Vietnam readies for 13th party congress
DUE to Covid-19, nearly 100 foreign correspondents have registered to virtually make coverage of the upcoming 13th congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), as reported by Voice of Vietnam (VOV).
The information was revealed by Le Manh Hung, deputy head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and head of the Press Centre of the upcoming CPV Congress.
Hung told reporters at a press briefing at the press centre on January 18: “This is the first time in history of the Party congresses, correspondents of foreign media agencies will give coverage of the event online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have invited 32 correspondents from 17 Party-run media agencies overseas, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have invited 67 correspondents from foreign media agencies to cover the event.”
Hung added that as many as 474 reporters from 191 local media agencies and publications have registered to provide widespread coverage of the congress.
According to the director, preparations for the press centre have been basically completed. The centre has put forth specific programmes and scenarios to facilitate the operation of reporters.
PM: Boost air pollution control
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has demanded subordinate levels strengthen air pollution control as air quality in many localities, particularly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, has worsened.
Particularly, Phuc tasked ministries and localities to immediately review and evaluate the implementation of regulations on dust and emission control right in the first half of this year.
He asked for promptly enhancing air quality monitoring capacity to ensure that air will be monitored nationwide by 2025.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was tasked to review and report to the prime minister a roadmap for application of national emission standards for road motor vehicles in the fourth quarter of this year.
The main causes to air pollution in Vietnam come from exhaust of transport means, construction activities, industrial production and low rate of trees in urban areas.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the most concerning air pollutant in Vietnam. Another problem is dust from commercial and residential construction sites. Thousands of construction sites filled with trucks that are heavily loaded with sand and cement create perpetual dust storms.
In a bid to reduce air pollution, Phuc signed Decision No 985a/QD-TTg in 2016 approving the national action plan on air quality management by 2020 with the vision to 2025.
The decision outlines activities – including determining and keep an eye on pollution sources and monitoring air quality at all levels – which will inform actions towards air quality improvement, according to VGP News.
2011 CPV platform
The 13th CPV Congress will review the 2011-2020 implementation of the Political Platform
(supplemented in 2011) and the socio-economic development strategy for 20112020, said Associate Professor Nguyen Viet Thong, SecretaryGeneral of the Central Theoretical Council, according to Vietnam News Agency.
According to Thong, the 10-year implementation of the platform has resulted in development in terms of both theory and reality.
It could be affirmed that the platform remains a flag of ideology, combat and great national unity to build a strong country with rich people and equitable, democratic and civilised society, Thong said.
Former head of the Institute of Philosophy Prof Dr Nguyen Trong Chuan, who joined the drafting process of documents for the 7th CPV Congress, including the 1991 platform on national construction in the period of transition to socialism, said that the 13th CPV Congress will make new contributions.
The 13th Congress will look at many issues regarding the country, the world, as well as the path Vietnam is taking to narrow the development gap with developed countries and maintain the socialist orientation.
He said documents to be submitted to the 13th Congress have summed up 45 years since the national liberation, and expressed his belief that the platform will be implemented in the best manner.
Costa Rican Covid positive
A Costa Rican man, 59, was among two latest Covid-19 cases confirmed in Vietnam on January 18, raising the patient tally to 1,539, according to VGP News.
The man flew from the UAE to Hanoi on January 16 on flight KE394.
He is being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district.
Patient 1,538 is a 28-yearold man in My Tho city of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.
He flew from the US to South Korea and then took flight VN431 to the central city of Danang on January 13.
The patient is being treated at the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases.
The same day, 22 patients were declared free of Covid19, taking the total recoveries to 1,402.
So far, Vietnam has reported 35 Covid-19 fatalities, including 31 in Danang and three in Quang Nam province, VGP News said.
VN authors get Japan prize
The third Inoue Yasushi Awards by the Japan Foundation and Inoue Yasushi Memorial Foundation honoured four Vietnamese authors on January 18 for their theses on novels by Japanese writers, according to VOV.
In the researcher category, first prize went to Chau Hong Thao who produced an excellent thesis about two novels written by Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro.
Second prize was awarded to local researcher Nguyen Huu Minh for his thesis on a novel written by Natsume Soseki, while Nguyen Anh Tuan received third prize for a thesis on a poem by Manyoshu.
In the student category, Nguyen Chi Anh claimed fourth prize for his thesis that compared the poetry of female poets Kokinshu and Manyoshu, VOV said.