Aftershocks following a major earthquake

The Moffatts, one of the most beloved boybands the 1990s and 2000s, performed at the HAY Glamping Music Festival in Hanoi last Saturday night. Thousands of fans stood in the rain for hours to cheer their idols. Bob and Clint, two members of the boyband, visited Sa Pa, around 320 kilometers from Hanoi, earlier this month and shot a music video there to promote tourism. They stayed at the Ville de Mont Mountain Resort, which stands 1,500 meters above sea level overlooking the Muong Hoa Valley and Ham Rong Mountain. Bob posted a photo of terraced rice fields on his Instagram account. The rice fields have become a major tourist attraction in the northern highlands. On Sunday, Dave, another member of the boyband, posted on his Instagram account a video of himself walking along HCMC's Bui Vien Street, once famous as a backpacker haunt, but now equally popular with locals. The street is dotted with bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors that operate until late. The Moffatts were … [Read more...] about The Moffatts visit Sa Pa, Phu Quoc, HCMC

Tens of thousands of tourists stranded in a Covid-hit resort city in southern China due to travel curbs can begin leaving in batches, authorities said Tuesday, but many remain trapped. Residents and tourists in the southern Chinese province of Hainan line up to be tested for the coronavirus on Monday. — AFP More than 80,000 holidaymakers in Sanya on the island of Hainan -- often called "China's Hawaii" -- saw their vacations turn into a nightmare when officials declared a Covid emergency and cancelled flights and train ticket sales over the weekend. Sanya, home to more than a million people, is battling its worst outbreak in two years with more than 1,500 cases reported between August 1 and 9, according to official data. China is the only major economy still sticking to a zero-Covid strategy that uses snap lockdowns and long quarantine periods to contain outbreaks before they spread. The local health bureau on Tuesday announced that some tourists would be … [Read more...] about Tourists trapped in ‘China’s Hawaii’ over Covid to start leaving

The city's mayor has asked local authorities to speed up the vaccination campaign amid surging infections. Hanoi's authorities have been asked to give Covid-19 vaccine booster shots to local residents as soon as possible, according to a decision signed on August 9 by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh. On August 9, Vietnam saw a record high in three months of 2,300 new cases in a single day, lifting up the country’s total infections to more than 11,350,000, including more than 43,000 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The move was made as the caseload with new strains BA.04 and BA.05 in the city is increasing and that vaccination against Covid-19 is an effective and strategic measure in disease prevention and control, stated the document. Local authorities have been asked to urge high-risk and vaccine-hesitant people to complete the two-dose vaccination and ramp up at-home inoculations for homebound people who are aged above 50 with … [Read more...] about Hanoi accelerates Covid-19 vaccination for all locals

The two capital cities will implement new projects in agriculture and education, and raise public awareness of the special Vietnam-Laos relations. Hanoi and Vientiane should set an example at inter-provincial level cooperation to reflect the scale of Vietnam-Laos relations and expectations from leaders and people of the two countries. Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung stressed the view during a meeting with his Vientiane counterpart Anouphap Tounalom today [August 9] in Hanoi. Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung at the meeting. Photos: Viet Thanh At the meeting, Dung welcomed the visit of Vientiane’s high-ranking delegation to Hanoi on the occasion of the 60 th anniversary of diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 – September 5, 2022), and the 45 th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty (July 18, 1977- July 18, 2022). According to Dung, the special Vietnam-Laos relations, … [Read more...] about Hanoi, Vientiane to set example in inter-provincial cooperation

Vietnam’s digital transformation is designed to be based on three main pillars namely institution, infrastructure, and manpower. Digital transformation plays a major role in building an independent and integrated economy, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement today. The country should not remain outside this process and building successful digital-based economy and society needs to begin with e-government, Chinh, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for Digital Transformation, said at the committee’s 3rd meeting on August 9. The event drew the participation of more than 130,000 officials nationwide, including Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and many cabinet members, to discuss the application of population data and electronic identification and authentication for national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030. Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the national meeting on digital … [Read more...] about Digital transformation matters a lot to economic integration: Vietnamese PM

At the meeting ( Photo: SGGP) Today, the Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly deputies delegation had a meeting to supervise the implementation of the Housing Law in the city for the 2016-2021 period to the branch of the State Bank of Vietnam in HCMC and the branch of the Bank for Social Policies in HCMC, the Department of Construction and Department of Natural Resources and Environment. At the conference, Huynh Thanh Khiet, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, said that in the period 2016-2021, nearly 15,000 apartments in 19 social housing projects were completed. In the next phase between 2021 to 2025, the southern metropolis planned to implement 25 projects with a total of more than 28,600 apartments. With nearly 15,000 apartments in 19 social housing projects, Ho Chi Minh City can satisfy the housing needs of a part of low-income people, civil servants, and public employees with housing difficulties. Accordingly, the number of social housing has not … [Read more...] about Low-income earners hardly access loans for buying social houses

Addressing the event, Major General Nguyen Hong Phong, Commander of the Artillery Corps, emphasized the significance of the competition to review the results of the technical services, the quality of management, maintenance, and repairs of materiel, as well as the building of regularity for technical services performed by the corps’ affiliated units. General Phong also added that lessons will be drawn to better the technical services in the future. He asked participating units to observe regulations of the competition, ensure absolute safety of personnel and materiel, be confident and promote solidarity, and strive to get high results. The participating units will compete in two categories, namely technical services-regularity building and good materiel. The closing ceremony is scheduled to take place on August 19. Translated by Mai Huong … [Read more...] about Competition launched to review quality of technical services in Artillery Corps

Bangkok – Thai businesses have set their sights on expanding trade and investment in Cambodia, especially in processed food, agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, plastic, and gems and jewellery. The Aranyaprathet-Poipet border gate of Thailand and Cambodia (Photo: Asia News) Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), said Cambodia is seeing average economic growth of 7 – 8% per year as a result of the country opening up to foreign direct investment. Cambodia has been trying to develop its tourism and agricultural sectors, but the country still lacks sufficient knowledge and modern technology, especially in terms of storage and processing in order to increase values. This offers a very good opportunity for Thai businesses to forge joint investments with Cambodian counterparts in many sectors as above, according to Sanan, who is also chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand. He led the first post-pandemic visit to Cambodia by more than 60 … [Read more...] about Thai businesses eye expanding trade, investment in Cambodia

The new passport version of Vietnam (Photo: Vietnam Government Portal) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is planning to add the “place of birth” to the new passport version to facilitate citizens’ seeking of visas to the Schengen countries . The granting and use of the new passport will be among the issues about which Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam will be questioned at the 14th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on August 10. Compared to the old passport, the new version is produced by using modern technology to meet higher security requirements and standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), according to the MPS’s report sent to lawmakers prior to the meeting. Images of Vietnam’s typical landscapes and cultural heritages are featured in the new passport with the aim of introducing the country’s land and people to international friends, it noted. So far, the MPS has granted 272,000 passports of the … [Read more...] about Ministry plans to add “place of birth” to new passport version

A drawing contest titled Travel with Muong Thanh - Dream Vacation is the opening programme for a series of activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of the founding of Muong Thanh Group. The competition encouraged the youngsters to engage in additional activities with the goal of learning while playing. It helped them develop their creativity while forming personalities and developing sentiments for the wonders and beauties of their surroundings and encouraging them to appreciate Vietnam more via each location where a Muong Thanh hotel welcomes them. Hundreds of kids, aged 6 to 15 nationally, participated in the event, and the organisers received more than 1,000 submissions from around the nation. Cities and provinces such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, and Bac Kan were all represented. The children's joy and dedication to the event is mirrored in their paintings, which are rich in concepts, design, and painting materials and are highly detailed and … [Read more...] about Muong Thanh Group’s Dream Vacation drawing contest for children