Vietnam News Today (Mar. 3): Vietnam, South Africa Foster Cooperation in Training, Scientific Research

Vietnam, South Africa foster cooperation in training, scientific research

The Institute of African and Middle East Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and the South African Embassy in Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Hanoi on March 2, under which they agreed on comprehensive cooperation in training and scientific research.

Director of the institute Associate Prof. Dr. Le Phuoc Minh and South African Ambassador Vuyiswa Tulelo shared the view that the cooperation is reciprocal, aiming to raise the quality of training and scientific research of both sides.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

The MoU is also expected to help tighten political and diplomatic ties between the two countries, while promoting bilateral collaboration in other spheres like economy, trade, national defence, education and people-to-people exchanges.

Through the agreement, the two sides revealed they are ready to build and implement joint research projects, cited VNA.

They will also work together to organise activities and projects in 2023 to celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties, including seminars, contests, exhibitions and art performances.

South Africa is the first and the only country in Africa with which Vietnam has established a partnership for cooperation and development. It is also a leading partner for the Southeast Asian nation in politics, economy-trade, diplomacy, culture, science-technology, environment and tourism.

Da Nang International Fireworks Festival returns in June

The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 is set to take place from June 3 to 8 along the Han River in the central city of Da Nang following a three-year pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DIFF 2023 will feature firework displays put on by seven international teams and the Da Nang team representing Vietnam across five nights. Each team will be able to display their fireworks shows over the course of 20 minutes.

Photo: VOV

Vietnam and Finland will perform during the curtain-raiser on June 3, while Canada and France will take charge on June 10.

Furthermore, three-time champions Italy and Australia will play on June 17, while Britain and Poland will perform on June 24.

The top two teams will then be selected to progress to the final on July 8.

This year marks the 11th edition of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival, according to VOV.

The event has contributed to making Da Nang a top Asian festival destination whilst simultaneously promoting a positive image of Vietnam, including Da Nang, to international visitors.

Vietnam’s e-commerce expected to grow further

Despite the global recession that has hit e-commerce markets in the world’s biggest economies, Vietnam appears well positioned, in contrast, and is expected to grow through this phase, according to an article published on the foreign investment consulting firm Dezan Shira & Associates' Vietnam Briefing website.

The article cited Nirgunan Tiruchelvam, an analyst at Aletheia Capital, as saying that e-commerce markets in developed economies are struggling, but the same may not be experienced in fast growing emerging markets like Vietnam.

The global e-commerce sector was valued at over 3 trillion USD in 2022, according to Statista’s E-commerce Report 2022. The three biggest e-commerce markets – China, the US, and Europe – account for the lion’s share of this total e-commerce trade with a collective 2,723 billion USD in revenue.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

However, despite this big number, global e-commerce revenue fell, for the first time ever, in 2022.

A broad range of factors have contributed to contraction in the e-commerce market, with inflation and the pandemic considered two factors that have played a pivotal role in the market’s contraction. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict provoked energy price shocks impacting fuel prices, according to the article.

For international e-commerce businesses, the global economic turmoil has translated to falling stock prices, and most prominently, layoffs, reported VNA.

This layoff trend, however, has not hit Vietnam quite as badly, the article continued.

Vietnam’s e-commerce market hit 14 billion USD in 2022 and may reach as high as 32 billion USD by 2025. Google’s e-Conomy SEA 2022 report predicts that Vietnam will be in the top three countries attracting the most investors in the e-commerce sector.

AIA Insurance Inc, SBI Holdings, and Alibaba are just a handful of the big names pouring money into Vietnam’s Tiki, Lazada, and Sendo e-commerce marketplaces.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Vietnam E-commerce in 2022 report estimates that the online shopping value per user will also continue to increase.

The article pointed out that in Vietnam, the development of e-commerce has leapfrogged traditional retail like supermarkets and convenience stores.

It makes sense then that McKinsey and Company has forecast that Vietnam’s e-commerce market could be as big as traditional retail as soon as 2025. A trend that is not being seen in other parts of the world.

3.0 magnitude earthquake hits north-western Vietnam

An earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale struck Tuan Giao district in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on March 1 evening.

The quake occurred at 23:24 p.m. with its centre at a depth of 10 kilometres, said the Institute of Geophysics.

A map shows the location of a magnitude 3.0 earthquake hitting the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on March 1 evening. (Photo: Institute of Geophysics)

Due to the intensity of the quake, local residents were able to feel the tremors which rattled houses and other furniture.

The Institute said it was continuing to monitor the tremor.

Several earthquakes have been recorded throughout the province since the beginning of this year, cited VOV.

Over the past 100 years, three large earthquakes with magnitudes of over five on the Richter scale have been recorded in Dien Bien. They include one in 1935 with a magnitude of 6.75, another in 1983 with a magnitude of 6.7, and the latest in 2001 with a magnitude of 5.3.

According to experts, quakes are normal in the mountainous province of Dien Bien as it is situated on the Dien Bien – Lai Chau and Song Ma – Son La fault systems.

Vietnam on high alert over human avian flu risk after Cambodia outbreak

The recent announcement by Cambodia of two human cases of H5N1 avian influenza on February 24 has raised concerns about the spread of the disease in Vietnam.

Vietnam is facing a critical threat of human-to-human avian influenza virus transmission, the Ministry of Health has warned, after two human infections were reported in Cambodia.

The Ministry has cautioned that Vietnam's current weather conditions are ideal breeding grounds for avian influenza viruses.

The recent announcement by Cambodia of two human cases of H5N1 avian influenza on February 24 has raised concerns about the spread of the disease in Vietnam. The Ministry has advised citizens to take all necessary precautions to avoid exposure to the virus.

An 11-year-old girl from southeastern Prey Veng Province died of the virus, while her 49-year-old father tested positive for the H5N1 virus but did not develop any remarkable symptoms.

These are the latest human cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Cambodia's health sector has taken samples for testing 12 suspected cases.

Veterinary staff disinfects a poultry farm in Phu Vinh Village, Phu Nghia Commune, Chương My District in Hanoi. Photo: VNS

The ministry has sent dispatches to leaders of localities, especially bordering cities and provinces, to strengthen the prevention and control of avian influenza in the context of increasingly open trade exchanges between Vietnam and other countries worldwide.

Spring festivals, which often attract many people, would increase the infection risk, it said.

To prevent avian influenza from entering Vietnam, the ministry has asked leaders of localities to monitor people entering the country and detect suspected cases closely, especially traders in live poultry and poultry products who have a history of coming from an epidemic area.

Localities will take samples for testing and prevent the disease from spreading to the community, reported VNS.

Localities must strengthen inspections on acute respiratory infections, severe viral pneumonia, and influenza syndrome cases to detect cases of influenza A (H5N1) promptly.

Hospitals are ready to isolate and treat infected patients and promptly notify the Centers for Disease Control for timely epidemic prevention and control measures. Hospitals must ensure enough medicines, medical supplies, and chemicals to handle the outbreaks.

Localities must tighten inter-sectoral coordination between health agencies, veterinary authorities, and relevant departments in monitoring and detecting influenza epidemics, especially at border gates and poultry markets, to investigate and handle outbreaks.

The ministry has also required local administrations to strictly control the transportation and trade of poultry and poultry products.

People must report suspected cases to competent authorities if their poultry herds show signs of bird flu. People are recommended not to consume food processed from sick poultry, or poultry of unknown origin.

Those with symptoms such as high temperatures, aching muscles, headaches, coughing, or shortness of breath, should seek health treatment as soon as possible.

On February 25, the HCM City-based Pasteur Institute gave a bird flu alert to southern localities after more than ten human cases were reported in Cambodia, including two deaths.

Southern localities were requested to enhance inspections on viral pneumonia and send samples from suspected cases to the institute for testing to stem possible outbreaks.

It said people and poultry from Cambodia's infected areas should be closely monitored.

The World Health Organization expressed concern about possible human-to-human transmission after the father of an 11-year-old Cambodian girl who died from the disease tested positive.

The WHO said it was in close contact with the Cambodian authorities about the situation, including the test results of the girl’s other contacts.

Officials are also awaiting test results from several dead wild birds found near the girl’s remote village in the eastern Prey Veng province.

Vietnam recorded a human case of bird flu caused by the A/H5N1 virus in northern Phu Tho Province last October, the first human bird flu infection after eight years without such cases across the country.

Since the first bird flu outbreak in 2003, the total number of A(H5N1) avian flu patients in Vietnam has reached 128. Of that, 64 patients, accounting for 50 per cent, died.

Nineteen cities and provinces reported outbreaks, and more than 77,000 chickens and other poultry animals were culled.

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