Lawmakers call for nuclear energy revival

In his speech at the event, Thang stressed that the establishment of VAC aims to realize the Joint Statement of the Prime Ministers of the two countries in September 2019, and is an important highlight in the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Australia, as well as a practical activity towards the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. The opening of this portal is a necessary initial step for the development of the center, which is hoped to contribute to improving the capacity of Vietnamese officials and managers to meet the requirements of integration and development of the country, and to strengthening up the sustainable Vietnam-Australia cooperation. Penny Wong, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from June 26-28, said the VAC will play an important role in enriching the knowledge of future Vietnamese officials trained at the academy, as well as promoting cooperation and strengthening links between the people of the two … [Read more...] about Vietnam-Australia Center’s portal makes debut

Marcel Schröder, Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Asian Development Bank At the beginning of the conflict, the crude oil price breached $130 per barrel in March, the highest since 2008. Since then, it retreated to about $100 in April, before rising again to $120 following the European Union’s partial ban on Russian oil in May. Some worry that the oil price could spike to $200 per barrel in the coming months and how such a shock would impact the economic prospects of Asia’s developing countries. While many institutions, including ours, project a significantly higher oil price in 2022 compared with 2021, these predictions do not foresee $200 per barrel because they attach a low probability of a sudden shock to the global oil supply. A sudden shock is unlikely given the EU’s decision to gradually phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, allowing an orderly transition to alternative supplies and keeping prices stable and affordable for … [Read more...] about Additional oil spike impacts cannot be ruled out

Vietnam has banned swimming and scuba diving at a popular central tourist spot in an attempt to revive its damaged coral reef, officials said Monday. The Southeast Asian nation boasts more than 3,200 kilometres of coastline with crystal clear waters, vibrant sea life and sandy beaches that are a huge tourism draw. Coral reefs across Southeast Asia have been badly hit by global warming, with scientists warning their degradation could have devasting environmental and economic knock-on effects. Recent photos taken off Hon Mun island -- about 14 kilometres from the city of Nha Trang and popular with divers thanks to its diverse ecosystem -- showed the reef bleached and damaged. "The Nha Trang bay management authority decided to halt swimming and scuba diving activities in areas around Hon Mun island," officials said. In a statement they said the ban was to "evaluate the condition of sensitive area so that an appropriate plan to enact the sea conservation area" could be made. … [Read more...] about Vietnam halts scuba diving off popular island to protect coral