Vietnam strongly committed to climate change response: PM Chinh

Vietnam is committed to supporting global initiatives to respond to climate change at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference, PM Pham Minh Chinh has said.

Speaking to the Vietnamese community in the U.K., where he is visiting to attend the U.N. event in Scotland, he said climate change is a global issue and as a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam must have a strong commitment to fighting it though it still faces many difficulties itself.

He said he had met COP26 President Alok Sharma and discussed cutting emissions and told him that the transformation of energy sources in Vietnam must be appropriate for the country's situation and ensure social security for workers.

Vietnam had been involved in wars and faced energy shortages, and "how could we have developed our economy if we had not built coal-fired power plants since the hydropower capacity is limited?"

Thai Binh coal-fired power plant in the northern Thai Binh Province in 2019. Photo: VnExpress

The life cycle of a coal-fired power plant is 10-20 years and when converting to a new energy source, there must be a roadmap to settle contracts with investors and employees, he said.

There are more than 100,000 employees in the coal industry, reported VnExpress.

"But it is not because of such challenges that Vietnam will not make commitments to the international community or provide a roadmap toward 2050 to bring emissions to zero," Chinh said.

The PM had left for the U.K. on Sunday as the head of a delegation comprising officials from National Assembly committees and the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, environment, and finance.

At the annual event, he will attend the opening ceremony on Monday, deliver speeches and meet with foreign leaders, officials from international organizations and other important partners.

COP26 will be attended by around 30,000 delegates from all over the world, including over 100 national leaders.

Hanoi students to resume face-to-face learning next week in safe areas

After months of school closures, students living in 18 Covid-19 free districts and towns will be allowed to return to school, starting November 8.

Priority will be given to students of grades 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12, said Tran The Cuong, director of the Hanoi municipal Department of Education and Training in an urgent dispatch dated November 1, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

Students of other grades will continue distance learning while pre-school children will continue staying at home, said Cuong.

According to the document, schools are required to maintain safe distance and other Covid-19 prevention and control measures. Teachers are not allowed to come to school unless they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Students will return to school for learning either in the morning or in the afternoon instead of both shifts as normally. Schools will also not provide students with lunch and drinks during school hours.

Hanoi has closed all schools and educational institutions after the virus recurred in late April 2021. During the closure schools have offered online learning, however the service has yet to meet expectations.

Vietnam only need a draw to qualify for U23 Asian Cup

A draw against Myanmar will see Vietnam secure a place at 2022 U23 Asian Cup.

After two group I games in U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnam and Myanmar are sharing the first position with three points each, as they scored victories against Taiwan. Vietnam and Myanmar will enter the decisive match on Tuesday to compete for the top of group I.

If two teams draw after 90 minutes, they will enter a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

But even if Vietnam lose the penalty shootout, they will still advance as one of the best second-placed teams. The top team of each group and the four best second-placed teams will qualify.

Midfielder Nguyen Hai Long (C) dribbles in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers between Vietnam and Taiwan on October 27, 2021. Photo: Vietnam Football Federation

In 11 groups of the qualifiers, seven have concluded (A, B, E, G, H, J and K). In group J, Thailand have already advanced with four points. In other groups, second-placed teams that stand a great chance to advance are Tajikistan and Cambodia with three points each, VnExpress reported.

Group D and F are not concluded, but the second-placed teams there won’t be able to get more than three points in the last games. For group C and I, any team who have four points after the last games will advance.

Therefore, Vietnam only need a draw against Myanmar in the last match to qualify, since the penalty shootout is only used to decide the first position.

U23 Asian Cup 2022 will take place from June 1 to 19 in Uzbekistan with the participation of 16 teams.

Vietnam finished as runners up of the tournament in 2018 but were eliminated early in 2020.

Ha Long holds post-Covid-19 tourism promotion activities

Hundreds of residents and tourists immersed themselves in the music and light of a program running with the theme of "Ha Long Bay - A rendezvous of the world's natural wonders" on October 31 at the Tuan Chau international tourism complex.

Approximately 200 artists took part in the program, performing numerous songs in praise of Ha Long City’s beautiful landscape and local friendly people.

More than 100 local women also participated in a fashion show of Ao Dai – a traditional long dress of Vietnam - during the 60-minute program.

Local women stage a fashion show of Ao Dai at the Tuan Chau international tourism complex. Photo: VOV

2021 marks 10 years of Ha Long Bay becoming one of the world's new seven wonders of nature as voted for by New Open World, according to VOV.

The program was part of Quang Ninh’s tourism stimulus scheme aimed at welcoming back guests from other localities nationwide after the province has decided to reopen its major tourist destinations.

Currently, Tuan Chau Group is planning to organize a winter carnival, a motor race, and a boat race in the future in an effort to popularize Ha Long as a friendly and safe destination. It has set a target of receiving two million visitors in the fourth quarter of the year and gradually recovering the tourism industry.

Quang Ninh previously held 50 events to stimulate tourism and resume services across the entire locality.

The province is poised to cooperate alongside Hai Phong, Hanoi, Da Nang, and other localities where the Covid-19 pandemic has basically been controlled to run tourism programs in the remaining months of the year.

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