Australia pledged half a billion dollars to restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef Sunday in what it said would be a game-changer for the embattled natural wonder. Scientists have said the reef suffered a 'catastrophic die-off' of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016 AFP/GREG TORDA The World Heritage-listed site, which attracts millions of tourists, is reeling from significant bouts of coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The reef is also under threat from the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which has proliferated due to pollution and agricultural runoff. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more than A$500 million ($400 million) will go towards improving water quality, tackling predators, and expanding restoration efforts. Turnbull said it was the "largest ever single investment - to protect the reef, secure its viability and the 64,000 jobs that rely on the reef". "We want to ensure the reef's future for the benefit of … [Read more...] about Australia pledges $400 million to restore Great Barrier Reef
Game changer weed
Australia pledges US$400 million to restore Great Barrier Reef
Australia pledged half a billion dollars to restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef Sunday in what it said would be a game-changer for the embattled natural wonder. Scientists have said the reef suffered a 'catastrophic die-off' of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016 AFP/GREG TORDA The World Heritage-listed site, which attracts millions of tourists, is reeling from significant bouts of coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The reef is also under threat from the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which has proliferated due to pollution and agricultural runoff. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more than A$500 million (US$400 million) will go towards improving water quality, tackling predators, and expanding restoration efforts. Turnbull said it was the "largest ever single investment - to protect the reef, secure its viability and the 64,000 jobs that rely on the reef". "We want to ensure the reef's future for the benefit of … [Read more...] about Australia pledges US$400 million to restore Great Barrier Reef
Vietnamobile – the little giant of Vietnam’s mobile telecom market
Vietnamobile, the country’s fourth-largest mobile operator, is making a stunning comeback after spending two years flying under the radar by launching a new product that offers free, unlimited data to subscribers. The company’s ultimate vision, its general director Elizabete Fong says, is to give customers “Unbelievable Freedom” in enjoying their mobile and digital lifestyle. “Groundbreaking,” “disruptive” and “unbelievable” was among the Hong Kong-born excutives favorite adjectives while discussing Vietnamobile’s new ‘Thanh SIM’ during an exclusive interview with Tuoi Tre News on Tuesday. A data-centric world “Since the start of 3G, the whole market has evolved to become more data-centric,” she said, stressing that data is becoming a game-changer for Vietnam’s “very young” telecom market. “Over 50% [of the population] is below 35 years old and we’ve … [Read more...] about Vietnamobile – the little giant of Vietnam’s mobile telecom market
Forbes Viet Nam announces 30 Under 30 list
Forbes Viet Nam magazine announced the “30 Under 30” list earlier this week. — Photo forbesvietnam.com.vn Forbes Viet Nam magazine announced the “30 Under 30” list earlier this week, featuring some of the brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators and game changers in the country. This is the third time Forbes Viet Nam has announced the list to honour young people who have made a positive contribution to different fields. Besides young entrepreneurs and start-up founders who have had noticeable success, this year’s list also features individuals with outstanding achievements in the fields of arts, entertainment, sport, policy and education as well as social activists, such as Son Tung M-TP (24, singer), Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (25, soccer player) and Le Nguyen Thien Huong (30, founder of #SaveSonDoong). Scientific researchers also feature in the list for creating breakthroughs in the Industrial Revolution 4.0, such as artificial intelligence and … [Read more...] about Forbes Viet Nam announces 30 Under 30 list
10 Hanoi food shops that don’t need a name to be famous
In Hanoi, a mobile kitchen, some plastic tables, stools and a few waiters sprinting around are sometimes all it needs to make a street food stall soar. No name, no sign and no advertising, hundreds of street food stalls in Hanoi are still getting by based solely on word of mouth – a practice that could date back a hundred years ago when peddling was the main way of selling street food. But being anonymous doesn’t mean there's no guarantee of a delicious meal. Some of the unnamed shops boast exceptional quality, if not the best of their kind. If you are wandering around Hanoi and hungry for a true local experience, here are 10 famous ‘no-names’ to turn to. 1. Beef pho (pho bo) | 34 Au Trieu Street Netizens call this pho bo stall ‘Tư Lùn’ (short Tư), but the middle-aged owner insists on leaving his shop nameless. The rusty signage has been scraped off and is now a blank canvas, but from 6 to 10 in the morning, regulars cram in to … [Read more...] about 10 Hanoi food shops that don’t need a name to be famous
German retail sector experiences record growth in 2017
According to the Wiesbaden-based government statisticians, nominal revenue grew by between 4.5 percent and 4.9 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year."This marks the biggest gain since the beginning of measurements in 1994", a statement by the Federal Statistical Office read. Germany last witnessed a reduction in retail revenue in 2009 at the height of the global financial and economic crisis.Price-adjusted real revenue grew by between 2.7 percent and 3.1 percent in 2017. The estimates were based on data gathered in the period from January until November. In November, the last month assessed by the Federal Statistical Office, the pace of revenue growth quickened again to 4.4 percent on a real price-adjusted basis and 6.2 percent on a nominal basis compared to October.Michael Holstein, economist at DZ bank, pointed to the "positive development of the labor market with a strong increase in employment" and a resulting "greater spending power" as having contributed to a bumper year … [Read more...] about German retail sector experiences record growth in 2017
Seeking Solutions to Foster Connectivity to Global Value Chains
While significant progress has been made in improving logistics infrastructure and services, there is still ample room for further improvement. Vietnam’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index dropped from 48 in 2014 to 64 in 2016. Mr Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director in Vietnam, said effective and efficient logistics and connectivity are key to Vietnam’s regional and global competitiveness. Logistics performance is particularly important for an economy like Vietnam that is highly dependent on participation in global value chains and exports. This will translate into productivity gain which Vietnam needs to achieve its ambitious development objectives. The country’s consistent policy of openness and export-led growth has paid off. The economic reforms undertaken since the 1990s helped spur growth and reduced poverty. Over the past 20 years, Vietnam has signed more FTAs than any other country in the region, making it one of the most integrated … [Read more...] about Seeking Solutions to Foster Connectivity to Global Value Chains
Games keep Facebook users on edge
People no longer come home, turn on the TV, and flip channels to see what is on: Instead, they sit in front of a computer, go to Facebook, and morph into farmers or restaurateurs, co-opting their friends as farm hands and waiters."Facebook is using up all my time," says Hoa Quynh, a Vietnamese official based in Japan whose online moniker is Queenie."Even before checking my email, I go to Facebook just to see if there is anything new on my homepage and to see which of my friends are online. Next, a few minutes are spent commenting on friends’ posts, or taking fun quizzes."Then, I go to my game."In some games, money arrives every hour, and gamers have to get it to the bank before someone steals it.In others, gamers have to buy items to advance their play but only have an opportunity to earn money every six hours.So, Queenie gets up early and sits up late to look after her farm, grow crops, prevent her crops from being stolen, and steal friends’ crops if possible or add … [Read more...] about Games keep Facebook users on edge
FPT Software and Airbus link up in aviation technology
FPT Software and Airbus signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on looking into opportunities to develop aviation technology related to Airbus’s Skywise, a new aviation data platform, on Thursday. According to the LoI, FPT Software will look to create a pool of up to 500 developers and train them how to utilise Skywise in developing solutions to improve the aviation industry’s efficiency. The training courses about Skywise will then be expanded for Airbus’s customers and Skywise users. Furthermore, FPT Software is aiming to be a strategic partner of Airbus in consulting, developing applications and acting as a technical support and helpdesk division regarding services and applications related to Skywise. The co-operation between FPT Software and Airbus will also include topics such as provision of Application Programming Interface (API) for third parties to develop applications on Skywise, the migration of applications onto Skywise and the maintenance of Skywise applications. … [Read more...] about FPT Software and Airbus link up in aviation technology
Make digital world safer for kids: UNICEF
Speaking at a ceremony held in Hà Nội to release the United Nations Children’s Fund’s annual flagship report, Deputy Minister of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Hồng Lan also said that adults should provide children the skills to join the internet system safely and to protect their personal information.“Keeping children safe should be the central issue in setting policies related to digital technology,” she said.The “State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a digital world” presents UNICEF’s first comprehensive look at the different ways in which digital technology affects children’s lives, identifying dangers as well as opportunities. It argues that governments and the private sector have not kept up with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harm and leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children behind. Despite children’s massive … [Read more...] about Make digital world safer for kids: UNICEF