2nd annual oecd meeting of mining regions and cities

The magnitude 7.8 quake brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities and piled more devastation on millions of Syrians displaced by years of war. It struck before sunrise in harsh weather and was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake. In Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey, a woman speaking next to the wreckage of the seven-storey block where she lived said: "We were shaken like a cradle. There were nine of us at home. Two sons of mine are still in the rubble, I'm waiting for them." She was nursing a broken arm and had injuries to her face. "It was like the apocalypse," said Abdul Salam al-Mahmoud, a Syrian in the northern town of Atareb. "It's bitterly cold and there's heavy rain, and people need saving." The earthquake was the biggest recorded worldwide by the U.S. Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021. In Turkey, the death toll stood at 2,316, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said, making … [Read more...] about Major earthquake kills 3,700 in Turkey and Syria, weather hits survivors

The quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon. "We were shaken like a cradle. There were nine of us at home. Two sons of mine are still in the rubble, I'm waiting for them," said a woman with a broken arm and injuries to her face, speaking in an ambulance near the wreckage of a seven-storey block where she had lived in Diyarbakir in Turkey. "I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," said Erdem, a resident of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the quake's epicentre, who declined to give his surname. "We were shaken at least three times very strongly." Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 284 people were killed and 2,323 injured, as authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft for the affected area, while declaring a "level 4 alarm" that calls for international assistance. In Syria, already devastated by more than 11 years of civil war, a government health official said more than 237 people … [Read more...] about Major earthquake strikes Turkey, Syria; hundreds dead, many trapped

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency. - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged the north-central and central coastal regions to create more breakthroughs in development to match their potential and advantages while addressing a conference in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province, on February 5. The conference touched upon the implementation of the Government’s action plan to materialise the Politburo’s Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated November 3, 2022 on orientations for socio-economic development and national defence and security in the two regions by 2030 with a vision towards 2045. It was also intended to promote investment in the regions with the theme of “Linkage - Breakthroughs from maritime economy - Rapid, sustainable development.” Read full story - A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet attended the 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Ministers Meeting in … [Read more...] about ☀️ Morning digest February 6

Businesses in Southeast Asia region outsource security functions to managed security service providers mainly to achieve efficiency in delivering security solutions, and address the shortage of IT employees. — Photo courtesy of Kaspersky The managed security service provider (MSSP) market in Southeast Asia is expected to enjoy steady growth in the coming years due to the region’s collective push towards countrywide digital transformation initiatives, according to experts. A managed security service provider provides outsourced monitoring and management of security devices and systems. Southeast Asia remains the fastest growing digital economy in the Asia Pacific region. Governments here have been taking bold steps to support local digitalisation efforts and to also beef up the country’s data protection and cybersecurity capabilities, said Kaspersky general manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong. “As local businesses here embrace digital transformation, it is parallel to … [Read more...] about Managed security provides efficiency, solutions for IT talent gap for businesses

Two homestay groups in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long and the Northwestern province of Lao Cai received the ASEAN Homestay Award. Meanwhile, four units won the ASEAN Community Tourism Award, namely the Quan Ba Community Tourism Service Cooperative in Ha Giang province, Sin Suoi Ho community tourism village in Lai Chau province, Tan Thanh fishing village in Quang Nam province, and Thai Hai Reserve Area of Ecological Houses-on-Stilts Village in Thai Nguyen province. The ASEAN Public Toilet Award was awarded to the toilets in Saigon Skydeck of Bitexco Financial Tower, Southern Women's Museum and Ben Xua Tourist Area in Ho Chi Minh City. The winners of ASEAN Spa Service Awards were Cham Spa & Massage in the Central city of Da Nang, Sen Tai Thu Vincom Mega Mall Smart City in Hanoi, Sol Spa of Minera Resort Hotel in the Southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Chi Spa of Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa - Lao Cai province, and Thala Spa of Best Western Premier Sonasea … [Read more...] about Vietnam wins numerous ASEAN tourism awards

Visitors to the festival can learn how to cook delicious dishes from different ethnic groups. (Photo: langvanhoavietnam.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - The Festival of Spring Colours is taking place at the Vietnam Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism throughout February with a series of traditional cultural activities. The festival is held annually to welcome the spring and to honour ethnic communities' identity, promote solidarity among them and offer a traditional festive atmosphere to tourists as well. Some 100 representatives of 15 ethnic groups from 13 localities throughout the country will host activities each day during the month. The festival climax will be on February 11 and 12 with the Kate Festival of the Cham group, tree planting, folk cham do ho singing and performing Xoe Thai - a UNESCO recognised intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Kate Festival is one of the biggest and most unique cultural activities of the Cham. It features a host of activities and … [Read more...] about Spring festival to showcase cultural identities

Vo Tri Thanh *Vo Tri Thanh Viet Nam achieved and exceeded 14 out of 15 targets assigned by the National Assembly for 2022 with many impressive numbers including GDP growth, export turnover and the number of newly-established and re-opened businesses. Only labour productivity was under expectations. Viet Nam’s labour productivity was expected to increase by between 4.7 per cent and 5.2 per cent on average in 2022, higher than the average growth rate of 4.7 per cent in 2021 but behind the target of 5.6 per cent set for the whole of 2022. On January 10 this year, the Government issued Resolution No 06/NQ-CP on the development of a modern, efficient, sustainable and integrated labour market serving quick socio-economic recovery, setting the average labour productivity target for 2023 at more than 6.5 per cent. Labour productivity is an important economic indicator that is closely linked to economic growth, competitiveness and living standards within an economy. According to … [Read more...] about Viet Nam wrestles with labour productivity issue when heading to innovation-based development

Illustrative image (Photo: xinhua/VNA) Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Cambodia n Government has been pushing for the establishment of more bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with main trade partners in order to expand export markets for its products. The country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth said that the United Arab Emirates, India, Japan, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Canada, and American Latin countries are in the plan for bilateral FTA negotiations. Speaking at the Ministry of Commerce’s recent annual meeting, Aun Pornmoniroth asked the ministry to continue boosting the export of goods and service to the existing markets and expanding new markets. The ministry has to conduct extensive consultations with stakeholders on the benefits from the bilateral trade agreements, he added. Currently, Cambodia has two bilateral FTAs with China and the Republic of Korea, which came into force in January and December 2022, … [Read more...] about Cambodia eyes more bilateral free trade agreements

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. - Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung has highlighted the significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s coming official visit to the city state, the first among many events to be held in both countries to mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and 10 years of the strategic partnership. PM Chinh, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam are paying an official visit to Singapore from February 8 to 10. Read full story - Two-way trade revenue between Vietnam and Laos in 2022 grew 24% from the previous year to reach some 1.7 billion USD, beyond expectations of their leaders at the 44th meeting of the Vietnam – Laos Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation earlier last year. Read full story - Jeju Air Co., the biggest low-cost carrier of the Republic of Korea, said on February 6 that it will resume many routes to Vietnam … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on February 6

Responsible and Sustainable direction giving wings to Vietnamese tourism development The survey results also indicate that up to 57 per cent of respondents said that they have had a different thought about tourism is done, especially because it is related to the local economy, community, culture, and environment. Responsible and sustainable tourism is becoming more important, and the needs and preferences of tourists is also changing. Instead of noisy and prosperous tourist destinations, many people are looking for peaceful countryside and experiences of discovery, close to nature and good for health, in accordance with the projects on development of national parks and protected areas in Vietnam. Among the sustainable tourism models often mentioned in recent years, models that focus on exploiting simple and healthy natural experiences such as agritourism, farmstay, or glamping are special models to attract the attention of both tourists and investors. As a model of farm … [Read more...] about Responsible and sustainable direction giving wings to Vietnamese tourism development