Map of turkey and syria border

BRUSSELS, March 24 - A "third man" seen with two Islamic State suicide bombers at Brussels Airport was the focus of a Belgian manhunt on Thursday after police identified three others, including two brothers, who killed at least 31 people at the airport and on a city metro train. Turkey's president criticised Belgium for failing to track Brahim El Bakraoui, a convicted Belgian armed robber whom it deported last year and who blew himself up at the airport on Tuesday an hour before his brother Khalid, a fellow convict, killed some 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre. The third bomber, security sources told Belgian media, was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks and who also detonated a suitcase bomb at the airport. The "third man", captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall alongside Laachraoui and Brahim El Bakraoui, is now the … [Read more...] about Belgians hunt ‘third man’ after Islamic State bombings

Fruits and vegetables on display at the Hortex Vietnam expo in HCM City last month. Africa and the Middle East are highly promising export markets for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables. — VNS Photo The Middle East and Africa have high demand for fruits and vegetables, offering Vietnamese firms a great opportunity to boost exports, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Nguyen Minh Phuong, director of the ministry’s Asia-Africa market department, said the Middle East, which comprises 15 countries and has a population of around 400 million people, has a high per capita income. They import large volumes of agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, she said. Africa too has huge demand for agricultural products, but because of the distances, Vietnamese firms only export to countries in the north of the continent, she said. Viet Nam’s exports of fruits and vegetables to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have soared from US$255.1 million in 2019 to … [Read more...] about Middle East, North Africa lucrative markets, fruit, vegetable exporters told

Fruits and vegetables on display at the Hortex Vietnam expo in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Middle East and North Africa have high demand for fruits and vegetables, offering Vietnamese firms a great opportunity to boost exports, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Nguyen Minh Phuong, director of the ministry’s Asia-Africa market department, said the Middle East, which comprises 15 countries and has a population of around 400 million people, has a high per capita income. They import large volumes of agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, she said. Africa too has huge demand for agricultural products, but because of the distances, Vietnamese firms only export to countries in the north of the continent, she said. Vietnam’s exports of fruits and vegetables to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have soared from 255.1 million USD in 2019 to 380.3 million USD in 2021, with the main markets being Turkey, the UAE, … [Read more...] about Middle East, North Africa lucrative markets for fruit, vegetable exports

Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

China is the main importer of many Vietnamese products. Therefore, China's market re-opening from January 8 brings great expectations to Vietnamese businesses, especially those exporting vegetables, fruits, seafood, fiber, cement, rubber, steel, textiles, and rice. According to Vietnam Fruit Vegetables Association (VinaFruit) General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen, China's restoration of customs clearance is good news for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exporters, and helps import-export activities between the two countries gradually become bustling again. However, he also reminded Vietnamese businesses to make careful preparation when resuming their exports to this important market because China has applied new and strict regulations for imported goods. To Ngoc Son, deputy head of the MoIT’s Asia-Africa Market Department, said Vietnam should concentrate on measures to further promote exports to China through official channels. He recommended that localities and management agencies … [Read more...] about Vietnam works hard to boost exports to Chinese market