A farmer harvest his crop in a high-quality rice paddy in Kien Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Hong Dat Viet Nam is outlining a plan to cultivate one million hectares of low-carbon high-quality rice in the Mekong River Delta to meet its net zero emission targets. The plan, being prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), is expected to be submitted to the Government for approval in March and be under implementation in 2024. Twelve out of 13 provinces in the region have signed up for the plan. They have committed to reaching 200,000ha next year, 719,000ha in 2025, and over one million hectares in 2030. An Giang Province took the lead with a commitment to grow 150,000ha in 2025 and 200,000ha in 2023, undertaking a large share of the target. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said most Vietnamese firms do not develop rice paddies to cater to their exports. The firms rely only on traders to maintain their trade activities, … [Read more...] about Agricultural authorities draft plan to grow one million hectares of low-carbon rice
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Telehealth platform Medigo bags 2 million USD in series A funding
Medigo's staffs. Medigo successfully raises 2 million USD in a series A funding round. (Photo courtesy of Medigo) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Medigo , a Vietnam-based telehealth platform that provides on-demand medicine prescription and delivery services, has successfully raised 2 million USD in a series A funding round led by East Ventures, with the participation of Pavilion Capital and Touchstone Partners. With the added capital, Medigo plans to strengthen its services and develop a healthcare ecosystem in Vietnam. “East Ventures’ investment is a powerful vote of confidence in Medigo’s vision, business model, and direction. We greatly appreciate the trust and commitment they and our other investors have placed in us and we look forward to working with them as we continue to scale up our business,” said Medigo CEO and co-founder Ha Le. Medigo’s platform connects customers with the nearest trusted pharmacies, providing on-demand medicine delivery services. The … [Read more...] about Telehealth platform Medigo bags 2 million USD in series A funding
Public toilets cause for concern in Hanoi
The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million. Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city. At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters. A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established. Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench. In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a … [Read more...] about Public toilets cause for concern in Hanoi
Quang Ninh to have another airport on Co To Island
Co To Island, about 170 kilometers from Hanoi, has great potential for sea and island tourism. Vietnam's northern coastal province of Quang Ninh will build an airport in the island district of Co To, according to the province's aviation plan approved by the prime minister for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2050. A corner of Co To Island District, a tourism destination in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Photo: quangninh.gov.vn The airport will cover an area of 130 hectares, including the apron, a military enclave, and a 1,800-meter runway. The commissioning of the airport and the operation of flight routes to Co To Island is expected to boost the development of the local tourism industry and contribute to the northern province's rescue, security, and defense activities. According to the plan, the local authority will develop a seaplane and heliport in Ha Long, Cam Pha, Van Don, Co To, Dong Trieu, Uong Bi, and potential areas to diversify tourism … [Read more...] about Quang Ninh to have another airport on Co To Island
“March in border area” program held in Lai Chau
According to Deputy Political Commissar of the Lai Chau provincial Border Guard Command Senior Colonel Le Cong Thanh, since the beginning of this year, the provincial Border Guard’s Party Committee has directed its Youth Union chapter to build a plan on organizing activities in 2023, including the “March in border area” program. The provincial Border Guard Command has cooperated with other provinces to disseminate Vietnam Law on Border Guard, protection of territory and security in border areas, the implementation of national goal on sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in mountainous, remote, and border areas in the 2021-2025 period. The provincial Border Guard Command has directed youth organizations to collaborate with localities to participate in economic development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction, new-style rural area building in border areas. These activities have encouraged youths to promote their vanguard spirit and creativeness, … [Read more...] about “March in border area” program held in Lai Chau
Coast guard force and Ben Tre province sign coordination agreement
Attending the event were Major General Le Quang Dao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard; Comrade Ho Thi Hoang Yen, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee; Tran Ngoc Tam, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ben Tre Province. At the event, Deputy Political Commissar of the Vietnam Coast Guard Command Major General Tran Van Xuan reviewed the coordination in conducting the “Coast guard stand by fishermen” program over the past time. Organized for the first time in March 2017, the program has obtained practical achievements in disseminating the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies to people; supporting fishermen in fishing at sea, contributing to firmly safeguarding national sovereignty over sea and islands; assisting localities in socio-economic and cultural development, poverty reduction, new-style rural area building, and living standard improvement. Over … [Read more...] about Coast guard force and Ben Tre province sign coordination agreement
China’s Xi arrives in Russia to meet Putin over Ukraine war
Xi will be the first national leader to shake Putin's hand since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since its invasion. Russia is presenting Xi's trip, his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month, as evidence that it has a powerful friend prepared to stand with it against a hostile West that it accuses of trying to isolate and defeat Moscow. "We can feel the geopolitical landscape in the outside world undergoing drastic changes," Putin said in an article in China's People's Daily published on the Kremlin website, adding that he had high hopes for the visit from his "good old friend." For Xi, the visit is a diplomatic tightrope. China has released a 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, but at the same time strengthened ties with Moscow. China has repeatedly dismissed Western accusations that it is planning to arm Russia but says it wants a closer … [Read more...] about China’s Xi arrives in Russia to meet Putin over Ukraine war
VN-Index plunges with no blue chip in green
The index closed 22.04 points lower after losing 2.26 points on Friday. Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) fell by 5.21% to VND9.75 trillion ($413.44 million). The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 28 tickers dropped. TPB of private TPBank led the fall with a 5.3% drop, followed by VCB of state-owned lender Vietcombank, down 4.4%. POW of electricity producer Petrovietnam Power Corporation lost 4.1% and SSI of leading brokerage SSI Securities Corporation closed 3.9% lower. PLX of fuel distributor Petrolimex and VPB of private lender VPBank stayed unchanged. Foreign investors were net sellers to the tune of VND346.24 billion, mainly selling HPG of steelmaker Hoa Phat Group and VIC of private conglomerate Vingroup. The HNX-Index at the Hanoi Stock Exchange, where mid and small caps list, was down 1.39% while the UPCoM-Index at the Unlisted Public Companies Market was down by 0.54%. … [Read more...] about VN-Index plunges with no blue chip in green
Hoi An walls covered in graffiti
A group of tourists walks past a wall on Hai Ba Trung Street that has been vandalized by gray paint. Drawings on the wallboard of a house in an alley of Nguyen Minh Khai Street. Locals residents claim that these sketches have been painted at night by tourists. A wall spray-painted with pictures and letters on Hai Ba Trung Street. Local authorities have launched several campaigns to clear the walls, but have not been able to put an end to the vandalism once and for all. The wall of a house on Hoang Dieu Street painted with graffiti that remains even after the owner deep-cleaned the surface. A graffitied wall in an alley off Tran Phu Street. A wall on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street has become a hotspot for impromptu etchings. The An Hoi Bridge across the Hoai River has also been vandalized. … [Read more...] about Hoi An walls covered in graffiti
Gambling ads, adult content make Facebook ‘toxic’
Hoang Quan, an office clerk in Da Nang’s Thanh Khe District, says ads with scantily dressed women and gambling games often appear when he surfs the message board or watches Reels on Facebook. "The ads are suggested by Facebook and displayed at specific times: After 4 p.m. it is gambling; in the evening it is sexy and suggestive content," he said. Tuan Phuong of Ho Chi Minh City, another Facebook user, sees similar ads pop up constantly. "Toxic content appears next to posts. Every time I scroll through a few posts of my friends, the News Feed inserts a gambling ad," he says. He says he is flustered when he sees Facebook livestreams with inappropriate content when he is sitting with his child in the evenings. In a VnExpress survey this month 96% of participants said they had seen gambling and other offensive ads on Facebook, with 81% saying they are frequent. An ad with an offensive image on Facebook. Photo by VnExpress/Khuong Nha The situation seems to have … [Read more...] about Gambling ads, adult content make Facebook ‘toxic’