Knife crime on increase as stop and search falls

A land plot for sale in Binh Duong Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Land plot prices in HCM City and neighbouring provinces such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An decreased by 10-25 per cent compared to early this year due to the central bank’s tight monetary policy for real estate lending. Many investors borrowed money to invest in property in previous years, hoping to make profits, but instead suffered losses as tightened credit drove up interest rates and hit liquidity. In 2021, Tran Van Nam from HCM City bought a land plot for VND5 billion (US$208,000) in the southern province of Dong Nai, hoping to resell it within a year for a profit of hundreds of millions of dong. But in late 2022, when bank interest rates went up, he had to sell it for a loss of over VND800 million. At that time, many brokers told him that land plot prices had kept increasing from 2016 to 2021 and it will keep increasing in coming years, and so he bought the land plot hoping for a profit. But he was … [Read more...] about Land prices in the southern provinces fall sharply

Lazada continues to offer new promotions to entice its customer base As one of the early e-commerce players in Vietnam, Lazada is at the forefront of technology to meet customers’ evolving demand. During the Birthday Sale Boom shopping festival in March, the company increased its investments in two new shopping channels, LazLook and LazBeauty, bringing a unique and sophisticated shopping experience to users. There are also myriad promotions for refunds and free shopping. At the same time, the Lazada Super Show virtual music festival has also been held. By integrating 360-degree AR technology, viewers were immersed in unique spaces at home. Meanwhile, the company also applies realistic AI and AR-powered Virtual Try-On to shoppers, enabling beauty lovers to instantly sample products with pictures or live videos of themselves before making a purchase. The moves are all part of attempts to be ahead of the e-commerce game in expectation of an explosion in growth. According to a … [Read more...] about Technology improvements at heart of Lazada’s legacy

Selex Motors, a Vietnamese start-up developing a smart electric scooter ecosystem in Vietnam, has helped define ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ electric vehicles (EVs), specifically electric scooters, as its products are completely manufactured in the Southeast Asian nation. Selex Motors co-founders are Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, Nguyen Trong Hai, and Nguyen Dinh Quang. Both Nguyen and Hai earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and worked for many companies in both the U.S. and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Quang is an expert in software engineering and the Internet of Things (IoT), and has developed complicated national defense systems for enterprises in Israel. Since late last year, Selex Motors’ first smart electric scooters have run on the streets in Hanoi. The company has been expanding its ecosystem to many large cities, heading toward exporting the ecosystem to other Southeast Asian countries. An event to experience Selex Motors’ electric scooters. … [Read more...] about Start-up realizes dream of ‘made-in-Vietnam’ electric scooters

Over the last few weeks, the price of live hogs in Vietnam has fallen, causing livestock groups to suffer losses. In the north, prices have fallen to lower than $2.15 per kg, a two-year low. In the central and southern regions, the price is around $2.20. All options on the table as livestock firms take on losses, photo: Shutterstock The cost of breeding pigs in household farmsteads is about $2.60 per kg, and around $2.15 for big husbandry companies that cover all farming stages from animal feed and seeding to slaughtering. Accordingly, farmers are suffering heavy losses, while big companies like C.P. Vietnam, Japfa Vietnam, CJ, Masan, and Dabaco cannot gain profits. Towards the end of last year, many pig breeding enterprises reported losses or retreating profits over the same period. According to a February statement, local giant Dabaco saw a loss of more than $3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, while it earned nearly $4.87 million in profit in the same period … [Read more...] about All options on the table as livestock firms take on losses

The interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks that began to significantly accelerate in the second half of 2022 have impacted the tech industry and investors in significant ways. These hikes are expected to continue, at least in the short term, until the central banks are satisfied that inflation is under control or lose their nerve. When that happens is anyone’s guess. Eric Johnson, counsel at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP This rapidly changing financial environment has made it more difficult for digital economy companies, especially those that are currently not profitable, to raise money in both public and private markets. Many investors have adopted a wait-and-see approach until the situation becomes clearer, and are revisiting the assumptions behind the sky-high valuations that many tech companies previously commanded. The recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank in the US has sent a shockwave through the tech and venture capital … [Read more...] about Supporting the digital economy space

The expat community is often made up of fascinating, knowledgeable, and talented individuals. They choose to become expats and move to another country due to job requirements, a desire for freedom, adventure, or a love for the culture, lifestyle, and people of that country. In recent years, Vietnam has become an ideal destination. Many people choose Vietnam for the opportunities to develop their talents, increase their income, and get a stable life. Simultaneously, strong economic integration has also led to an increase in the number of foreign experts sent to Vietnam by international companies and corporations. Combined, these factors have contributed to the blossoming expat community in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. The expat community is often categorised as a high-income group. They have experienced all sorts of high-class living spaces before, which explains their strict requirements for the home. In Hanoi, Tay Ho is a popular destination for the elite … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s status as one of world’s most livable countries brings real estate opportunities

In the 35 years since its establishment, Agribank now has the largest countrywide retail network, with nearly 2,300 branches and transaction offices. Agribank has a network system twice as large as the next biggest bank and is the only commercial bank with a presence in nine out of the 13 island districts. Agribank going from strength to strength In addition, Agribank also has the largest number of employees in the banking system, with about 40,000 people. The wide coverage is a testament to Agribank’s mission to work alongside the agricultural sector, farmers, and rural communities, despite the expense of maintaining this large network and number of employees. Agribank boasts a profound understanding of the market and its customers and their communities. The bank has also set another record with the number of its customers. On average, each Agribank credit officer is responsible for approximately 800 customers. In some localities, each credit offer is responsible … [Read more...] about Agribank going from strength to strength

The song "Thi Mau" is based on a female character of the same name in the narrative poem "Quan Am Thi Kinh", a popular work of Vietnamese literature. She is depicted as a bold and beautiful, yet unfortunate woman. After releasing the music video for "Thi Mau" on YouTube on Mar. 5, Hoa Minzy uploaded a short clip on TikTok of her gradual transformation from an unattractive woman to the beautiful Thi Mau. The TikTok clip quickly went viral and garnered over 2.3 million views. It also set a trend on the platform with more than 44,800 people using the song for their videos, and many famous TikTokers recreating the Thi Mau transformation using their own makeup style and fashion sense. The screenshot of some Thi Mau transformation video on TiKTok The Thi Mau transformation video trend is among the current top searches on TikTok. Many people also complimented the song for its fusion of traditional and modern music. "I can’t stop listening to this song. The … [Read more...] about Viral video creates new TikTok trends

Urban planning is critical to Hanoi's socio-economic and urban development. Hanoi is aiming to achieve a target urbanization rate of approximately 60-62% by 2025, and a further increase to around 65-75% by 2030. The Red river delta. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times Hanoi aims to achieve a target urbanization rate of approximately 60-62% by 2025 and a further increase to around 65-75% by 2030. The objectives include an action program issued by the municipal Party Committee that outlines its efforts to implement the Politburo's Resolution No.06-NQ/TW on the planning, construction, management, and sustainable development of urban areas in Vietnam up to 2030 and beyond, with a vision for 2045. Other key objectives include expanding the urban construction area to about 30% of the total natural land area by 2025 and increasing it to 33-36% by 2030. The city intends to complete all district planning, satellite urban zoning plans, functional area … [Read more...] about Hanoi target urbanization rate of 75% by 2030

It is critical that consumers take an active role in researching, analyzing, and improving their knowledge of products and businesses to avoid falling victim to deceptive goods and fraudulent businesses. The Hanoi People's Committee has teamed up with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to raise public awareness about customers' rights through a month-long campaign called "Transparent Information - Safe Consumption". Customers buying products at Hapro Thanh Cong. Photo: Trong Tung/The Hanoi Times The campaign aims to highlight the significance and value of information in safeguarding the rights of consumers against intricate and sophisticated fraudulent practices, particularly in the online environment. Consumers must take an active role in seeking, analyzing, and improving their knowledge of products and businesses to avoid falling victim to deceptive merchandise and fraudulent businesses, according to local authorities. Acting Director of Hanoi's … [Read more...] about Hanoi promotes public awareness of consumer rights