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A health worker is processing COVID-19 test sample. VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam registered 1,239 new COVID-19 infections, all domestically transmitted, and no deaths on Friday. The Ministry of Health also announced that 9,365 COVID-19 patients were given the all-clear, bringing the number of recoveries to 9,431,450. Hà Nội still had the most daily infections with 297. This is the first time in six months the capital city has recorded less than 300 new cases in one day. The other localities reporting new transmissions were Vĩnh Phúc (86), Phú Thọ (63), Hải Dương (59), Nghệ An (56), Yên Bái (55), Quảng Ninh (51), Tuyên Quang (43), Nam Định (37), Đà Nẵng (35), Lào Cai (32), Thái Bình (30), Hồ Chí Minh City (30), Thái Nguyên (30), Sơn La (29), Điện Biên (26), Bắc Kạn (25), Lâm Đồng (23), Hà Nam (21), Hà Giang (19), Hà Tĩnh (18), Quảng Bình (18), Hải Phòng (17), Hòa Bình (15), Bình Phước (12), Hưng Yên (12), Ninh Bình (11), Thanh Hóa (11), Bắc Giang (11), Quảng Trị (10), … [Read more...] about Việt Nam logs 1,239 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths on Friday

The AFD and EU have been actively supporting Vietnam in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Vietnam will receive financial aid from the EU and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to reduce the vulnerability to climate hazards in several towns in four northern and central provinces. The project is jointly co-financed with a EUR5 million (US$5.36 million) grant from the EU, a EUR123 million ($132 million) ODA loan from the AFD, and EUR 28 million ($30 million) from provincial budgets. The principal goal is to help localities adapt to climate change and recover from natural disasters such as flooding, typhoons, and drought. Delegates attend the launching ceremony. Photo: the Embassy of France in Vietnam The regional towns include Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh, Ngoc Lac in the central province of Thanh Hoa, and Hoang Mai in the central province of Nghe An, Huong Khe, and Thach Ha in the central province of Ha Tinh. … [Read more...] about AFD, EU strengthen urban climate resilience in Vietnam

Garment production for export at Kim Dung Textile and Garment Company in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: SGGP) Dependence on imported raw materials Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said that the total number of enterprises participating in the textile and garment sector in Vietnam, including foreign and domestic enterprises, is more than 7,000. Of which, only 18 percent of them produce fabric materials, 12 percent produce yarn, 2 percent produce other materials, and the rest are garment enterprises. This fact has put the textile industry in front of the challenge of unstable growth due to its dependence on imported raw materials. Currently, each year, Vietnam imports 100 percent of cotton with an estimated value of US$3.2 billion and 60 percent of fabric with an estimated value of $14 billion. The US is the largest cotton and fabric import market of Vietnam, followed by China, Japan, South Korea, and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese textile-garment industry strong but not stable

Vietnam’s biggest conglomerate Vingroup and largest private lender Techcombank have been given the green light to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh expressway. The consortium will have to submit its report by Aug. 31, according to the Ministry of Transport (MoT). Once the report is appraised and approved, the MoT will start a bid to select investors for the expressway, with Vingroup-Techcombank able to participate in the process should they want to. The expressway will stretch 212 kilometers with four-six lanes and a maximum speed of 80-100 kph. It will connect Central Highland Dak Nong and southern Binh Phuoc provinces. Another consortium, led by Deo Ca Corporation, has proposed to invest in two expressway projects in the north, Dong Dang - Tra Linh and Huu Nghi - Lang Son. Workers construct the 98-kilometers Cam Lo - La Son expressway connecting central Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces, February 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh … [Read more...] about Private firms eager to invest in expressways

After a year of not raising tuition fees due to the impacts of Covid-19, the Hanoi people's council passed a resolution on May 20 to hike public preschool and high school tuition fees for the 2022-23 academic year. The fees would double at first and subsequently increase by 20-40 percent every year. Sen, 43, lives in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District with her husband and two daughters, the other in 10th grade. She cleans houses for hourly wages while her husband is a laborer. They pay the highest tuition rate since their household registration is in Region 1, which comprises the capital’s inner districts. In addition, she may be required to pay VND300,000 ($12.93) per child per month for the following academic year, which is 1.4-2 times the current fee. Tuition fees for middle and high schools in Region 1 will gradually rise over the next three years to VND410,000, VND530,000, and VND650,000, respectively. Meanwhile, Sen and her husband's incomes fluctuate every month: Sometimes … [Read more...] about Hanoi parents brace for tuition hikes

US stocks rally again as China premier warns on Covid-hit economy, illustration photo source: freepik.com After a positive session in Europe, the S&P 500 finished Thursday's session up two percent, positioning the broad-based US index to potentially snap a seven-week losing streak depending on Friday's session. "The market was very oversold, and way overdue to bounce," Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investment said shortly before the market closed. "And what's happening now, the market is bouncing pretty strong." Stock markets have taken a beating this year as central banks have begun to raise interest rates in order to curb the highest consumer price rises in decades. But US stocks pushed higher on Wednesday after investors took a positive view of the Federal Reserve minutes, which raised hopes that while the central bank would move aggressively to lift interest rates, it might be able to halt additional rate hikes as soon as this summer if inflation recedes. Wall Street kept … [Read more...] about US stocks rally again as China premier warns on Covid-hit economy

Land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in urban areas. — VNA/VNS Photo Experts have warned that the high rate of inflation will cause the domestic housing market to continuously see prices increase, but liquidity decrease. According to real estate consultant Le Quoc Kien, the market from the middle of last year until now has seen low transactions as the land and housing prices have increased by 20-25 per cent in the urban areas and 30 per cent in the suburban areas. Meanwhile, the price has surged by 50 per cent in the neighbouring provinces. Therefore, he predicts that investors who do not face the pressure of bank debt will not sell real estate in the next 6-12 months because they will have to look for other assets. They do not want to keep cash in a period of high inflation. Meanwhile, investors who suffer pressure from banking loans will be forced to sell property when inflation is high. According to the General Statistics Office, core inflation in April … [Read more...] about Housing market sees price increase, liquidity decrease

A roundtable on workplace safety and the quality of meals provided to workers was held by the HCM City Federation of Labour on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ HCM CITY — Trade unions at all levels need to take drastic measures to improve workers’ meals at companies by ensuring employers pay at least VNĐ20,000-25,000 (US$0.85-1.07) for them, a roundtable held by the HCM City Federation of Labour heard on Thursday. With the rising cost of living, the meals procured for workers at an average price of VNĐ15,000 do not provide nutrition, safety or hygiene requirements, delegates said. Decent meals are essential to ensure health as well as productivity, Trần Đức Tài, deputy head of the Tân Bình District Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs Office, said. Trade unions need to work with employers to develop workplace meal programmes that provide decent food to employees, he said. Activities to raise awareness of food quality need to be frequently carried out, he said. Lê … [Read more...] about Trade unions urged to improve quality of workers’ meals at factories

HCM City has upped surveillance at border gates to monitor and detect suspected cases of monkeypox. VNA/VNS Photo by Đinh Hằng HCM CITY — HCM City is upped its guard against monkeypox by strengthening surveillance at border gates to monitor suspect cases, especially among those returning from countries where the disease is circulating. The municipal Department of Health asked public and private medical facilities in districts and Thủ Đức City to inform the Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) if suspect cases are discovered. The cases will be tested for confirmed patients will be sent to medical facilities for treatment. The department also instructed local authorities to communicate and raise people’s awareness about monkeypox as well as measures to prevent and control the disease. The World Health Organization on Thursday said the cases of monkeypox virus infection have so far been reported in more than 20 countries, including North American and Europe, urging … [Read more...] about HCM City strengthens monkeypox watch

The Economic Committee of the National Assembly has proposed that Vietnam restart a suspended nuclear power project in south-central Ninh Thuan Province to ensure the country’s ability to develop nuclear power in the future and to help achieve its environmental protection goal by 2050. The Economic Committee has submitted a report on the implementation of Resolution 31 of the National Assembly, which was issued to suspend the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project in the namesake province in 2016. In the report, the committee stated that Vietnam would potentially face challenges brought about by electricity shortage in the 2021-25 period. The competitive electricity market has not been developed in a synchronous manner, while the power pricing mechanism has been improved slowly. The country’s power source has yet to guarantee sustainable development and still has a negative impact on the environment. Vietnam previously pledged to reach its net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050 … [Read more...] about Vietnamese legislature’s economic committee proposes restarting nuclear power project