High speed internet in rural areas

Experts from the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Hà Nội Agriculture Promotion Fund visit a chicken raising model for clean eggs with high productivity in Liên Châu Commune, Thanh Oai District in Hà Nội. — Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Sub-department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s agricultural sector has strengthened safe agricultural areas to ensure sustainable production and provide a source of clean food for domestic and foreign consumers living in the capital city. Nguyễn Giáp Đông, head of the Ba Vì District's Economic Division, said that the district currently maintained a safe tea production area spanning 1,550ha and productivity of 10.5 tonnes per hectare per year. The output for the whole year is estimated at 16,275 tonnes of fresh buds, worth VNĐ350 million (US$14,900) per hectare per year. To help farmers maintain and expand safe production areas, Ba Vì District has supported and created … [Read more...] about Hà Nội builds safe agricultural production areas

Delegates at the grand opening ceremony of GO! Lao Cai. — VNS Photo Central Retail Viet Nam on Friday launched its GO! Mall on Urban Sub-area 13, Tran Hung Dao Street, Bac Lenh Ward, Lao Cai City. It is its 39th shopping centre in Viet Nam, but the first of its kind in the northwest area. The opening of GO! Lao Cai comes as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary in Viet Nam. Built on a total area of 30,000sq.m with an investment of VND300 billion (US$12.9 million), GO! Lao Cai is the largest and most modern shopping mall of Central Retail in Lao Cai. The mall is expected to provide a wide range of products from essential goods, and fast-moving consumer goods to household electrical appliances and entertainment services to meet local demands, from basic to high standards. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Olivier Langlet, General Director of Central Retail Viet Nam, hoped that the presence of GO! Lao Cai can bring convenience to local people's lives, enhancing their … [Read more...] about The first GO! Mall in Lao Cai officially launched

At the international seminar on achievements, difficulties and challenges facing ASEAN’s integration (Photo: VNA) Moscow (VNA) – Russian experts have highly valued the role and strategic position of ASEAN in the region and in the world, particularly given recent global fluctuations. They made the comment at an international seminar on achievements, difficulties and challenges facing the bloc’s integration held Moscow on May 25 and 26. The event, co-organised by two academies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, gathered representatives of ASEAN embassies and 40 Russian and international experts. The hybrid event saw 30 presentations in five working sessions, whose topics revolved around ASEAN’s external relations policy, relations with strategic partners, experience in regional integration, and sustainable development. Participants analysed ASEAN ’s roles and stances on building a regional security structure; and development orientations in digitisation, … [Read more...] about Russian scholars praise ASEAN’s role, position

A rice field in the Mekong Delta province of Đồng Tháp’s Tháp Mười District. Many rice farmers in the delta are gradually reducing their areas for rice cultivation due to rising prices of input materials — VNA/VNS Photo Nhựt An MEKONG DELTA — Rice farmers in many Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces are reducing rice cultivation over rising prices of inputs like fertilisers and pesticides. According to the Đồng Tháp Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the area of rice cultivation in the province for the summer-autumn crop is 375,263ha, down 8,305ha over last year. In An Giang Province, the area of rice seeding for the same crop was 209,186ha, down about 600ha over last year. The province’s Plant Protection Division said farmers were switching to vegetables and fruits. Vĩnh Long Province, meanwhile, expected to sow 51,500ha of rice for the summer-autumn crop last year, but the total sowing area was around 45,267ha, about 88 per cent of the plan. … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta farmers back away from rice as input costs rise

The launch of the project on May 27 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi – An EU and French-funded project was launched on May 27 to improve the climate resilience of urban infrastructure in four northern central provinces of Vietnam. The project is financed with 5 million EUR (over 5.3 million USD) in non-refundable aid from the EU, 123 million EUR in ODA loan from the French Development Agency (AFD), and 28 million EUR from the Vietnamese Government. It aims to reduce the vulnerability to natural disasters in five urban areas, namely Phat Diem township (Ninh Binh province), Ngoc Lac township (Thanh Hoa province), Hoang Mai town (Nghe An province), and Huong Khe and Thach Ha townships (Ha Tinh province). Under this project, necessary urban infrastructure facilities will be built to serve water drainage, ease flooding, and improve environmental hygiene, clean water supply, and solid waste treatment. Technical assistance will also be provided to help the localities enhance the project’s … [Read more...] about EU-funded project to boost urban infrastructure’s climate resilience

The Vietnam Bear Rescue Center will be located at  Bach Ma National Park in the Central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The new facility will be constructed on an area of 12.7 hectares including 12 houses and 12 semi-wild houses with a total non-refund donation of US$10.5 million from Animals Asia. According to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center, on May 27, the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , the Bach Ma National Park coordinated with the Animals Asia to organize a ceremony to publicize the project, which will be built in the administrative-service area of the Bach Ma National Park to serve over 300 species of bear in a semi-natural environment. The project is expected to start construction in 2022 and be completed in four years later. Doctor. Jill Robinson MBE, the founder and General Director of Animals Asia Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Director of the Forest Protection Department Nguyen Quoc Hieu informed that … [Read more...] about Vietnam to build second facility of Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in Thua Thien-Hue

The AFD and EU have been actively supporting Vietnam in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Vietnam will receive financial aid from the EU and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to reduce the vulnerability to climate hazards in several towns in four northern and central provinces. The project is jointly co-financed with a EUR5 million (US$5.36 million) grant from the EU, a EUR123 million ($132 million) ODA loan from the AFD, and EUR 28 million ($30 million) from provincial budgets. The principal goal is to help localities adapt to climate change and recover from natural disasters such as flooding, typhoons, and drought. Delegates attend the launching ceremony. Photo: the Embassy of France in Vietnam The regional towns include Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh, Ngoc Lac in the central province of Thanh Hoa, and Hoang Mai in the central province of Nghe An, Huong Khe, and Thach Ha in the central province of Ha Tinh. … [Read more...] about AFD, EU strengthen urban climate resilience in Vietnam

Qatar Airways, Airbus want billion dollar paintwork battle settled out of court, illustration photo source: freepik.com The airline and leading plane maker have been fighting in the British courts for months over peeling paint on 23 A350 jets which have been grounded. A London high court judge agreed Thursday to the airline's demand for a speeded up trial schedule but refused to order Airbus to stop trying to resell jets intended for Qatar Airways to other airlines whilst they wait for a final ruling. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker, in a rare public comment on the case, told reporters in Doha: "Every partnership has disputes and I just hope that this dispute could be resolved outside the courts of law." The airline, which is demanding about $1 billion in damages, said in a statement that it was "pleased" that the latest judgement called for an "expedited trial" and more details on the peeling paintwork that it has said is a threat to the A350's lightning … [Read more...] about Qatar Airways, Airbus want billion dollar paintwork battle settled out of court

Land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in urban areas. — VNA/VNS Photo Experts have warned that the high rate of inflation will cause the domestic housing market to continuously see prices increase, but liquidity decrease. According to real estate consultant Le Quoc Kien, the market from the middle of last year until now has seen low transactions as the land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in the urban areas and 30 per cent in the suburban areas. Meanwhile, the price has surged by 50 per cent in the neighbouring provinces. Therefore, he predicts that investors who do not face the pressure of bank debt will not sell real estate in the next 6-12 months because they will have to look for other assets. They do not want to keep cash in a period of high inflation. Meanwhile, investors who suffer pressure from banking loans will be forced to sell property when inflation is high. According to the General Statistics Office, core inflation in April … [Read more...] about Housing market sees price increase, liquidity decrease

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has paid courtesy call to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during the trip to Japan to attend the International Conference on the Future of Asia. — VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — During the visit to Japan, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has paid courtesy calls to Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and several other Japanese high-ranking officials on May 26-27. During the meetings, Deputy PM Minh said Việt Nam always considers Japan as an extensive, reliable, and important strategic partner, hoping that the two sides would continue to implement important agreements and common understandings obtained during the official visits of PM Phạm Minh Chính and PM Kishida Fumio, contributing to the promotion of bilateral relations. The Deputy PM emphasised that as the two sides are reopening with the COVID-19 situation under control, Việt Nam and Japan must continue to exchange high-level delegations, especially through … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Deputy PM calls for investment from Japan in meeting with PM Kishida