Breaking bad dipping sticks

David Saiia, co-founder and CEO of Reuse Everything Institute, suggests reusing plastic rather than recycling it Editor’s note: David Saiia, co-founder and CEO of Reuse Everything Institute, Inc. (REII), an NGO dedicated to developing and promoting better resource use including the reuse of plastic waste, discussed Vietnam’s plastic problem in an email interview with Tuoi Tre News. Saiia, who holds a Ph.D. in strategic management, is currently a visiting professor in the faculty of international education of Duy Tan University in the central city of Da Nang, where he has lived for three years. From the point of view of an environmentalist, could you share with us why plastic is bad for the environment? Plastic is a persistent waste product that takes a very long time to biodegrade. Plastic presents an immediate threat to marine life when it is mistaken for food and eaten, causing death by choking and digestive obstruction. Plastic continues to break down into … [Read more...] about ​Vietnam should make plastic material too valuable to throw out: expert

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has instructed local banks to better control risks in corporate bond investment, especially bonds of real estate firms. According to the SBV, after reviewing the business performance of banks in the first half of this year, it saw the corporate bond investment of some banks facing risks as the ratio of such investment was high and is continuing to rise. Notably, the amount of bond investment in construction and real estate firms at some banks accounted for a large proportion of the banks’ total assets while the real estate market has not yet recovered firmly and the business performance of realty firms still faces many difficulties. In addition, some banks also invested in bonds with other purposes, such as to restructure debts of issuers, which have high risks. In order to ensure the safety of the banking system and limit risks in corporate bond investment, under the direction, SBV required banks to review their internal regulations related to … [Read more...] about VN banks warned about risks of real estate corporate bonds

Vietnam's emerging startup scene is proving to be a case of right place, right time for local and international venture capital funds. Eleven “rising star” startups in Southeast Asia in September converged at the “500 Startups Demo Day” in Ho Chi Minh City to spotlight the dynamic technology landscape in Vietnam and broader Southeast Asia. “There’s more hype about Vietnam’s tech scene now than ever before, as this is an exciting time for Vietnam overall,” said Mr. Eddie Thai, General Partner at 500 Startups Vietnam. “Vietnam is fast becoming an attractive destination for local and international venture capital funds, who are hoping to capture the growing consumer opportunities and leverage the Vietnamese entrepreneurial spirit.” Rising appetite Vietnam’s startup sector is growing at a rapid clip despite the global economic slump and is closing the gap with regional leaders. In only two years, it has made a big leap … [Read more...] about Startups catching the eye

  By Robert Bicknell OK, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat… I have been diagnosed with cancer. I also have to say, right from the top, that I am quite humbled by the number of people who have reached out and stepped up to help me, especially in the golf community. I am quite touched by your efforts and concern. Words cannot convey the depth of my gratitude and appreciation, and for once, I am speechless. In a nutshell, what I thought was a sore back brought on by a change in my golf swing, turned out to be a whole lot more than I, or many doctors thought and, believe me, there were a few who really blew it. It was the docs at Columbia Asia who figured it out and got my ass over to FV Cancer Hospital for the full diagnosis. To them, I owe a lot. I’ve got secondary malignant cancerous tumors on my spine, and we’re still looking for the primary source, but they suspect it’s the prostate. We will see. At this time I am getting radiation … [Read more...] about Don’t putt it off, get yourself checked

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has published 32 textbooks for eight subjects and experience activities, but these do not include textbooks for English. According to Tien Phong, at the workshop titled ‘Vietnam Education Publishing House and the task of renovating general education program and textbooks’, in the North, the publisher introduced four sets of sample textbooks which have been approved by the Appraisal Council. Article 5 of Circular No 33 on standards, process of compiling and editing textbooks, says that textbooks must properly and fully present the content of learning subject curricula or educational activities; and they must be basic, scientific, practical and consistent with the reality of Vietnam. Therefore, there must be specific regulations and standards on using foreign textbooks for Vietnam’s schools. If using foreign books, publishing houses only cooperate with foreign publishers to make a profit. Meanwhile, the textbook … [Read more...] about English textbooks not yet approved by Education Ministry, why?