Japan's government will drop its recommendation to wear masks indoors and downgrade its medical classification for Covid-19, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida removes his face mask before his speech during a plenary session of the upper house of parliament in Tokyo on January 27, 2023. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) The changes, effective from early May, will classify the disease on the same level as the flu, down from its current status on par with tuberculosis and SARS. "As for masking, regardless of indoors and outdoors, the decision will be left up to individuals," Kishida told a televised government meeting. "We will take further steps towards 'life with corona' and make steady progress on returning to normality in homes, schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods and all facets of life." Masks are ubiquitous in public places and are commonly worn outdoors as well, despite the government having already said they … [Read more...] about Japan to drop mask guidance, relax Covid strategy
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Prime Minister praises Ring Road 4 project’s land clearance
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the ministries to quickly resolve the relevant issues to keep the ring road project moving forward as planned. Hanoi and the two provinces of Bac Ninh and Hung Yen have made big progress in land clearance for the construction of the Ring Road 4, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on January 27. Prime Minister talks to local people that live in the area of the Ring Road 4 on January 27. Photo: Vietnam News Agency At the moment, Hanoi municipal authorities have developed a land clearance plan for the whole 58.2-kilometer stretch of the ring road that runs through Hanoi. The capital has relocated almost two fifths of all the graves found along the ring road. Hung Yen Province has cleared land in Van Giang, Khoai Chau, Yen My and Van Lam districts and moved almost 16% of all graves along the ring road. Meanwhile, Bac Ninh Province does not have a plan to relocate graves and cemeteries in the project area, but Bac Ninh … [Read more...] about Prime Minister praises Ring Road 4 project’s land clearance
N.A. leader lauds State Audit Office’s crucial contributions
The top legislator praised the efforts and initiatives by the audit sector to fulfil its tasks last year, saying that it contributed importantly to great achievements of the country in general, as well as the N.A. and the Government in particular. He noted that the SAV has done a good job in assisting the N.A.'s supervision work, especially in inspecting the implementation of policies and laws on thrift practice and anti-wastefulness. The N.A. leader also commended the SAV on its external activities. The agency has maintained cooperation mechanism with the state audit agencies of Laos and Cambodia, and made important contribution to the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI). The top legislator said the Party and State expect that the SAV will play a more crucial role in the fight against corruption and negative phenomena, and in thrift practice and wastefulness prevention, contributing to strengthening … [Read more...] about N.A. leader lauds State Audit Office’s crucial contributions
Retail market forecast to bustle this year
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the scale of the Vietnamese retail market is USD 142 billion, which is expected to reach USD 350 billion in 2025, with contribution of 59% to total GDP. Last year, the total revenue from retail sales of goods and services rose 21%, exceeding the target of 8%. A survey by Vietnam Report showed that over 53.8% of total retail firms enjoyed similar and higher business results compared to the pre-pandemic level. Experts held that growth of retail sales is being supported by rise in income and the strong recovery of the tourism sector as well as relevant sectors such as transport and accommodations, as well as the effectiveness of inflation control measures. Particularly, from now to the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls in late January, consumers are predicted to loosen their wallet dramatically. At the same time, there are signs of vibrant retail activities as many foreign investors have announced their plans to … [Read more...] about Retail market forecast to bustle this year
Australia’s Victoria state pins hope on Vietjet’s launch of flights
Pallas said the presence of a carrier from Southeast Asia is a victory of Victoria state’s economy and brings job opportunities to the locality, reflecting the state’s tourism and export strengths. VietJet will run three direct weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne airport from April and will develop it into a daily service in December 2024. Its flights are expected to bring more than 136,000 passengers to Melbourne each year and add 97 million USD annually to the state's economy. VietJet will be the second Vietnamese airline to operate flights to Melbourne since after the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Vietnam's new-generation Bamboo Airways also launched the service in April 2022. Vietnam is now the ninth largest importer of Victoria state, with 113 million AUD (80.5 million USD) worth of Australian goods transported via airway during 2021-2022, up 77% compared to 2020-2021. Victoria state is also a popular tourist and study destination for Vietnamese. About 9,500 … [Read more...] about Australia’s Victoria state pins hope on Vietjet’s launch of flights
ASEAN discussing 5G deployment roadmap
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam speaks at the ASEAN Conference on 5G . (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) On the morning of October 11, in Hanoi, the ASEAN Conference on 5G took place within the framework of the International Digital Week organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam said that ASEAN countries all have 5G development strategies but are facing problems with infrastructure, standards for deployment and information security. Therefore, the cooperation of ASEAN countries to build a 5G roadmap is one of the priority tasks and goals in the coming time. Lao Minister of Technology and Communications - Boviengkham Vongdara, said technology is one of the contents of long-term cooperation between Laos and Vietnam. "Laos wants to learn from the experiences of other countries, including Vietnam, which has achieved many achievements in digital transformation," … [Read more...] about ASEAN discussing 5G deployment roadmap
Vietnamese furniture products introduced at U.K. exhibition
The Vietnamese booths, featuring interior and exterior wooden and home décor products, handicrafts, hotel furniture, and lighting equipment, attracted many U.K. wholesalers and retailers, as well as visitors. Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the U.K. Nguyen Canh Cuong said the exhibition has offered a good opportunity for Vietnamese firms to introduce high quality products and meet potential importers and distributors. As the third largest furniture producer and exporter in the world, and the largest in Southeast Asia, Vietnam boasts products meeting requirements of the U.K. market, he said, stressing that Vietnam needs to actively attend fairs like JFS in order to seek and set up partnerships with British businesses. Zoe Bonser, Retail Manager of NEC, said that with more than 15,000 visitors, JFS gives a great chance to businesses, and those from Vietnam in particular, to gain easier access to the U.K. market. In 2022, Vietnam earned 239.66 million USD from exporting wood and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese furniture products introduced at U.K. exhibition
Neu pole wards off evil spirits, welcomes blessings
Vietnamese people erect a Neu tree in front of their house to show off their land holdings and mark the border of their house. The bamboo pole was stripped of its leaves, except for a tuft at the top. The decoration on the Neu trees varies between regions and periods. On the top of the bamboo tree, they often hang a snatch of pineapple leaves, chicken feathers and a circle of New Year cards made of bamboo and do (poonah) paper. According to cultural researchers, the circle of bamboo cards symbolizes happiness and chicken feathers represent holy birds with powers that can help the family. The pole is also believed to ward off ghosts and demons from entering the community during Tet. It also seeks to show the way to ancestors who want to return home for the lunar New Year holiday. As legend goes, the Tet pole erecting tradition is originated from the Buddhism. Legend has it that long time ago, devils occupied the land of humans. Seeing humans’ suffering, the Buddha helped them … [Read more...] about Neu pole wards off evil spirits, welcomes blessings