Print has been the mainstay, but times change and so must the press. Photo: Le Toan Since taking a role as an economic counsellor at the Indonesian Embassy to Vietnam a few years ago, Ance Maylany Napitupulu has considered the local media a reliable source of information for her work. “I’m quite impressed by what Vietnam Investment Review has been doing in conveying information via in-depth stories on both online and print newspapers, and especially in organising events,” Napitupulu said. Napitupulu attended VIR ’s conference themed “Stronger Investment Partnerships for a Thriving Vietnam” in May, where she had an opportunity to establish relations with experts. This was the second time that Napitupulu had participated in such large-scale events led by VIR , which she said is becoming a professional event organiser besides its well-established expertise in the Vietnamese press. “I hope to have another opportunity to attend VIR events as they will provide me with new … [Read more...] about Evolving demands and trends dictate VIR‘s future
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Festival preserves values of Vietnamese craft villages
At the press conference (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Craft Villages Festival 2023 will take place in Hanoi from October to November to preserve and promote the values of traditional craft villages, the organising board said at a press conference on September 26. The event will be co-organised by the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. A wide range of activities are on schedule, including a ceremony to honour excellent craftsmen, an opening ceremony, an art programme, an international exhibition introducing craft products and those under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, and an international workshop on preservation and development of craft villages. Thang Long Imperial Citadel will host major events on November 9-12. Particularly, the MARD will organise a Vietnamese handicraft product contest to encourage … [Read more...] about Festival preserves values of Vietnamese craft villages
Three more Vietnam military officers to join UN peacekeeping forces
At the decision hand-over ceremony. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of National Defence on September 25 handed over the State President’s decisions to three officers, who will join the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The three are Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen My Hanh, and Captain Pham Thi Mai Ngan, who will work at UNISFA , and Major Hoang Van Kien, who will go to UNMISS . Kien will fly to the UN mission on September 28, while the others are scheduled to leave Vietnam in early October, according to Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Addressing the event, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), asked the department to continue selecting personnel for the UN forces in line with regulations, and build a suitable roadmap to improve foreign language skills for Vietnamese peacekeepers. … [Read more...] about Three more Vietnam military officers to join UN peacekeeping forces
Top Vietnamese, Bulgarian legislators inform outcomes of talks to media
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and his Bulgarian counterpart Rosen Zhelyazkov (Photo: VNA) Sofia (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his Bulgarian counterpart Rosen Zhelyazkov met the press on September 25 (local time) to announce the outcomes of their successful talks in Sofia. Chairman Hue said the two leaders extensively discussed orientations and measures to consolidate friendship and improve the efficiency of their cooperation via the Party, Government, National Assembly, people-to-people exchange channels. They agreed to step up collaboration in economy, trade, investment, culture, sci-tech, education and training, labour and people-to-people exchanges, business-to-business and locality-to-locality cooperation. Hue hailed and thanked the Bulgarian legislature for its recent approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) with an absolute majority of votes, just ahead of his visit. Along with promoting the … [Read more...] about Top Vietnamese, Bulgarian legislators inform outcomes of talks to media
Hanoi fosters partnership with China’s Guangzhou city
In a conversation with Guo Yonghang, Secretary of the Guangzhou Party Committee and Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal Government prior to the signing ceremony, Dung hailed the role of Guangdong province and Guangzhou city as a leading locality in high-quality development and a hub for the pilot of many new policies, including the policy to renovate the development, urban management, and special economic zone models. Guo highlighted the similarities between Hanoi and Guangzhou in culture, trade and tourism as well as the development of the partnership between the two cities, especially in trade and investment. He expressed belief that the Hanoi delegation’s visit, especially the meeting between Dung and Huang Kunming, Secretary of the Guangdong Party Committee, on September 25, has made an important milestone in the Hanoi - Guangzhou relations. The Guangzhou Mayor suggested that the two cities further increase the exchange of experience in urban management and tourism promotion. He … [Read more...] about Hanoi fosters partnership with China’s Guangzhou city
Vietnamese youth suffer from overthinking, anxiety
Thanh Tung dropped his major in marketing after pursuing it for a year and realizing it was not the right path for him. But for several months after switching majors, he’d been suffering from anxiety and insomnia over the decision. "I went to bed late, woke up at around 3-4 a.m., and could not go back to sleep until the morning. I had negative thoughts and cried a lot." The young man said he worried that his new major was just another "wrong decision." He felt like he didn’t have the energy to do anything other than lie down and surf his social media feeds. But this habit only compounded the problem from another angle. "Seeing so many talented people around my age on social media made me feel inferior," he said. "I felt like no matter what I do, I would never be as successful as them." Other aspects of his life had also been affected, including his relationships. Just a delay in the speed of his girlfriend’s text message replies made him wonder if she was tired of him or had … [Read more...] about Vietnamese youth suffer from overthinking, anxiety
Rich nations, China must accelerate race to net zero: IEA
Wealthy countries must now reach carbon neutrality in around 2045, five years early, and China should speed up by a decade to 2050 to keep to the Paris goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the IEA said. "The world has already delayed too long to avoid hard choices," the global energy watchdog said. The report, which comes ahead of crunch UN climate talks, updates the IEA's landmark 2021 "Net Zero Roadmap", which said new fossil fuel development was incompatible with global decarbonization by mid-century. IEA chief Fatih Birol said he was more "hopeful" now than two years ago, thanks to record growth in solar power capacity and electric car sales in line with the IEA's pathway to net-zero emissions. He praised "very impressive" policies in the United States, Europe, China, and India that have helped drive clean energy investment up 40 percent to $1.8 trillion this year. But he added that to reach net zero this needs to reach $4.5 … [Read more...] about Rich nations, China must accelerate race to net zero: IEA
Site clearance delays road construction in Dong Nai
Work on the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway between the beach city of Vung Tau and the industrial city of Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province began in June. But contractors have yet to receive cleared land to build the expressway in Dong Nai. Slated to cost around VND18 trillion (US$755.67 million) in total, the expressway will run 53.7 km in Ho Chi Minh City and 34 km in Dong Nai before reaching Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province. In Ba Ria – Vung Tau, 80% of site clearance has been completed, while in Dong Nai progress has reached just 6%. Nguyen Hong Que, deputy director of the board that is in charge of site clearance and compensation for the expressway in Dong Nai, said 290 hectares still need to be cleared to serve the project. Of 3,700 houses that need to be removed, many were built illegally, and their owners do not have official house ownership certificates. Instead, they have only hand-written papers, making it complicated for compensation procedures, said Que. In addition, … [Read more...] about Site clearance delays road construction in Dong Nai
Novaland negotiating interest payment default on $300M bonds, investors antsy
The Ad Hoc Group, representing investors owning over 75% of the bonds, said it would take a new approach should Novaland fail to negotiate the debt restructuring in good faith. Novaland issued the bonds in Singapore in 2021 for five years with a coupon rate of 5.25% and listed it on the stock exchange there. Novaland said it had discussed with the bondholders its liquidity difficulties which prevented it from paying the interest in time and a restructuring plan based on its current situation. It has also drafted plans to restore operations together with foreign and domestic consultancies such as Deloitte, Sidney Austin LLP, and YKVN. Novaland said it is aware of its limited resources but would aim to safeguard the bondholders’ interests. "Novaland requests more time to recover during this period," it said in a statement. "The company hopes to receive support from creditors and bondholders to soon stabilize its operations and fulfill its financial obligations to … [Read more...] about Novaland negotiating interest payment default on $300M bonds, investors antsy