A 29-year-old woman in Saigon has earned a reputation across the city for outfitting motorcycles with one-of-a-kind leather upgrades. Tran Thuy is living her best life, working for herself and making a living off her two passions: leather and motorcycles. “Working for someone, no matter how highly that person thinks of you, means you have to live up to their expectations,” she said. “I prefer the freedom to make things I love instead of the confinement of an office space and predictable salary.” Command and conquer “I developed a passion for leather when I was in college,” Thuy said. “I used the Internet to learn more about it and found it to be quite interesting. At that time, leather craft in Vietnam was nowhere near as common as it is now.” Thuy’s passion for leather led to several job offers. According to Thuy, working for others had several upsides, including learning about management, but overall, the four years she spent as an employee, rather than an …
A very special year for the Swiss-Vietnamese partnership
Ivo Sieber* Commemorating a national day is an exceptional event for any country. On August 1, Swiss nationals in Switzerland and all over the world proudly remember the founding of their country in 1291. Observing this year’s Swiss national day here in Việt Nam is singularly special. Not only is Switzerland reminiscing the 730th centenary of its foundation. This year, Việt Nam and Switzerland are also looking back on half a century of bilateral diplomatic relations. Moreover, 2021 also marks three decades of Swiss-Vietnamese development cooperation. The coincidence of two significant jubilees in our countries’ relations extends well beyond symbolism. Switzerland was one of the very first Western countries to establish bilateral ties with Việt Nam on 11 October 1971. But Swiss-Vietnamese relations already started in the 19th century, thanks to adventurous Swiss trading companies coming to Việt Nam. Later, Swiss born bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin followed: he spent …
Continue Reading about A very special year for the Swiss-Vietnamese partnership →
Vietnam’s Giang Brothers blindly climb their way to second Guinness World Record, literally
The Giang Brothers, known for their daredevil gymnastics routines which earned them a spot amongst the finalists of Britain's Got Talent 2018, announced Wednesday they had set a new Guinness World Record for “climbing and descending ten stairs backwards while being blindfolded and balancing head to head.” “Guinness World Records has recognized that Giang Quoc Co and Giang Quoc Nghiep set a new world record,” the pair posted on their verified Facebook page on Wednesday. Co, 34, and his 28-year-old brother Nghiep were given one minute to perform their stunt but were able to complete the task in just 53.97 seconds. Their performance was filmed for an Italian TV show which featured nearly 30 other record attempts by performers from all over the world. The Giang Brothers performing in Italy on November 15, 2018. The Brothers’ Facebook post also expressed their relief to finally have their new record officially confirmed by Guinness World Records after 20 days of waiting. …
Online theater bringing art closer to audience
In the complicated context of the Covid-19 pandemic, online theaters or live broadcast plays are the solution for performing arts to reach the audience. Artists and local culture managers are trying to keep audiences entertained during strict social distancing in Vietnam, however, there are still many barriers for the 'Online Theater' project to develop successfully. Two shows, a tuong play (a form of Vietnamese classical opera) and a performance of the Viet Bac Folk Music and Dance Theater have recently been broadcast live on the VTV1 channel, bringing a way of entertainment for the audience in the lockdown at home. The Tuong show entitled 'the Loyal Mandarin' was broadcasted live on TV from Hanoi Opera House on July 27. Photo: Vietnam National Tuong Theatre The Tuong show, called Trung than (the Loyal Mandarin) was about the career of mandarin Le Van Duyet (1763-1832) who served Kings Gia Long and Minh Mang. The show won the silver medal at the …
Continue Reading about Online theater bringing art closer to audience →
Vietnamese footballer to auction SEA Games gold medal for Covid-19 relief
"During quarantine, I was keeping up to date on the Covid-19 situation in the country. When I saw the new cases increasing every day, it made me feel worried. "I want to give away the medal to raise funds. Hopefully, it will radiate the same spirit as during our win at SEA Games 2019," Hoang said. As a U22 player in 2009, Hoang competed in his first SEA Games when he was 20. The team went all the way to the final but lost to Malaysia. Ten years later, Hoang was selected for SEA Games again as one of the two additional players above 23 years old added to the U22 team. And this time, Hoang finally claimed the gold medal he has been seeking all along. "When I received the medal, the feeling was really hard to describe. I was very lucky. I thought I wouldn’t be able to play in SEA Games again," Hoang said. The medal will be up for auction online until Aug. 8. "For me, the real value in life lies in the good things that I can give, not the things I receive. Therefore, I’m always …
Continue Reading about Vietnamese footballer to auction SEA Games gold medal for Covid-19 relief →
Ride-hailers assist drivers with policies
Ride-hailing drivers are seeing an increase in delivery orders, but much fewer people needing actual rides. Photo: Le Toan Since the metropolis suspended takeaway and ride-hailing services from July 9, many apps temporarily shut down ride-hailing and food delivery services for 15 days in line with Directive No.16/CT-TTg on the urgent solutions to prevention and fight against COVID -19. Ride-hailing drivers are among 27,000 informal workers to get financial assistance from the city, with municipal authorities launching a second support package for people affected by the pandemic under Resolution No.09/2021/NQ-HDND. It has been more than two weeks since the enforcement of the regulation and food delivery driver Le Van Duong has seen his main income wash away. He does not know how to manage living expenses but has received a small allowance from the ride-hailing firm to pay bills and buy food. He hopes that the upcoming assistance from the city will help him to overcome the …
Continue Reading about Ride-hailers assist drivers with policies →
Vietnam chairs meeting of Group of Friends on 1982 UNCLOS
On July 21 (New York time), the Vietnamese mission to the United Nations (UN) hosted an online meeting of the Group of Friends on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). At the online meeting of UNCLOS Friends Group. The theme of this meeting highlights the importance of the UNCLOS in carrying out UN Sustainable Development Goal No 14 on the conservation and sustainable use of seas and oceans (SDG 14). The event featured the participation of ambassadors, delegation heads and representatives of more than 120 UN member states. Upon addressing the event, Malcolm Evans, British Professor of Public International Law at Bristol University said that UNCLOS, the "Charter of the Oceans", is the framework that governs all activities at seas and oceans, ensuring a balance between the need to exploit resources from the sea, and the freedom and the governance of the sea that serves common interests. Dispute settlement mechanism established under the …
Continue Reading about Vietnam chairs meeting of Group of Friends on 1982 UNCLOS →
One million doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrive in HCM City, health ministry urges faster vaccination
A vial of COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell from Sinopharm. — XINHUA/VNA Photo HÀ NỘI — One million doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell arrived in HCM City on Saturday, as part of a deal to acquire five million doses, the health ministry has announced. Early in July, the health ministry gave permission for the State-owned Saigon Pharmaceutical Group (Sapharco) in HCM City to import the doses. They were partially paid for using money donated to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund by Vạn Thịnh Phát Holdings Group. This was authorised by HCM City People's Committee, according to local media reports. Vạn Thịnh Phát is a private company with a diverse portfolio headquartered in HCM City's District 1. Its founder, and chairman of the board, Trương Mỹ Lan, is a Vietnamese of Chinese origin. With this latest batch of vaccines, HCM City’s total number of doses received has hit three million. This is the biggest share of the country's available stockpile of 16 million doses and …
Sacombank makes $73.4m profits from selling treasury stocks
Nguyễn Đức Thạch Diễm, a member of the board of directors and CEO of Sacombank. — Photo courtesy of the bank HCM CITY — Sacombank sold out all 81.56 million treasury shares (equivalent to 4.33 per cent of its charter capital) on the stock market on July 27 for more than VNĐ2.438 trillion (US$106.2 million), earning a profit of VNĐ1.684 trillion ($73.4 million). It was one more important mandatory task in its restructuring approved by the State Bank of Vietnam after the merger. Nguyễn Đức Thạch Diễm, a member of the board of directors and CEO of the bank, said, “After handling Sacombank's treasury shares, we have completed one of the objectives of the restructuring project, contributing to increasing liquidity, increasing the efficiency of capital use as well as improving the capital adequacy ratio for the bank.” Sacombank is making unrelenting efforts to soon accomplish the restructing project’s objectives to regain its position in the market and get approval to pay dividends …
Continue Reading about Sacombank makes $73.4m profits from selling treasury stocks →
Ministry of Health to set up intensive care unit for COVID patients in Bình Dương
A 1,500-bed field hospital has been set up in Bình Dương Province for COVID-19 patients in Bình Dương New City. Photo sggp.org.vn HCM CITY – Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long has discussed with leaders of Bình Dương the establishment of an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients in one of the southern province's hospitals. The ICU Centre with 200 ventilators will play a important role in reduce the rate of severe and death of the COVID-19 cases. The ministry has suggested that the ICU should be set up at the province general hospital in Thủ Dầu Một City, and be connected with its professional council and with field hospitals and lower-level hospitals. Long said that the ICU would be managed by Associate Professor Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of the Hà Nội Medical University Hospital. He also said his ministry would dispatch more healthcare personnel to support the province with vaccination so that the campaign is effective. Chairman of the province People's Committee, Võ …