Vietnam news in brief - May 12
Read the Hanoi Times for more up to date information on Vietnam, Hanoi and other localities.
Vietnam's fourth cycle UPR report approved by the United Nations
The United Nations Human Rights Council's Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) adopted Vietnam’s cycle-four UPR national report on 10 May, reaffirming the country's positive progress in ensuring the protection of human rights.
The report was presented to the Council on May 7 by a Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet. The meeting was attended by representatives from more than 130 countries, who made 320 recommendations on Vietnam's report.
6th National Entrepreneurship Day kicks off in Cantho
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits a pavilion at the event. Photo: The Hanoi Times |
The National Entrepreneurship Day 2024 was inaugurated this morning (May 12) in the southern city of Cantho in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Now in its sixth year, the two-day event will include a fair to showcase students' ideas and innovations, a matchmaking session between universities and colleges, and the sixth finals of student initiatives. During the event, students with outstanding ideas will be able to find potential investors to help turn their ideas into reality.
Over the six festivals, more than 20,000 students have participated, presenting 3,000 projects and 4,000 entrepreneurial ideas.
Red Poinciana Flower Festival begins in Haiphong
The northern city of Haiphong held a ceremony on May 11 to launch the 2024 Haiphong Red Poinciana Flower Festival, highlighting cultural and spiritual values as the core of socio-economic and industrial development. Haiphong is home to 132 tangible and intangible heritage sites, including two special national heritage elements.
At the ceremony, Haiphong and its neighboring Quang Ninh Province were presented with a UNESCO document recognizing the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Islands as a World Natural Heritage Site.
Ho Chi Minh City carbon credit market worth US$790 million
A World Bank report on May 11 showed that the carbon credit market in Ho Chi Minh City is worth US$790 million, according to Nguyen Quang Thanh, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Finance and Investment Corporation (HFIC). Notable carbon credit-generating projects in the city include rooftop solar panel installations, LED lighting upgrades, and electric motorcycle upgrades.
Data from Verra, the world's leading standard for climate action and sustainable development, shows that there are 4,000 registered carbon credit projects worldwide. Only 10% of the total have completed the project design phase.
Local airlines not in breach of existing rules: aviation authority
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has announced the results of its inspection of local airlines, showing that all companies have complied with existing rules to publish their airfares and ancillary charges. However, there are no general terms and conditions for costs and fees on their websites, which confuses passengers and causes unnecessary misunderstandings between customers and airlines.
The authority advises local airlines to revise and alternate the way they present information on their websites, and to clarify all costs to be paid by passengers.
Underground lake found in Thung Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
A lake has been found inside Thung Cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, tourism company Jungle Boss announced on May 11. The natural lake is located 15m higher than the main underground river in the cave and about 1km from the entrance.
According to Jungle Boss, the company will return to make further discoveries. The discovery of the so-called lake will add to the appeal of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which is known for its many natural caves and is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world.
