and Central Highlands. This raises concerns about water availability in the coming months.

Heatwaves are expected to be more prevalent and severe than usual, with a possibility of breaking records for the highest temperatures. There's also an increased risk of hailstorms and tornadoes.

Nationwide, average temperatures in May are forecast to be one to two degrees Celsius higher than the average for this time of year; in June, 0.5 to 1.5 degrees Celsius above average; and from July to September, 0.5 to one degree Celsius above average.

The rainy season is expected to begin in late April or early May in the Northwest Region, mid-May in other parts of the North, and early May in the Central Highlands.

Overall precipitation levels are forecast to be similar to the multi-year average in most regions, except for the Central Region which is likely to see higher-than-average rainfall.

Drought conditions in the Northern Central Highlands are expected to continue until mid-May, after which they may gradually subside. In the Southern Central Highlands, drought conditions could end by the first half of May.

The Central Regions are likely to experience drought impacts from May to July, with conditions gradually improving afterwards, VNS reported.

Soldiers mobilize water trucks to deliver water to residents in the border areas of Gia Lai Province during the peak drought period. Photo: VNA

There are no signs of minor flooding in the Northern Region in May. From May to September, inflows to major reservoirs on the Đà River are projected to be 30 to 40 per cent below average, while to the Thác Bà Reservoir and the Tuyên Quang Reservoir, 20 to 30 per cent below average.

During the same period, the river flows in Thanh Hóa, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Ngãi, Binh Dinh and Binh Thuan Provinces are expected to be around 10 to 30 per cent above average.

Meanwhile, river flows in other parts of the Central Region and Central Highlands are forecast to be 15 to 55 per cent below average. Notably, Ben Hai River, Ba River, and La Nga River could see flows of between 65 to 80 per cent below average.

Total inflows into medium and large hydroelectric reservoirs are projected to fall short of the multi-year average in most parts of the Central Region, Central Highlands and Southern Regions.

Long An, Japan's Okayama city explore cooperation opportunities

Leaders of Vietnam’s southern Long An province and Japan’s Okayama city engaged in a dialogue on April 26 to discuss cooperation between the two localities.

Mayor of Okayama city Omori Masao expressed interest in Long An’s strategic location and development potential with abundant and skilled workforce, saying that such provide a favorable condition for Okayama firms to explore investment; expand commercial activities, cold storage and transshipment; and collaborate in training technical and nursing staff.

Representatives of Okayama firms highlighted their need for a better understanding of Long An’s investment environment in the realms of automobile recycling and component production, construction machinery and nursing homes, cited VNA.

At the MoU signing ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Tan Hoa said the proposed areas of cooperation suit local development conditions.

He encouraged Okayama to designate a focal point to facilitate communication and collaboration with Long An authorities and business associations. This would help solidify the joint statement signed between the two localities and move toward concrete action.

On the occasion, the Okayama Chamber of Commerce & Industry signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Long An Business Association and Young Entrepreneurs’ Association to expand cooperation in the fields of labor, industry, tourism, education and culture.

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