The 4,122 cars with models C200, C300, GLC 200, and GLC 200/GLC 300 4 Matic were installed with defective fuel pumps which can under perform in certain conditions or even fail. They were assembled in a Mercedes plant in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap district between August 2021 and September 2022. The 285 imported cars slated for recall include S450, Maybach S 680 4 Matic, AMG G 63, C300, GLC 300 4 Matic (X253), GLE/GLS 450 4 Matic, AMG GLE 53 4 Matic, AMG GT 53, and Maybach GLS 600. Mercedes Vietnam said it has not recorded any incidents relating to the faulty fuel pumps, and the recall starting on September 28 is a precautionary measure. The defective fuel pumps can be replaced free of charge within around 90 minutes. … [Read more...] about Mercedes recalls 4,400 cars over faulty fuel pumps
Assembly member interns
Lao Gov’t tightens management of rare earth mining
Vientiane (VNA) - Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has instructed relevant agencies to expedite the drafting of a strategy on rare earth and other minerals, to ensure proper management of mining operations in the country, reported Vientiane Times. economy . As rare earth is in high demand globally, it is necessary for the government to ensure that Laos fully benefits from the mining of rare earth deposits, he said. In recent months, National Assembly members have expressed concern about mining operations in Laos , saying that the mismanaged export of precious metals and other minerals has resulted in serious financial losses. Laos's rare earth reserves are estimated to be big. The country has to date signed rare earth exploration contracts with 18 companies in 18 projects./. VNA … [Read more...] about Lao Gov’t tightens management of rare earth mining
At WTO, growing disregard for trade rules shows world is fragmenting
Nothing illustrates the crisis at the World Trade Organization more than the piling up of unresolved disputes and the growing list of what it terms the "trade concerns" of its members. Since late 2019, after the U.S. blocked the appointment of new judges to the WTO's Appellate Body due to complaints over judicial overreach, 29 cases have been left in limbo, delivering a heavy blow to the dispute settlement system. Those depositing cases include China, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, South Korea and the United States. "No more fraud, no more pretending you're appealing,” former deputy director-general Alan Wolff told a WTO conference last month, urging countries to hold off on fresh appeals from 2024, when WTO members have pledged to address the issue. The WTO has warned a "polycrisis" of pandemic, military conflict in Ukraine and inflation is sapping faith in globalisation. The result is a growing disregard for global trading rules among WTO members. … [Read more...] about At WTO, growing disregard for trade rules shows world is fragmenting
South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High regret not visiting Vietnam sooner
On the stage of the HAY music festival last Saturday, the group said they were "happy to be here and really regret that they didn’t come to Vietnam sooner". "We will 100% come back to Vietnam next year. We love you all," they said. Tablo, the leader of the group, also expressed his love for Vietnam. "It took me 30 hours but finally I arrived in Vietnam. From this moment, Vietnam will be our far away home." This is the first time that Epik High performed in Vietnam. On the stage, the members wore conical hats and interacted frequently with the local fans. They performed nine of their hits including hits like "No Thanxxx", "One", and "Rain Song". The HAY Glamping Festival took place over the weekend, with the main event on Sunday at Yen So Park, Hanoi. The headliners for the event were Epik High and Irish singer Ronan Keating, member of boyband Boyzone. Other acts included local artists like Suboi, JustaTee, Chillies, Microwave and Hoang Dung. Epik High, formed in 2001, … [Read more...] about South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High regret not visiting Vietnam sooner
Lisa’s striptease detractors prompt mother to quit Instagram
According to South Korean web portal Nate , Brüschweiler has deleted her Instagram account without notice. She said that she and other members of Lisa’s family received hateful comments from netizens. Lisa was under heavy criticism for setting a bad example for her fans, many of whom are minors. Lisa and her mom Chitthip Brüschweiler. Photo taken from Weibo Not only Lisa and her family members but her supporters were under fire. Actress Angelababy got slammed by Chinese fans after attending the show on September 29. China Centre Television (CCTV) on Sunday deleted photos of Angelababy during a Mid-Autumn Festival Show. Some media outlets also deleted posts related to her, which fueled the allegations that she was getting blacklisted. Criticism escalated further when actress Xu Jiao commented on Lisa’s performance via Chinese social media platform Weibo on Sunday. She wrote "I only see professional women being sexualized," and many agreed with her comment. … [Read more...] about Lisa’s striptease detractors prompt mother to quit Instagram
Mekong Delta braces for severe drought, river salinity
At the end of September Nguyen Van Can, 50, of Hoa Luu Commune in Hau Giang Province's Long My District prepared to sow winter-spring rice in his three-hectare farm. He said he was sowing earlier than usual fearing a possible drought once the rainy season ends in October. The dry season in southern Vietnam lasts from November to April. "Land in this area is at risk of salinity from the sea and with the forecast that the rainy season will end early this year, farmers have started the winter-spring crop earlier than normal." Tran Ba Hoang, director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, said at a seminar in Can Tho City on September 14 that the total rainfall in the delta this year is forecast to be around 1,350mm, or 13% lower than normal. The Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Station said the flow in the dry season from the Mekong’s upstream areas would be 20 - 25% lower than normal. In Hau Giang Province, 12,000 ha of winter-spring rice and more than … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta braces for severe drought, river salinity
Việt Nam’s economic landscape at crossroads: Q3 reports highlight challenges in achieving targets
Võ Trí Thành * Võ Trí Thành The General Statistics Office on Friday unveiled a comprehensive report on Việt Nam's socio-economic development for the third quarter and the first nine months of this year. The report demonstrates a less daunting economic landscape, albeit one that remains exceedingly challenging if the nation is to achieve the economic growth targets set by the National Assembly. As of the third quarter of 2023, Việt Nam's economy has traversed two-thirds of the year, yet the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has only expanded by a modest 4.24 per cent in comparison to the same period last year. This growth rate, though higher than the rates recorded in the corresponding nine months of 2020 (2.19 per cent) and 2021 (1.57 per cent) during the 2011-23 period, falls short of the ambitious 6 per cent growth target set by the National Assembly for the whole year, let alone the more ambitious target set by the Government at 6.5 per cent. The economic recovery following the … [Read more...] about Việt Nam’s economic landscape at crossroads: Q3 reports highlight challenges in achieving targets
Vietnam’s GDP growth forecast to expand by 4.7% in 2023: WB
Lower-than-expected growth in advanced economies and China could reduce external demand for Vietnamese exports. Vietnam's economic growth for 2023 is set to hit 4.7%, primarily influenced by weak domestic and external demand . Production of aircraft components at MHI Aerospace Vietnam. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times The World Bank released the forecast in its latest East Asia and Pacific October 2023 Economic Update. However, there's optimism for a recovery in the following years, with growth expected to reach 5.5% in 2024 and 6.0% in 2025. The main driver of this growth will be domestic demand, although at a slower pace than in previous years. In terms of inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is projected to average 3.5% this year, largely due to scheduled increases in civil servant salaries. In the following years, assuming stable energy and commodity prices, inflation is expected to decline to 3.0% in both 2024 and 2025. On the fiscal side, … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s GDP growth forecast to expand by 4.7% in 2023: WB
Study in Europe 2023 fair opens
Students participated into the “Study in Europe 2023” in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of Eurocham “Study in Europe 2023” - the largest European education event in Việt Nam took place in HCM City on October 1 and will be organised in Hà Nội on October 7. Organised by the EU Delegation and Embassies of EU Member States in Việt Nam, the fair saw the participation of 16 EU member states including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden. At each country's booth, representatives from embassies and educational institutions provided detailed information and consultation on educational programmes and scholarship opportunities. In addition, the shared booth run by the EU Delegation and the EU Alumni Network in Việt Nam offered the latest updates on the Erasmus+ international academic exchange initiative, as well as the Erasmus Mundus scholarship funded and managed by the EU, covering … [Read more...] about Study in Europe 2023 fair opens
Major issues to be debated at eighth session of Party Central Committee
The opening plenum of the eighth session of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee in Hanoi on October 2. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong put forth requests for members of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee while opening the committee’s eighth session in Hanoi on October 2 morning. In his speech, the Party chief stressed that this time’s session, lasting until October 8, will consider and make decisions about many big, complex, and sensitive issues highly important to the fulfillment of the 13th Party Central Committee’s political tasks from now until the end of the tenure. Socio-economic and state budget issues for 2023 - 2024 will be discussed amid the continuation of fast, complicated, unpredictable and unprecedented developments in the world, along with the appearance of more difficulties and challenges, which have negatively and seriously affected the performance of socio-economic tasks and targets. He asked the Party … [Read more...] about Major issues to be debated at eighth session of Party Central Committee