84 percent of people now consider climate change a 'global catastrophic risk.' Nearly nine in 10 people say they are ready to make changes to their standard of living if it would prevent future climate catastrophe, a survey on global threats found Wednesday. The survey of more than 8,000 people in eight countries – the United States, China, India, Britain, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Germany – found that 84 percent of people now consider climate change a “global catastrophic risk”. That puts worry about climate change only slightly behind fears about large-scale environmental damage and the threat of politically motivated violence escalating into war, according to the Global Challenges Foundation, which commissioned the Global Catastrophic Risks 2017 report. But it indicates that many people now see climate change as a bigger threat than other traditional or rising concerns such as epidemics, population growth, use of weapons of mass destruction and … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - The government policy encouraging investment in the power sector has created a firm framework for the development of solar energy. As equipment, operation and maintenance costs are getting cheaper, solar energy is becoming more attractive than other types of clean energy.To generate 1 MW of electricity, solar energy investors need 1.1 hectares of land. However, despite the large land fund needed, economists think that developing solar energy has many advantages. Investors are pouring billions of dollars into clean energy projects in Binh Thuan province, which is bestowed by nature with abundance of wind and sun. Up to 72 percent of Binh Thuan province's area has solar radiation of over 5 kWh/m/day, the level high enough to make solar projects economically feasible. With such great potential, the authorities of Binh Thuan have called for investments in solar energy projects, hoping to turn the locality into a clean energy production center. More and more solar … [Read more...]

In early 2017, Mr. Tran Trung Duc, a 31-year-old businessman, was looking for a small office space in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 for his startup on agricultural products. After a few months of consideration, he selected a 35 sq m office apartment at Novaland’s Sunrise City, for around VND13 million ($570) a month. “I think the price is reasonable and the space suits our business,” Mr. Duc said. “It may be more expensive than a co-working space but we have a private and quiet environment to work in.” The office-tel model, which has been found in Vietnam’s real estate market for a decade, is a “hybrid” product between the office and hotel models, combining residential and commercial purposes. It has actually been the focus of many developers and been growing in popularity over the last three years. The segment remains unrecognized under the country’s legal framework, however, and been difficult to develop as a result. … [Read more...]

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders link arms during the opening ceremony of the 30th ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines April 29, 2017. L-R: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Reuters ‘Key tenets of their strategy for dealing with China, the TPP, or continued U.S. engagement, are now really in doubt.’ Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will begin his three-day visit to the U.S. next week at a time when Southeast Asia nations are increasingly losing confidence in the Trump administration’s commitment to the region. Phuc’s visit, at the invitation of President Donald Trump, will begin on May 29, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday. But Trump won’t host Phuc at the White House until May 31, when the two … [Read more...]

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders link arms during the opening ceremony of the 30th ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines April 29, 2017. L-R: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Reuters ‘Key tenets of their strategy for dealing with China, the TPP, or continued U.S. engagement, are now really in doubt.’ Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will begin his three-day visit to the U.S. next week at a time when Southeast Asia nations are increasingly losing confidence in the Trump administration’s commitment to the region. Phuc’s visit, at the invitation of President Donald Trump, will begin on May 29, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday. But Trump won’t host Phuc at the White House until May 31, when the two … [Read more...]

The Australia Awards, which are funded by the Australian Government, are prestigious international awards targeting the next generation of global leaders. The new scholars are the latest of over 5,800 Vietnamese students who have received long-term and short-term training opportunities from the Australian Government since the opening of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1973.  They will join the over 55,000 alumni of Australian education in Vietnam. Many Australia Awards alumni have reached positions of leadership in both the private and public sectors throughout Vietnam. 25 Australian Award recipients about to go to Australia "The Australia Awards are a central pillar in the development of Australia's economic and innovation partnerships with Vietnam. They are building invaluable connections between the Australian and Vietnamese scholars and academics, which in turn helps develop innovation partnerships that boost productivity and economic development," said … [Read more...]

In a recent interview granted to Vietnam News Agency, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Thu stressed that Quang Nam is ready for the event, which will take place in Hoi An city from October 19-21 with the participation of over 350 delegates. From last June, officials from the Ministry of Finance and the APEC 2017 Secretariat had working sessions with the province's leaders and relevant agencies, and made field trips to Hoi An to determine locations for the event and sideline activities.   Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Thu The locality's representatives also worked with the National Committee on APEC 2017, the APEC 2017 Secretariat and relevant ministries and sectors on the work. Attention was paid to improving infrastructure system, ensuring works relating to logistics, security, health care, food safety and communications serving the event, he said. Thu added that the staff from local hotels and restaurants was provided … [Read more...]

Full of energy, Vietnam were clearly up for the occasion. The team maintained the high pace of the game and created a number of chances in the first half, which kept New Zealand on their toes. The World Cup debutants got Kiwi keeper Michael Woud into action twice in a minute. First, they denied Doan Van Hau from a distance, before scrambling to claw away Nguyen Quang Hai's cheeky attempt directly from a corner.  Captain Nguyen Quang Hai of Vietnam (left) tryng to pass Kiwi player Reese Cox during their U20 World Cup in the Republic of Korea on May 22 It seemed that Cameroonian referee Sidi Alioum refused a penalty to Vietnam at the 37th minute when Reese Cox let a ball touch his hand in the box. After the break, Vietnam continued to be more inspired but their high-energy exploits saw batteries begin to drain and New Zealand began to find pockets of space higher and higher up the field. As the clock wound down, there was still a chance for Vietnam to snatch a historic win, but … [Read more...]

Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly deputies debated the draft bill on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) during the ongoing third meeting on May 23. Most of the opinions focused on the scope of coverage and subjects of the law, criteria of defining SMEs, and the principles and contents of support for the firms. The deputies also gave their ideas on the functions, tasks and operational effectiveness of the fund for SME development, fund for credit guarantee for SMEs and fund for innovative startup investment. They also clarified the responsibilities of trade associations in supporting SMEs and banned activities and the settlement of violations in assisting SMEs. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung answered questions raised by the deputies on related issues. In the morning, the deputies discussed in groups the draft programme on law and ordinance building for 2018, the adjustments of the programme for 2017 as well as a draft plan on supervision … [Read more...]

Heads of delegations to the meetings (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - ASEAN and its partner countries discussed cooperation orientations during their meetings in Manila, the Philippines on May 23. The Senior Officials Meeting of ASEAN Plus Three – China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) (SOM ASEAN+3), and the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM EAS) between ASEAN and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the RoK, Russia and the US were held within the framework of the ASEAN SOM and related meetings in the Philippines. During these meetings, participants also prepared the agenda and documents of the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting slated for August in the Philippines. At the SOM ASEAN+3, the countries affirmed the role play by ASEAN+3 as well as the mechanism’s contributions to regional cooperation over the past two decades. They agreed to organise a high-level meeting of ASEAN+3 in November. They called on the countries to actively contribute to … [Read more...]

Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Bangladeshi Minister of Food Advocate Md Quamrul Islam have signed a document extending the two countries’ memorandum of understanding (MoU) on rice trade that will allow Vietnam to sell up to 1 million tonnes of rice to Bangladesh each year. The MoU, inked on May 23 in Hanoi during the Bangladeshi official’s visit, will last five years to 2022. The provision of rice will depend on Bangladesh’s yearly demand. It took Vietnam and Bangladesh only two weeks to discuss and reach the deal. Right after sealing the deal, the Bangladeshi side wanted to buy 250,000-300,000 tonnes of 5-percent broken rice immediately and a total of 500,000 tonnes by the end of 2017. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Anh spoke highly of Minister Quamrul Islam’s visit, expressing his hope that it will help connect businesses and strengthen bilateral partnership and friendship between the two countries. The MoU … [Read more...]

Hoi An (VNA) - More than 1,000 artists from 10 countries and territories will compete in the 5th Vietnam International Choir Competition in the ancient city of Hoi An from June 7-11. Interkultur, the world’s leading organiser of international choir competitions and festival, picked Hoi An for the fifth time as the favourite location to host the 30-choir event. Since the success of the first event in 2011, the competition has become an inherent part of international choir tours. The city’s culture and arts centre said the competition has been a positive promotion for culture and tourism, highlighting Hoi An as a peaceful rendezvous for choirs. It’s also an opportunity for Vietnamese artists to exchange performance experience with international choirs at the UNESCO-recognised world heritage site. The Hanoi Catholic Youth Choir, found in 2015, will represent Vietnam at the competition. The team will focus on sacred music that it usually performs in masses. The singers, … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG - More than 237 herds of red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus), comprising over 1,300 individuals, were reported living in the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve in Đà Nẵng. The city's Union of Science and Engineering Associations, in co-operation with the Biodiversity Conservation Centre of GreenViet, an NGO in Đà Nẵng, made the announcement at a scientific conference on langur research at the reserve yesterday. According to biologists from the Union and GreenViet, the research took a year to complete and was based on daily field trips to the 4,300ha reserve, 10km from the city centre. Head of the research team, Bùi Văn Tuấn, said the findings had shed light on the existence of the endangered langurs and current protection provided by the reserve. "We once again confirmed that the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve is unique in Việt Nam - a home to the largest population of red-shanked douc langurs," Tuấn said at the conference. "There were two research reports issued on … [Read more...]

An Indonesian sea patrol intercepted the Vietnamese fishing boats with 55 crew on Sunday after they crossed into Indonesian waters. Indonesia and Vietnam will launch a joint investigation into a sea incident at the weekend, officials said, after reports that Vietnamese coast guards had tried to forcibly free five fishing boats and their crew detained in waters near the Natuna Islands. An Indonesian sea patrol intercepted the Vietnamese fishing boats with 55 crew on Sunday after they crossed into Indonesian waters, said Rifky Effendi Hardijanto, secretary general of Indonesia's Fisheries Ministry. Media said a Vietnamese coast guard vessel had rammed and sunk one of the boats being escorted to an Indonesian base further south on the island of Batam. "Whether it was rammed or not, we have agreed to investigate," Hardijanto told a news conference, adding, "We have agreed to settle this incident through diplomatic means." Hardijanto denied reports that an Indonesian officer on board … [Read more...]

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputies to the 14th National Assembly have agreed that the Government should continue creating favourable conditions for investors and boosting production, especially in industry and services, to achieve the tough set GDP growth target of 6.7 percent for 2017. Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing NA third session on May 23, deputy Do Manh Hung from Thai Nguyen province pointed out that economic growth has slowed down, while several problems like investment efficiency and bad debt remained unsolved. So, the GDP target can only be achieved when the whole political system, especially the business community, makes concerted effort, he noted. He suggested that the Government should promptly tackle any arising problems facing investors as a way to deliver its pledge of creating a favourable investment environment. Meanwhile, Do Van Sinh, who represents Quang Tri province, said the Government should pay greater attention to boosting services and industry and tackling … [Read more...]

It's an upgrade in the relationship between two companies. Nokia and Apple said Tuesday they were burying the hatchet in a bitter patent dispute with a cooperation agreement and an undisclosed cash payment by the U.S. tech giant to the Finnish group. By settling their ongoing intellectual property dispute, the two companies would "move the relationship... from being adversaries in court to business partners," Nokia's chief legal officer Maria Varsellona said. Following years of clashes, Nokia and Apple originally signed a licensing agreement in 2011. But last December, the Finnish group, once the world's top mobile phone maker, complained that Apple was using Nokia technology in many products without paying for it. And it filed lawsuits in Germany and in the United States. Concretely, the dispute concerned 32 patents for innovations related to displays, user interface, software, antennae, chipsets and video coding. The deal reached on Tuesday would put the two companies' … [Read more...]

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia sent 40 Vietnamese fishermen back to Vietnam from Soekarno Hatta international airport in Jakarta on May 23. It has completed repatriation procedures for a total of 100 Vietnamese fishermen it captured for illegally fishing in its waters. The rest of the fishermen will return home in the next few days during the fifth handover in 2017. More than 340 Vietnamese fishermen have been repatriated, including those who were arrested in 2016, so far this year. Since the beginning of this year, Indonesia has held over 700 Vietnamese fishermen, 300 of whom are still being detained in the country’s islands. Some fishermen said that they were captured in an overlapping sea area which is yet to be delineated by Vietnam and Indonesia. - VNA … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HCM CITY - Their huge workload, limited teaching hours and large numbers of students in classes prevent teachers from improving their classroom-based assessment practices, considered vital to improving English teaching, an expert has said. Dr Vũ Thị Phương Anh, dean of Bình Dương University's foreign languages faculty, said efforts to reform the quality of English teaching in the country have thus been in vain. She was speaking at Việt Nam's first Language Assessment Symposium held today at the Southeast Asian Ministers Of Education Organization Regional Training Center (SEAMEO RETRAC) in HCM City. Classroom-based assessment refers to teachers' informal day-to-day interactions with students and interim formal tests to assess students' progress. "Everywhere, the main focus of class-based assessment is on vocabulary, grammar and reading," Anh said, explaining that some other key skills like listening and writing are added only at university-level final exams. Yet … [Read more...]

Accepting a request made last week by Tuoi Tre News, Neahga Leonard, project director of the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project in Hai Phong has shared his thoughts on how local wildlife habitat could be impacted by the Cat Ba ecotourism resort and entertainment complex in the namesake archipelago. Accepting a request made last week by Tuoi Tre News, Neahga Leonard, project director of the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project in Hai Phong has shared his thoughts on how local wildlife habitat could be impacted by the Cat Ba ecotourism resort and entertainment complex in the namesake archipelago. Aside from its transportation system, the project will also include three golf courses, an amusement park, and several components to leverage the tourism potential of local areas such as Qua Vang Cave, Lan Ha Bay, Viet Hai Village, and Cat Ong Island. In that context, local conservationists are concerned that the Cat Ba langur species, the most endangered species in Vietnam, will face multiple … [Read more...]

MoLISA proposed raising the retirement age by the maximum of five years. RELATED CONTENTS: At the meeting on May 19, 2017 between the prime minister (PM)'s working group and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Mai Tien Dung, chairman of the Government Office, said that the PM required MoLISA to explain several controversies in its proposal to raise the retirement age. Previously, according to MoLISA's proposal, the government should submit to the National Assembly (NA) the amendments to the Labour Code, including a proposal to raise the retirement age. The retirement age in Vietnam is currently 60 for men and 55 for women. The ministry proposed to raise these to 62 for men and 58 or 60 for women. In 2016, when explaining the proposal of raising the retirement age, Deputy Minister of MoLISA Pham Huu Huan said that Vietnam is in a period between its "golden population" and the aging one. The progress of the population growing older on average may be a … [Read more...]