Prompted by floods triggered by heavy rains for days, the Phu Quoc International Airport was closed temporarily from 9 a.m. on Friday. The airport, which connects Vietnam's largest island with major cities Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and several Asian destinations, saw its runway submerged by 0.3 meters on Friday. "The airport could not receive arriving flights. The weather conditions did not ensure safety so we had to suspend all flight services," said Nguyen Minh Dong, director of the airport. Dong said right after the airport resumed operation at 8:30 p.m., five flights took off, carrying around 1,000 passengers out of the island off Kien Giang Province. However, a number of flights scheduled for Friday evening and night were canceled, leaving 1,560 passengers stuck on the island. Vietjet Air suspended two flights on Friday evening to Hanoi and two others to HCMC. Vietnam Airlines and Vasco canceled all flights to and from the island on Friday while Jetstar Pacific called off four … [Read more...] about Over 1,500 stuck on flooded Phu Quoc island as airlines cancel service
Phu quoc weather when to go
Google trends show Vietnamese big on weather, Asian pop culture
Vietnam was hit by some extreme weather conditions this year. With mercury levels soaring to record highs, the country experienced a summer that could be described the hottest in its history. Average temperatures eclipsed those of previous years by 0.5-1 degrees Celsius, hitting an average 39-42 degrees in many parts. Huong Khe District in central Ha Tinh Province reported a record 43.4 degree Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature ever measured locally. Air quality in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi soared from bad to worse this year with pollution indexes in both cities nearing "dangerous levels" to create widespread health concerns. HCMC was hit by record high tides late September while historic flooding struck in unusual spots like Phu Quoc and Da Lat. Topping the most-searched news list this year was typhoon Nakri, forecast to be the strongest East Sea storm of the year with wind speeds of 115 kph. The storm made landfall in central Vietnam between Phu Yen and … [Read more...] about Google trends show Vietnamese big on weather, Asian pop culture
Weather dominates Vietnam’s 2019 Google search trends
Weather and entertainment led the pack in Google's ‘Year in Search’ report, an annual ranking of the top search trends in various countries over the past 12 months. Vietnam’s search history was divided between nine categories for the report – trends, news, individuals, songs, movies, nearby locations, TV shows, questions, and domestic destinations. “ASEAN Cup 2019” (sic), took the number-two spot on the list – an apparent show of support from football fans who eagerly sought livestreams and information related to Vietnam’s performance at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, where the Golden Dragons made it to the quarterfinals before their elimination in a 0-1 defeat against Japan. While weather and sports led the pack, five of the top ten most-searched phrases in Vietnam were related to music and television, particularly locally produced songs and international films and dramas. ‘Storm Nakri,’ the sixth tropical storm to hit … [Read more...] about Weather dominates Vietnam’s 2019 Google search trends
Infectious diseases spread as cold weather hits Vietnam
An increase in cold-related illnesses such as high fever, diarrhea, and flu amongst children have been recorded in big hospitals in Hanoi including Bach Mai, National Children Hospital, Thanh Nhan, Saint Paul. Deputy Director of the National Children Hospital Tran Minh Dien said that more than 30 kids catching flu are being treated in the hospital. Most of them have suffered complications of pneumonia. Worse, ten measles children have not been vaccinated and some whooping cough children are under three months old in the hospital. Saint Paul Hospital admitted more than 300 children a day, a surge of 10 percent compared to November while the Lung Hospital receives 300 adult inpatients daily, an increase of 1.5 times compared to previous month. Worryingly, 250,000 dengue fever cases have been recorded in 12 months, a 300 percent increase compared to last year. Nearly 85,000 people have been infected with hand-foot-mouth and 8,200 cases of measles. Scattered cases of diphtheria, … [Read more...] about Infectious diseases spread as cold weather hits Vietnam
Leaders question whopping $44 bil price tag for new special economic zones in Vietnam
Vietnam needs to raise a massive $44 billion to develop three special economic zones (SEZs), authorities said at a meeting on Monday. Members of the legislative National Assembly were discussing once again whether to launch the SEZs, Van Don in northern Quang Ninh province, Bac Van Phong in central Khanh Hoa province, and Phu Quoc in southern Kien Giang province. The Ministry of Finance has calculated that $44 billion will be needed to develop the zones, with the state budget covering from 10 to 19 percent of each one and the rest coming from investors. The total figure amounts to 65 percent of Vietnam’s total government spending last year, which hit $67 billion, and is more than four times as much as the country spends on education each year. The sheer size of the figure was questioned by leaders of the National Assembly at the meeting. “What benefits will these areas bring to our country?” asked Phung Quoc Hien, the National Assembly's vice chairman. The … [Read more...] about Leaders question whopping $44 bil price tag for new special economic zones in Vietnam