Referendum to ban the communist party

The sons of Hanoi held their heads high and persevered in the cause of national liberation in the face of brutality and harassment. The lethal and brutal treatment and torture in Phu Quoc jail could not weaken the determination of the sons of Hanoi to survive and fight for the freedom and independence of their homeland. Former Hanoi imprisoned veterans attend a ceremony on March 22 that honors their sacrifices for national unity and liberation. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times Phu Quoc Prison was built in 1949-1950 under French colonial rule to detain political dissidents and national patriots. From 1963 to 1973, more than 40,000 Vietnamese patriots, soldiers, and communist activists who fought for the liberation of their country were incarcerated in the prison, which was run by the South Vietnamese regime. Located some 90 kilometers from the Vietnamese mainland, Phu Quoc prison was the site of the deaths of some 4,000 people who gave their lives in the … [Read more...] about Hanoi patriots recount memories of captivity

The hearing, which was TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew's first appearance before Congress, comes at a critical moment for the wildly popular video app that is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company. Lawmakers are pressuring the Biden administration to ban the app from the country. U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle quizzed Chew on whether American user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, but also demanded he address examples of harmful content posted on the app. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington, kicked off the hearing saying that within minutes of creating an account on TikTok, the content algorithm promotes self-harm and eating disorder content, and encourages "dangerous" challenges that can put kids' lives at risk. Like other social media platforms, TikTok has long faced scrutiny over its policing of content on the app. The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that fights hate speech and disinformation, said … [Read more...] about TikTok’s danger to teens in focus during US congressional hearing

Vietnam has always considered the people as the driving force of the country's development process and is committed to improving the lives and ensuring the rights of all its citizens, leaving no one behind. During a press conference today [March 23], a journalist raised questions about the 2022 U.S. Human Rights Watch report, which accuses several Asian countries, including Vietnam, of grave and systematic human rights violations. Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Source: MoFA Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang shared Vietnam's perspective on the issue, saying that protecting and promoting human rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam. "Vietnam has always considered the people as the driving force of the country's development process and is committed to improving the lives and ensuring the rights of all citizens, leaving no one behind," Hang said. Hang added that basic human rights were enshrined in Vietnam's … [Read more...] about US human rights report gives one-sided evaluations of Vietnam: MOFA

At the event, Mr. Nghia emphasized the important role of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, adding that they are the front-line force undertaking external information duty in foreign countries and the fastest and most efficient channel in transmitting domestic information to international friends and overseas Vietnamese communities. Given the complicated developments of regional and global situations and the new requirement in ideology, dissemination, and external information work in the new situation, Mr. Nghia asked newly-appointed ambassadors and consuls general to thoroughly grasp and follow the views, policies and guidelines of the Party and State on foreign policy and external information. He also requested them to proactively provide information, give recommendations on foreign policy, guideline, and information; continue to promote their role as an official, direct and responsive information channel, protecting the ideological foundation of the Party and State. In … [Read more...] about Vietnamese representative offices abroad urged to boost external information work

At the meeting on March 21, the RoK N.A. speaker noted that the relations between Vietnam and the RoK have been developing strongly, highlighting the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022. He stressed that during his meetings with key leaders of the Vietnamese Party, Government and National Assembly during his visit to Vietnam last January, he noticed that both sides have been aware of the great potential of bilateral cooperation. Kim extended an invitation to N.A. Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and legislators of Vietnam to attend a forum for ASEAN and Korean leaders, slated for June in the RoK’s Jeju Island. For his part, Hai affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the relations with the RoK and suggested the two sides maintain all-level delegation exchanges and meetings, saying coordination and sharing of views on the bilateral cooperation as well as the regional and international situation would help deepen relations between their … [Read more...] about N.A. Vice Chairman visits RoK, meets host leaders

The northern province of Quang Ninh has launched 38 new tourism products this year. Among those, there will be eight events for Ha Long City, including night and pedestrian streets, the tour to climb Bai Tho Mountain and a yacht race on Ha Long Bay. The tour to climb Bai Tho Mountain is among the most anticipated. The mountain has been closed since late 2017 after a fire. Despite the ban, many visitors, including foreigners, climbed over the iron fence to the mountain peak to view Ha Long Bay. The mountain is scheduled to be reopened in May 2023. The yacht race is slated to be held on Ha Long Bay in April, which is expected to attract international yacht clubs. Five other tourism products will be for Mong Cai City, consisting of a Chinese-Vietnamese food festival scheduled to take place this month. At the event, visitors have a chance to enjoy special Chinese and Quang Ninh dishes. Co To Island District will have three new tourism products, including diving tours to … [Read more...] about Quang Ninh announces many new tourism products

A view of Bach Long Vy district from above. (Photo: VNA) Hai Phong (VNA) – Bach Long Vy, Vietnam’s most remote island in the Gulf of Tonkin, about 110km from the northern port city of Hai Phong 's mainland, has been given a facelift following its 30 years of development . The island has a special strategic position in terms of national defense , security and maritime economy. On November 18, 1992, the Prime Minister signed a decision to establish it as a district of Hai Phong. In March 1993, the first contingent of temporary district officials left the mainland to the island to perform their duty. Back then, the island was deserted without civil infrastructure facilities. Life there was hard and heavily depended on the mainland. Secretary of the district’s Party Committee Tran Quang Tuong said with the attention of the Party and the State, the local authorities and people have overcome myriad difficulties to develop the locality. According to him, an … [Read more...] about Bach Long Vy island sees outstanding developments in three decades

A street in Bangkok capital of Thailand. (Photo: AP) Bangkok (VNA) - Election campaigns are forecast to generate up to 120 billion THB (3.5 billion USD) for the economy of Thailand, said the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce . The centre’s director Thanawat Polvichai said political parties are going into full gear with campaigning for votes after the election date was set for May 14 by the Election Commission. The 120 billion THB generated while campaigning will push Thailand ’s GDP up by 4% in the second quarter, he said, adding that the Thai economy is expected to grow by 3-4% this year. However, rising production costs and inflation can affect the business sector’s profits and liquidity though the economy is believed to pick up in the second half of this year, according to Thanawat./. VNA … [Read more...] about Election campaigns may create 3.5 billion USD for Thai economy

Over the past 35 years of development, the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, better known as Agribank, always proves its position and role as a leading commercial bank in Vietnam. It has pioneered monetary policies, contributing to stabilizing the macro-economy, curbing inflation and supporting the country’s economic growth. The bank has cemented its key role in developing the agriculture sector and rural areas and offering credit and services to serve the country’s socio-economic development. Agribank was proud to receive the Vietnam National Brand award for the third consecutive year in 2022 and was among the top 10 Vietnamese strong banking and financial brands the same year. The lender has obtained impressive achievements in digital and green transformation and made substantial contributions to community development. Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Agribank, with its initiative and flexibility, has employed multiple … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Agribank wins many local prestigious prizes

Land law adjustments aim to protect entities as well as the real estate market, photo Le Toan In a seminar to collect opinions from enterprises and experts regarding amendments to the Law on Land held last week in Ho Chi Minh City, Seck Yee Chung, a representative of the Vietnam Business Forum’s Trade and Investment Working Group, said that Article 35.d of the draft law provided that domestic companies only have the right to mortgages with their land and properties attached to the land at credit institutions licensed to operate in Vietnam. “This means that companies in Vietnam cannot mortgage their factory or land through foreign lenders, which creates great challenges for them to access competitive financing resources outside the country,” Chung said at the seminar, which was organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). “Foreign lenders will look for security assets of Vietnamese companies to secure their … [Read more...] about Land law points further scrutinised