Tin tức mới nhất trong ngày, cập nhật liên tục 24h. Từ nguồn báo chính thống như CNN, BBC, VOA, Inside Science,...

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education has introduced a reward scheme for strong IELTS results, offering students VND2.5 million (US$98) for high scores. English pedagogy majors can claim the incentive with a minimum 7.5 score, while students in other majors qualify from 7.0. Certificates must be valid within two years, and each student can only receive the bonus once.

Tran Thanh Thuong, head of Admissions and Student Affairs, said the initiative aims to encourage students to surpass graduation language requirements, integrate globally, and stay competitive in the job market. The school currently requires IELTS 5.5–6.0 to graduate, or 7.0 for English pedagogy majors.

Vietnamese universities increasingly value international language certificates, using them for admissions, bonus points, course exemptions, and graduation criteria. Rising competition has driven up certificate use, with some institutions seeing 1.5–4 times more applicants submitting IELTS this year. Students with certificates often enjoy academic advantages and recognition of language proficiency.

Vietnam will cut the processing time for visa-exemption certificates at overseas missions from two working days to one, under a directive by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Applicants will also be able to submit documents by post to visa-issuing agencies abroad.

The visa-exemption certificate, granted to overseas Vietnamese and foreigners with a Vietnamese spouse or parent, can be issued as a passport affix or as a separate document for those from countries without diplomatic ties to Vietnam. It remains valid for five years, or until six months before the passport or travel document expires.

Super Typhoon Ragasa, with peak winds of 221 kph, is crippling air and sea transport across the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and southern China. Hong Kong International Airport will suspend passenger flights for 36 hours from Sept. 23–25, disrupting about 700 flights. Cathay Pacific canceled over 500 flights, while Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and other international carriers also suspended or rescheduled services.

China's coastal provinces, including Shenzhen and Fujian, have halted ferries, grounded flights, and evacuated residents. Taiwan suspended all flights to its outlying islands, 88 ferry routes, and several railway services, while offering free ticket refunds. In the Philippines, Ragasa struck Panuitan Island in Cagayan Province, forcing cancellations of flights in northern regions and grounding fishing boats and ferries.

The typhoon is expected to maintain super-typhoon strength through Tuesday before weakening rapidly midweek as it approaches Guangzhou.

China has ordered widespread shutdowns as Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in years, approaches southern provinces. Schools, businesses, and factories are closing in at least 10 cities, affecting tens of millions. In Shenzhen, 400,000 people are being evacuated, with officials warning of severe winds, flooding, and storm surges. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors except for essential work or emergency duties.

Other Guangdong cities, including Chaozhou, Zhuhai, Dongguan, and Foshan, have enacted similar measures. Foshan officials warned of a “critical defense situation” as Ragasa nears. The Hong Kong Observatory reported sustained winds of 230 kph over the South China Sea, following earlier impacts on the Philippines.

The storm has already killed at least one person in northern Philippines, where more than 10,000 residents were evacuated. Scientists emphasize that climate change is fueling stronger, more destructive typhoons.

Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm globally so far this year, is maintaining winds of 202–220 kph over the northeastern East Sea but is forecast to weaken rapidly midweek. By Wednesday morning, it should be east of China's Leizhou Peninsula with winds of 184–220 kph, before striking southern Guangdong on Thursday at 118–133 kph, then weakening to a tropical depression before reaching northern Vietnam by Friday.

NCHMF attributes the weakening to land interaction and dry continental air intruding into the storm's northern circulation. Still, Ragasa will bring strong winds and heavy rain to northern Vietnam. From Wednesday night, the Gulf of Tonkin and islands like Bach Long Vi and Co To could see gusts of 150–166 kph, waves up to 6 m, and storm surges of 0.5–1 m along Quang Ninh and Hai Phong coasts. Inland areas from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa may experience winds of 50–102 kph. Rainfall from Wednesday to Friday could reach 100–250 mm, with some places exceeding 400 mm, raising flood risks.

Hong Kong has closed schools, halted most flights, and raised storm signals as Ragasa approaches, while thousands were evacuated in the Philippines and schools shut in Taiwan. Vietnam has placed northern and central provinces on high alert, restricting sea activities and preparing evacuation measures.

Ragasa formed on September 18 and intensified rapidly into a super typhoon. It follows several destructive storms in the region, including 2024's Typhoon Yagi, which devastated Vietnam. Forecasters warn more above-average storms may strike later this year.