The Ministry of Environment has flagged an alarming decline in air quality in Phnom Penh and the provinces of Cambodia. Based on the ministry's air quality monitoring, the decline in air quality was mainly due to an increase in inert particles floating in the air (PM10 and PM2.5), surpassing the standard and posing risks to human health and the environment. Activities contributing to the decline include emissions from industrial vehicles, plastic waste dumping and incineration, and dust generated from construction sites. Forest fires, burning of grass and agricultural waste, open solid waste burning, and landfill fires are also the main contributors, it added. To address this issue, the Ministry of Environment has requested that the 25 capital-provincial governors promote the implementation of the government circular on measures to prevent and reduce public air pollution. Public awareness building and measures to prevent waste, forest, and plastic burning also need to be taken. Source: Agence Kampuche a Presse Hanoi: The Vietnamese Embassy in China held a get-together on January 12 for overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in China ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls on February 10 this year. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai informed participants about Vietnam's socio-economic achievements, and the development of Vietnam-China relations, especially the practical and diverse results of visits by Party and State leaders of the two countries in 2023. Mai affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam always consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the nation. He believed that promoting overseas Vietnamese resources, especially intellectual resources, is one of the important tasks that not only contributes to the country's socio-economic development but also strengthens the great national unity bloc in the new situation. Mai highly appreciated the solidarity and mutual support among overseas Vietnamese in China as well as their love for the homeland. The ambassador expressed his hope that in the coming time, the Vietnamese community in China will continue to promote solidarity, preserve national identity, actively contribute to the process of national protection and construction, and serve as a bridge to promote the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China. At the gathering, the embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese extended New Year greetings to each other and enjoyed cultural performances, and traditional foods to welcome the Year of the Dragon./. Source: Vietnam News Agency