The North-South railroad passes through many residential areas in Hanoi. For long road users have threatened to cause accidents at grade crossings by ignoring safety norms. Motorcyclists scurry through even as a crossing keeper pulls the barrier shut on Giai Phong Street in Hoang Mai District for the arrival of a train. “This is an everyday story, and there are days when I have to shout to make them [commuters] stop,” the keeper says. He has to close off the road 90 seconds before a train arrives. At a level crossing on Ngoc Hoi Street in Thanh Tri District, a taxi driver crosses the tracks despite the red light and alarm bell. There are unmanned grade crossings where people open the barriers on their own to get through. There are at least 100 such points along a six-kilometer stretch in Thanh Tri District. An unofficial crossing that … [Read more...] about Commuters risk their lives to cross rail tracks in Hanoi
Eu parliament passes new rules on cross border payment charges
Vietnam – US relations naturally strategic: ambassador
For U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper, the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the United States is already fundamentally strategic in nature. He is “extremely hopeful” about the possibility of upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership. Elevating Vietnam – U.S. relations to a strategic partnership has been a prospect for a long time, and will certainly be one of the top priorities in the agenda for 2023 as the two countries celebrate the 10th anniversary of the existing comprehensive partnership. This will also be a milestone for Ambassador Knapper, who started his tenure at a special time. The role of the U.S. as a superpower has become even more important as global politics have witnessed ups and downs with economic difficulties, armed conflicts, and geopolitical tensions. In this context, the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam, widely seen as a country with an important geopolitical position in the Indo-Pacific, is worth considering as a … [Read more...] about Vietnam – US relations naturally strategic: ambassador
Viet Nam needs a policy corridor to promote circular economy
Under the circular economy mechanism, all the waste output of an industry should be put into an input resource of another industry or internally circulated within a business. The circular model of NesCafe in Viet Nam makes used beans into bricks for construction. — Photo courtesy of the firm While the circular economy has become a trend in developed economies, it could also be implemented to develop Viet Nam if there is an appropriate legal and policy corridor, said experts. At the COP26 Climate Change Summit last year, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the country would develop and implement strong emission reduction measures to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Minimising the amount of plastic waste discharged into the environment every year is among the solutions that harmonize the interests of businesses and consumers, the experts said. A circular economy is a concept first used by David Pearce and Kerry Turner in 1990 to refer to a new economic model based on the … [Read more...] about Viet Nam needs a policy corridor to promote circular economy