Big shipping firms report record profits vnexpress international

In a report sent to shareholders ahead of the upcoming annual general meeting, the company said the revenue target is lower by 9% at VND20,000 billion. It had announced late February that the profit target was VND787 billion ($33.5 million). The report said the business plan for 2023 has been amended due to the "decline in the economy as well as consumer demand." It would improve its distribution channels and facilities and develop new product categories to improve market share, revenues and profits. A declining business outlook after two years of high growth is also the overall situation in the retail industry this year. Electronics store chain FPT Retail plans to seek shareholder approval to reduce its pre-tax profit by more than half to VND240 billion. In the last two years they had been VND554 billion (2021) and VND485 billion (2022). It cited difficulties faced by its consumer electronics chain FPT Shop, saying it could be more severely affected by adverse factors … [Read more...] about Digiworld cuts profit target by nearly half

"Authorities of Taiwan have announced the discovery of 11 bodies at sea, including several that carried Vietnamese identification papers," Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told VnExpress in a statement Thursday. Vietnamese agencies have worked with Taiwan officials to verify the information and support Vietnamese representative agencies in Taipei to perform necessary consular procedures, Hang said. Taiwan Coast Guard Administration on Wednesday informed about the discovery of 16 bodies along Taiwan’s western coast early this month. CGA said two of the bodies have been confirmed as male Vietnamese nationals. The statement came after local television channel TVBS reported that a man's body was found on a wind turbine platform in a wind farm off Taichung Harbor on March 7. The report said coastal patrols found another seven half naked bodies, male and female, along the coast from Taichung to Kaohsiung two weeks after the first discovery. Hang … [Read more...] about Vietnam verifying reports of citizens found dead off Taiwan coast

Nguyen Thuy Chi, head of the mature cerebral palsy club, and her fellow-worker Luu Thi Hieu, who are both disabled, share an idea of building a ‘home’ in Hanoi where those with cerebral palsy and the disabled as a whole can work and find happiness in life. “No community develops with only donations," said Chi, deputy director of Cham Vao Xanh (Green Touch) social enterprise. "Our point of view is that no one saves us better than ourselves. “We need to form a ‘home’ and develop a brand to provide our products for more customers. "We choose green as this is the color of the cerebral palsy community and symbolizes hope and happiness." Journey in wheelchairs To realize their idea, the two traveled to many places in their wheelchairs to seek funding and connect members to operate the enterprise. Chi recounted that she used to come to pedestrian streets, fairs, and coffee shops to introduce handicrafts made by the disabled. However, they realized that the products should … [Read more...] about 2 Vietnamese disabled women establish firm to help the handicapped

Ho Chi Minh City’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the first quarter expanded a mere 0.7 percent year on year. The Ho Chi Minh city Institute for Development Studies (HIDS) on Wednesday cited statistics from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam as showing that the metropolis’ GRDP reached some VND360 trillion (US$15.3 billion) this quarter, inching up from the nearly VND247 trillion ($10.5 billion) in the same quarter of last year. The growth rate was higher than the 0.29 percent in the first quarter of 2022. However, experts were not surprised at the modest growth, saying that it had aligned with previously released forecasts. They also noted that growth in the second quarter of the year could be even lower. According to the HIDS, the city’s agro-forestry-fishery sector improved 2.06 percent, the service sector edged up 2.07 percent, and the industry and construction sector fell 3.6 percent, according to Thoi Bao Tai Chinh Viet Nam (Vietnam Financial Times). … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City reports modest economic growth in Q1

Since being released on Netflix on March 23, "Furies" has been quite successful. According to statistics from video-on-demand tracking site FlixPatrol, "Furies" is currently fifth among the most-watched movies on Netflix this week. It is also staying firm at the top of trending movies on Netflix Vietnam. Van wrote on her Facebook: "‘Furies’ has been in the top 10 of many countries and today it officially made it to the top five worldwide." In late 2022, Ngo Thanh Van, also known as Veronica Ngo, released "Furies" to domestic theaters. The big-budget and star-studded film was released on Christmas but didn’t do well as it only grossed VND25 billion ($1.05 million) at the box office. The unexpected flop of the action film was a big shock for Van and film critics. Releasing "Furies" on Netflix is considered Van’s attempt to save the movie, as she hopes it will reach a broader audience and restore her motivation to keep making movies. Her previous work "Hai Phuong" (Furie) was … [Read more...] about Vietnamese action drama among five most-watched films on Netflix this week

Citing reports by teachers, students and parents at the Lai Yen primary school in Hoai Duc District, the Committee said some children were offered to smoke e-cigarettes by five people with unconfirmed identity two weeks prior. They told the children that if they agreed to smoke and persuade others to join, they would be gifted the e-cigarette and VND50,000 ($2.13). Some children agreed to smoke, the Committee said. The Committee said drugs and other addictive substances are finding their way into school grounds in the form of food, snacks and other items. "In recent times, addictive substances have been found inside e-cigarettes," it said. Le Duc Thuan, head of the Ba Dinh District education division, said the district has requested the division to inform schools about the incident, adding that no similar incident has happened in Ba Dinh yet. Multiple cases of poisoning caused by smoking e-cigarettes have been reported recently. In December last year, eight third graders in … [Read more...] about Strangers coax Hanoi primary school students to smoke e-cigarettes

Among the major trade partners, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $17.5 billion with the U.S., down 23.4% year-on-year. It also recorded a trade surplus with the E.U. at $6.9 billion, down 10.1%. Vietnam posted a trade deficit of $12.1 billion with China, down 15.4%. Other countries and regions that it posed a trade deficit with included South Korea, ASEAN and Japan. Vietnam’s total trade, comprising export and import values in the first quarter, declined by 13.3% year-on-year to $154.27 billion. Exports dropped 11.9% to $79.17 billion, with smartphones and parts falling by 15% and electronics, computers and parts dropping 10.9%. Imports fell 14.7% to $75.1 billion, with a 12.4% fall in electronics, computers and parts and a 15.4% decrease in machines and equipment. The U.S. was the biggest export market at $20.6 billion and China was the largest import market at $23.6 billion. … [Read more...] about Vietnam posts $4B trade surplus in Q1

This coffee shop in Alley 53, Lane 252, Tay Son Street, Dong Da District is surrounded by trees. The shop's design stands out with its primary orange-brown hue and classic-style wooden furnishings. The coffee shop features indoor air-conditioned rooms in addition to the outdoor seating. Customers who use the outdoor dining area will feel comfortable thanks to the arrangement of plants there. The shop covers an area of more than 1,400 square meters, including two floors divided into areas suitable for each customer's needs. Customers will immediately notice the presence of several plants as they enter the coffee shop and them hanging on the walls and placed over the seats. Another highlight of the shop is the fish pond. The pond resembles a little tropical forest thanks to the diversity of colorful fish swimming around in it. As the shop is hidden … [Read more...] about A sprawling green coffee shop in Hanoi

FDA deputy secretary-general Withid Sariddeechaikool told Bangkok Post on Wednesday that there were reports of children falling ill and being admitted to hospitals after eating contraband chocolate cookies. The cookies were labelled "Twix Chocolate and THC 600 MG PER BAG PER 2 Cookies" and were believed to have been smuggled into the country as they had not been imported through FDA checkpoints nor sold online shops. According to The Thaiger , FDA has set a limit of 1.6 milligrams of THC per bottle, box or sachet for cannabis-infused products, and any such products must have FDA approval. The FDA official said consumers should buy only products that have been approved and should be sure to read the product labels to see if they contain cannabis or not. … [Read more...] about Parents warned after children hospitalized for eating cannabis edibles in Thailand

More than 25 worshippers plunged into the stepwell - a stair-lined communal water source - after the floor covering it collapsed in the central city of Indore. "Police recovered 11 bodies from the well and two people succumbed to their injuries at the hospital," Narottam Mishra, Madhya Pradesh home minister, told reporters. Mishra said an investigation had been launched into the mishap and the families of the dead would be compensated. Police official Manish Kapooriya told AFP rescue efforts were continuing and that the injured were moved to government hospitals for treatment. Television footage showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well in Madhya Pradesh state. Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars, and policemen using ropes to seal the area. Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu deity Lord Ram. … [Read more...] about At least 13 killed in India temple collapse