The Hanoitimes - The sanctions leave direct impact on North Korean economy shown through a sharp decline in exports last year. What are visions for the denuclearization after second no-deal summit? The failure of the second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi suggests sanctions remain a big issue between the US and North Korea, foreign media quoted international experts as saying. The UN Security Council votes to adopt a resolution imposing sanctions against North Korea. Photo: Getty Images North Korean nuclear negotiator Kim Yong Chol told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May 2018 that Pyongyang’s shift away from weapons was “not a result of sanctions that have been imposed from outside.” But in July 2018, Seoul-based Bank of Korea estimated the North Korean economy had seen its biggest decline in two decades, with the country’s real annual gross domestic product (GDP) falling by 3.5% in 2017 while exports declined 37.2% in 2017 alone. … [Read more...] about How much do US-led sanctions hurt North Korea economy?
How much wet food should a cat eat
How H’Mong ethnic people in northern Vietnam celebrate Lunar New Year
The traditional Lunar New Year of the H'Mong in Ta So village, Moc Chau District, Son La Province, 320 km west of Hanoi, comes a month before that of the majority Kinh and Chinese peoples’. It falls on the first day of the 12th lunar month, on January 6. Together with A Dua, a H'Mong resident of the village, I had my first ever taste of H'Mong Tet. The writer with Hmong girls in Moc Chau. Photo by Huynh Kien Before Tet A Dua's family makes a variety of dishes and invites over family members and other guests for a meal. Everyone drinks alcohol and passes a pair of chicken feet around the table. The H'Mong think the family’s business won’t be good if the chicken legs they are served are too splayed but good if they curl inward. Though very busy at home during the festival, many young people in Ta So village find time to gather at a house to rehearse for their dance performances on the fourth day of the New Year at the village stadium. The day before … [Read more...] about How H’Mong ethnic people in northern Vietnam celebrate Lunar New Year
Processed food leaves a good taste
Processed meat products are labelled at the Nam Thu food processing company in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - With its annual stable growth rate of about 10 percent, the country’s young population with increasing income and a trend to consume ready-to-eat food, especially organic, the food processing industry offers many opportunities for investors. Vietnam’s food processing industry has developed strongly and supplied products with high competitiveness for both domestic and export markets, according to the Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Last year alone, food and beverage consumption increased by 18 percent, the agency said, adding that the food and beverage consumption value accounted for 15 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and would go up in the coming time. Business Monitor International (BMI) projected earlier this year that Vietnam’s food industry would grow by 10.9 … [Read more...] about Processed food leaves a good taste
How much does sympathy really cost?
Illustration by Trịnh LậpViet Nam News By Hoàng Hồ After an incredible fight, actress Mai Phương, who has been receiving special treatment for aggressive lung cancer, has been discharged from Military Hospital 175 into the loving arms of friends, family, fans and colleagues. Although the battle against cancer is not over, with Phương facing many more hospital visits and follow-up appointments, her journey has been remarkable and inspirational. Since the first days of her treatment, the hospital has welcomed visits from many celebrities to help and encourage Phương. With continuous updates on the media and thousands of messages from fans on Facebook around Việt Nam, everything seemed to be going well, until actor Gia Bảo – a close friend of Phương’s, spoke up and caused some ripples. “If you don’t have a close relationship with the patient, you can just … [Read more...] about How much does sympathy really cost?
There was only a river running
Viet Nam News By Tử Dạ Vũ His mother always urged him to get married, but he ignored her. Though he was over 30, his career remained a big fat zero. It was impossible to get married. He was too proud for that. If he got married, he should be able to take care of his wife and kids, not vice versa. He was well-educated, with a degree like anybody else.But it was a degree in education, literary education, which was only good for decoration. After graduation, he was unemployed for several years, surviving on royalties from his fiction and poetry. Luckily, a friend introduced him to write for a few e-magazines, so he could make ends meet. His mother was a peasant at heart: barely literate, prone to nagging, extremely devoted to her child. His father passed away when he was still in the cradle, and his mother had single-handedly raised him. He had never dared argue with her, but hummed and hawed to bide his time, especially with regard to the issue of marriage. His … [Read more...] about There was only a river running