Two steps from hell moving mountains

Mekong Delta provinces have stepped up efforts in the fight against IUU fishing. (Photo: VNA) Kien Giang (VNA) – Mekong Delta provinces have intensified their efforts to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in a bid to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted. Kien Giang province reported no fishing boats violating foreign waters in recent months, according to the provincial steering board for IUU fishing prevention and control. The result was attributed to the local authorities’ application of drastic and synchronous measures against IUU fishing, with a wide range of inspections and enhanced communications work to raise local fishermen’s awareness of current regulations on IUU fishing prevention put in place, said Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Quang Trong Thao, who is also deputy head of the steering board. To date, the vessel monitoring system … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta provinces step up efforts to combat illegal fishing

The renowned food-store has won the hearts of many Hanoian generations with its only kind of foodstuff for over 70 years. The Banh cuon , or steamed rice crepe, is not a luxury food but has become favorite of not only Vietnamese but also foreign visitors to Hanoi. The Banh cuon Ba Hoanh restaurant is always packed with diners at the weekend. Photo: Duy Khanh “I feel like I’ve just swallowed a piece of ‘silk’,” Marco Lipuma- a friend of our family from Germany exclaimed as soon as he tried his first bite of the Banh cuon . “It’s outstanding, cool and very...slippery,” he said. After his first taste in early this year, within the following months he’d tried it countless more times. “I don’t like food with rich protein, so this is a good choice and I think it’s also a perfect detox food after so many giant feasts,” he stated. Truong Kim Dung, a customer of Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh eatery said that she tried the dish some 30 years ago when she got … [Read more...] about [Quintessence of Hanoi’s cuisine] “Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh”: Gorgeous decades-long delicacy of Hanoi

Hanoi stimulates the consumption of One Commune, One Product (OCOP) products through numerous promotional and networking events. Many trade promotion events for Hanoi's OCOP products associated with the culture of provinces in the Central Highlands and Southern regions will be held until the end of 2023, according to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. A consumer shops at the Hanoi Farm Produce Fair 2023 in Ung Hoa District. Photo: Hoai Nam/The Hanoi Times Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Head of the Hanoi Coordination Office of the New Rural Construction Program, said last week's event on Trinh Cong Son Pedestrian Street is the beginning of a series of trade promotion activities for the sale of OCOP products and safe farm produce linked to the culture of provinces and cities across the country. More than 100 booths with over 2,000 OCOP products were displayed at the fair. Consumers in the city had the opportunity to access specialties from 35 … [Read more...] about Promotional events in Hanoi boost sales of OCOP products

The latter half of the year is set for a substantial rebound, riding on the back of Q2's initial recovery signs. The bank's outlook for 2023 remains steady, with a GDP growth estimate of 5.4 per cent. Standard Chartered anticipates September’s figures to marginally outpace those of August, predominantly buoyed by retail sales. The forecast details an impressive 8.2 per cent annual growth in September's retail sales, though exports might dip by 6.2 per cent. Imports are slated to shrink by 7 per cent, while industrial production growth could see a surge to 3.2 per cent. Furthermore, the trade surplus might slim down to a mere $1.3 billion. The inflation index is set to tick up to 3.2 per cent on-year from August's 3 per cent, steered primarily by the education, housing, and food sectors. Conversely, transport-led inflation appears to be subsiding. In the tourism front, Vietnam welcomed approximately 7.8 million international travellers in 2023's initial eight months, closely … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Q3 GDP poised for growth, Standard Chartered reports

Dinh Tien Dung (L), Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, and Huang Kunming , Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Secretary of the Guangdong Party Committee. (Photo: VNA) Beijing (VNA) – Dinh Tien Dung , Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, met with Huang Kunming, Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Secretary of the Guangdong Party Committee, on September 25 as part of the Vietnamese official’s ongoing visit to China. At the meeting, Dung stressed that his visit aims to further concretise and implement common perceptions reached by top leaders of the two Parties and countries during the visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong late October 2022, contributing to maintaining high-level exchanges and contacts, and fostering the friendship … [Read more...] about Hanoi delegation visits China’s Guangdong province

Old artifacts are not only valuable, but also a keepsake for many families. Many people would be extremely sad if an artifact was damaged for some reason. In such cases, they may eventually find their way to an expert like Nguyen Khac Duy. Ten years ago, the man, now 34, who lives in Sa Dec City in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, returned to his hometown after completing his military service and assisted his family business in trading artifacts. Noticing that the supply of artifacts was dwindling over time, Duy thought of finding solutions to repair damaged items, which would allow his family to sustain their business for a long time to come. Giving old things a second life In the early days of trying to repair damaged artifacts, Duy's lack of confidence meant he only fixed his own artifacts for fear of further harming customers’ precious items. However, after some time, as the artifacts he repaired became more common, more and more collectors came to ask him to … [Read more...] about In Vietnam, man gives artifacts a second life

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Brazilian enterprises to beef up trade and investment activities in Vietnam to fully tap the great cooperation potential between the two countries, with the aim of boosting two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2025. PM Chinh was speaking at a powwow with representatives of Brazilian businesses in Sao Paulo on Sunday morning (local time) after he and his entourage arrived a day earlier for a four-day official visit at the invitation of President Lula da Silva. “The political relationship between our two countries is very good, but trade and investment relations are still not comparable, as there is still a lot of room for cooperation that has yet to be tapped,” the PM said at the event. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries reached $6.78 billion, with Vietnam mainly importing from Brazil. Such bilateral trade remained modest as Brazil is the largest South American country with a population of 214 million people, … [Read more...] about Vietnam eyes $10bn trade with Brazil by 2025: PM Pham Minh Chinh