Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway have both achieved the 'SafeFlight' certification under the LaoSafe programme, facilitating passenger travel to exciting new destinations.

New flight routes are opening this October that will provide a broader range of options for travellers hoping to visit Laos, as LaoSafe certification of the country's two airlines, Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway, will ensure that passengers can be confident of boarding a flight with high hygiene standards.

Both of Laos' airlines have now been fully certified under the SafeFlight standard, one of a series of health and hygiene certifications under the LaoSafe programme. SafeFlight ensures that cabin crew and flight staff abide by strict hygiene regulations to ensure a clean and comfortable flight for passengers.

"The LaoSafe certification has allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to safe and clean hygiene travel standards for everyone," affirms Mr Sitthideth Douangsiththy, Deputy Director of Lao Airlines.

"Building trust among local and international flyers with the certification on board, our cabin crew follow the LaoSafe hygiene standards, giving passengers the cleanest possible experience," he added.

According to the SafeFlight standards, all airline personnel must follow health and hygiene protocols set in place for maximum cleanliness. This includes undergoing daily temperature screening, frequent environmental cleaning and disinfection, wearing masks in the airport and for the duration of the flights, wearing gloves when handling travellers' personal belongings, regularly washing hands, and providing safety amenities to passengers.

Col Siviengthong Konnyvong, CEO of Lao Skyway, spoke of the company's pride at achieving the SafeFlight accreditation.

"Lao Skyway is extremely proud of earning the LaoSafe certification. Tourists can be assured that their travels in Laos abide by the highest hygiene standards," he remarked.

Flights connecting Hanoi, Vietnam, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, with the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang will be available in the coming months. Lao Airlines has also increased the frequency of its popular route between Vientiane and Seoul, a firm favourite for Korean tourists, as well as an important transit link for other long-haul travellers. Lao Airlines also offers flights to and from major regional destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Siem Reap.

Implemented by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, and approved by the Ministry of Health, LaoSafe is a nationwide initiative designed to create a world-class health and hygiene system within the tourism and hospitality industry.

Sector-specific standards have been developed for accommodation, food and beverage, tour guides, and drivers, to raise the benchmark of hygiene provision throughout the country and to build international confidence in Laos as a safe tourist destination.

Lao Skyway flies to ten destinations throughout Laos, including major cities such as Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Pakse, where tourists can find plenty of LaoSafe-certified hotels and restaurants. Flights are also available to and from Oudomxay and Xieng Khouang, two fast-growing provinces that became hotspots among local travellers during the Lao Thiao Lao domestic tourism campaign.

The LaoSafe programme is supported by the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029), which is co-financed by the governments of the Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

VinAI AI Day 2022 with the theme of "Empower the Future" will return on August 26-27 at VinUniversity via Zoom. The event is among Vietnam's largest and most prestigious AI events and has attracted some of the world's greatest AI minds and the tech community.

AI Day is an annual event held by VinAI Artificial Intelligence Application and Research JSC (a member of Vingroup), accompanied and partnered with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vietnam National Innovation Center, VinFuture Prize, VinUniversity and leading giants in the technology field such as Intel, HPE, AMD, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Google, ASUS, PIXTA and Urbox.

Under the theme "Empower the Future," AI Day 2022 investigates the three themes that matter to the industry: AI for Global Equality, AI for Sustainable Development, and AI for Safety.

"AI for Sustainable Development" is a recent initiative to integrate greater societal and environmental considerations in designing, developing and deploying AI systems. The focus of this panel during AI Day will explore opportunities this new technology presents to improve lives around the world and address the challenges and barriers to its application.

Regarding the "AI for Safety" panel, some of the world's leading and up-and-coming experts on the topic will explore central questions and reveal insights into developing safe and reliable AI systems.

Another discussion bound to attract attention is "AI for Global Equality." The panel will delve into the overarching differences between the world and Vietnam when leading/operating and working in the technology sector, focusing on AI.

Dr Hung Bui, CEO of VinAI, said: "After two successful years held online, AI DAY 2022 returns in both online and offline formats. We are extremely excited to welcome, in person, some of the best and brightest minds in the AI Industry. This is also a great chance for the unique profiles in the Vietnamese AI community to meet and discuss with seniors and colleagues worldwide."

The two-day event will feature keynote presentations from industry leaders, expert panel discussions covering the topics that matter to AI today, casual talks, various hands-on workshops and educational tutorials.

Participants will also be exposed to advanced AI products and features in the exhibition booths of VinAI and prestigious sponsors.

The event will play host to industry-leading experts and cutting-edge researchers and scientists, including:

Prof. Wolfram Burgard - Professor for Robotics and AI, Technical University of Nuremberg

Prof. Alexander J. Smola - Distinguished Scientist / VP, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Prof. William T. Freeman - Thomas and Gerd Perkins Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, MIT

Prof. Toby Walsh - Laureate Fellow & Scientia professor of AI, UNSW Sydney

Dr Hung Bui - Founding Director & CEO, VinAI

Dr Duong Van Nguyen - Head of ADAS Department, Panasonic Automotive Europe

Prof. Inderjit S. Dhillon - Gottesman Family Centennial Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Texas

Ayush Batra - Regional Technology Enablement Director, Intel.

In addition to leading experts in the industry, leaders and reputable entrepreneurs in the field of Artificial Intelligence will join together to discuss and answer the question: How can we shape the Artificial Intelligence ecosystem to develop humanity to provide a better life for everyone?

By the end of the year, the partnership will have provided safe water access to over 10,000 people. Planet Water Foundation, a nonprofit organization that addresses global water poverty by providing clean water access and hygiene education programs, and Hung Yen Knitting & Dyeing Co. Ltd – an Italian leading textile manufacturer operating in Vietnam since 2008 – have completed the deployment of their latest clean water project in Hung Yen Province, Vietnam.

The project took place in Lac Hong Primary School in Văn Lâm, Hung Yen, with volunteers from Hung Yen Knitting and Dyeing Co. Ltd., supporting the Planet Water Foundation team in deploying an AquaTower community water filtration system which will provide the students and surrounding community members with access to clean, safe drinking water for many years to come.

Since the partnership began in 2020, Hung Yen Knitting & Dyeing has supported the deployment of four AquaTower systems. Each AquaTower system produces 1,000 liters of clean, safe drinking water per hour, enough to meet the drinking water requirements of up to 1,800 people, and includes an integrated handwashing station with liquid soap dispensers.

Each project is deployed together with Planet Water's comprehensive hygiene education program to help spread knowledge on healthy hygiene habits, and Planet Water's AquaSan mobile surface disinfection system which helps sanitize the school environment.

"We are honored to contribute back to the communities of the Hung Yen Province" said Ms. Claudia Anselmi, General Manager and Director of Hung Yen Knitting & Dyeing. "Throughout the partnership with Planet Water Foundation, we are proud to see the results that our support has brought to the children in each school we have deployed projects in, giving access to clean and safe drinking water, and making a positive impact to the families and the community surrounding the schools."

Later this year, the two organizations will be deploying two additional AquaTower projects in Hung Yen province, further extending the impact of the partnership.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of Hung Yen Knitting & Dyeing" said Mark Steele, Founder & CEO of Planet Water. "By the end of this year, through our partnership we will have brought access to clean, safe drinking water to up to 10,800 people, and provided hygiene education to over 4,000 students and community members."

Following the deployment of each AquaTower project, the Planet Water team will be conducting sustainability visits over the course of four years to ensure the long-term success of each project.

VinFast announced they have received a $1.2 billion incentive package from the State of North Carolina for its electric vehicle manufacturing project in the US. The largest economic incentive package in state history was signed this week by Governor Roy Cooper, making VinFast the first car maker to locate in the North Carolina. The VinFast's manufacturing facility will be built at the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County, North Carolina with a total investment of about $2 billion USD in the first phase.

Covering an area of 2,000 acres, with two main areas: electric cars and buses production and assembly, and ancillary industries for suppliers, VinFast's factory is designed to reach the capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. When brought into operation, the manufacturing complex will create an ecosystem of suppliers as well as thousands of local jobs, thereby creating both direct and indirect economic benefits.

"North Carolina's partnership with VinFast to bring good, clean energy jobs to North Carolina took an important step forward today with the signing of the budget, said Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina. "Electric vehicles, like the ones VinFast will produce in Chatham County, are a critical component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build North Carolina into a hub for the clean energy economy."

"VinFast applauds North Carolina for their efforts and determination in advancing the state's clean energy economy and carbon mitigation goals," said Van Anh Nguyen, CEO of VinFast Manufacturing US. "This investment by the State of North Carolina is the starting point for a future marked by innovation, job creation, and economic growth. Today exemplifies how government and industry can come together to pursue a brighter future."

Phase one of the project will start construction in the second half of 2022 and production is expected to commence from July 2024. The factory establishment once again affirms VinFast's commitment to expand its business and invest in key locations across the US and globally. In North Carolina, VinFast will be the first car factory and the largest economic development project in the state's history to date.

"The North Carolina General Assembly is thrilled that VinFast chose North Carolina for its monumental expansion," said Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. "There's no question the business-friendly policies we've prioritized over the last decade played a pivotal role in VinFast's plan to bring thousands of good-paying jobs to North Carolina."

"North Carolina is heading into an exciting era of innovation with one of our newest corporate citizens, VinFast," said Tim Moore, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. "As our state continues its growth with new and expanding businesses, we will continue to work alongside VinFast as the company establishes roots in North Carolina and brings new jobs and opportunities for North Carolinians."

Additionally, VinFast has received incentives from commercial organizations in the State of North Carolina, which is excluded from the government budget, up to hundreds of millions USD

VinFast – a member of Vingroup – envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy for all to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility and a sustainable planet. Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.us.

Established in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region, with a total capitalization of $35 billion USD from three publicly traded companies (as of November 4, 2021). Vingroup currently focuses on three main areas: Technology and Industry, Services and Social Enterprise.