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JAKARTA/HANOI -- Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) discussions on the early retirement of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia may have hit a snag as a local official said on Monday that western countries are not ready to finance such projects. JETP, a financing scheme made up of equity investments, grants and concessionary loans from members of Group of Seven (G7), multilateral banks and private lenders, is aimed at helping developing nations accelerate their shift towards cleaner energy sources in the power sector and cut reliance on dirty fuel such as coal. South Africa was the first country to reach a deal under the JETP, securing a $8.5 billion financing pledge in 2021. Indonesia secured $20 billion and Vietnam $15.5 billion in deals struck in late 2022. Here's an update of JETP's progress in Indonesia and Vietnam. Indonesia Indonesia had planned to announce in August its investment plan for the funds pledged under JETP, but it has since delayed the … [Read more...] about Indonesia, Vietnam energy transition financing under JETP

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

An ornamental craft village tourist site in Hong Van commune,  Thuong Tin district, Hanoi (Photo: https://hanoimoi.vn/) Hanoi (VNA) – With its great potential for ecological agriculture and tourism, especially in riverbank area s, Hanoi has paid attention to developing riverside agri-tourism models. In Vietnam's tourism development strategy , ecotourism associated with agriculture and rural areas is one of the five key products. Visiting fruit and flower gardens, and agricultural farms, taking time to check in there, enjoying local specialties, and listening to historical stories at relic sites are activities visitors can experience at Hong Van commune, Thuong Tin district. Hong Van commune's ornamental craft village tourist site is one of the two OCOP (One commune, One Product) products of Hanoi. Located along the Hong (Red) River, in recent years, Hong Van commune has become an eco-tourism and agri-tourism attraction in the capital city. According to … [Read more...] about Hanoi moves to tap riverside agri-tourism potential

Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meet in Brasilia on September 25. (Photo: VNA) Brasilia (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Brazil ian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held talks in Brasilia on September 25 (Brazil time) as part of the Vietnamese leader’s official visit to the South American country. Welcoming PM Chinh and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam, the Brazilian President expressed his belief that the visit will help develop the two countries’ traditional friendship and sound cooperation to a new height, thus actively contributing to peace, stability, and development in the two regions and the world. PM Chinh voiced his delight at the growing Vietnam - Brazil relations and stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to the ties with Brazil, one of its leading partners in Latin America. The two leaders noted with satisfaction that bilateral relations have been flourishing and becoming … [Read more...] about Vietnamese PM, Brazilian President discuss measures for augmenting ties

Kwon, currently 112th in the world rankings, lost to Thailand's Kasidit Samrej, who is ranked 500 places below him. The match in Hangzhou, China saw Kwon lose 3-6 in the first set before winning 7-5 in the second. He then lost the match by losing the third set 4-6. When the match ended, Kwon smashed his racquet to pieces and refused to shake hands with both Samrej and the referee. A video of the incident garnered over six million views on Chinese social media. Many said the 25-year-old went into a rage because he missed the chance to be exempted from military service. Any male South Korean athlete that wins an Asian Games gold medal is exempted from military service. Tennis player Chung Hyeon and football star Son Heung-min have both won the privilege in recent years. Kwon's defeat has been the biggest surprise of Asian Games men's tennis so far. He was seeded fourth among 16 seeds. Chinese news site Sohu said Kwon’s rage was also provoked by Samrej’s style of play. The … [Read more...] about Korean tennis star’s racket-smashing tantrum goes viral

At the panel discussion, entitled “Promoting Nature Positive Business and Green Growth through Practicing ESG in Businesses,” held as part of the 2023 Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum in Hanoi on August 23. (Photo: VietnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) - Transitioning to a sustainable business model with reduced carbon emissions is the optimal solution for companies facing environmental protection challenges and climate change adaptation. This requires businesses to innovate through smart solutions and efficient resource utilisation. This was a topic of discussion at the 2023 Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum (VCSF) held in Hanoi on August 23, one of the most important dialogues between the Vietnamese government and business community to promote sustainable development. Themed “Global Green Race: From Strategy to Execution of Sustainable Business,” the annual event that began in 2014 was co-organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the … [Read more...] about Firms ready to switch to low-carbon economic model

According to data from the Indonesia’s Ministry of Investment, the first quarter FDI, which excludes investment in the banking and oil and gas sectors, was worth 177 trillion IDR (11.96 billion USD), up 43.3% compared to the last quarter of 2022. Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that FDI in the manufacturing sector, especially the metal industry, in Q1 ranked first, which showed the government policy to give added value on natural resources has had a positive impact. Indonesia is due to ban the export of raw minerals like copper and bauxite from June as part of efforts to attract investment into its metals processing industry and boost the value of its exports. Singapore, China’s Hong Kong, and China provided the largest share of the FDI in the first quarter with investment of 4.3 billion USD, 1.5 billion USD and 1.2 billion USD, respectively, according to the ministry’s data. At a news conference, Bahlil said challenges to achieve the investment target included a … [Read more...] about Indonesia’s Q1 FDI hikes over 20%

Fifty-eight colorful paintings expressing children's dreams for a better life are displayed at the Hanoi Museum. The exhibition, titled "The Colors," features 58 colored paintings on acrylic. These are the works of students from the Little Superman Art Club, which has been operating in Hanoi and neighboring provinces for nearly 10 years. The painting titled "My Childhood" by Nguyen Gia Han The exhibition will last until September 30 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival 2023 in the capital. Life in the innocent eyes of children becomes beautiful, kind, and precious. Some highlight artworks include a painting showing the beauty of terraced fields in the ripe rice season, farmers working hard in the fields, a vase of chrysanthemums, and joyful daily life around children. As part of the exhibition, the Hanoi Museum and the Little Superman Art Club also organized a workshop on making and painting paper masks using traditional methods, in which participants … [Read more...] about Hanoi: Exhibition of children’s paintings to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivers a policy speech at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 25. (Photo: VNA) Brasilia (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a forum and delivered a policy speech at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 25 as part of his official visit to the Southern American country. Spotlighting the similarities that Vietnam and Brazil share, which include the struggle for national independence, development model and people’s values, PM Chinh said that since the diplomatic relations were set up nearly 35 years ago, both nations have enjoyed robust ties, which have been intensified and developed into a deep, stable, effective and sustainable fashion. He went on to lay stress on the five orientations to boost bilateral collaboration as well as elevate the bilateral ties into a new high in the time ahead. Firstly, both sides should enhance relations between leaders through high-level visits and meetings … [Read more...] about PM highlights five measures to elevate Vietnam – Brazil ties

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