Celebrating 25 years

Pelosi's dramatic trip to Taipei, defying stark threats by China, overshadowed a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, which had been expected to focus on the bloody crisis engulfing Myanmar. ASEAN spokesman Kung Phoak, Cambodia's deputy foreign minister, said ministers at the closed-door talks - meeting face to face for the first time since the pandemic - had expressed concern over "growing tension in the Taiwan Strait." "We hope that all sides will try their best to deescalate the tension there, avoid actions that may contribute to the escalation of tension and engage in dialogue," Kung Phoak told reporters. Malaysia and Thailand echoed the calls for calm, with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah urging all sides to tread "very carefully." Thai foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the kingdom called for "utmost restraint" and warned against "any actions that would aggravate tensions." Attention will now … [Read more...] about ASEAN ministers urge restraint after Pelosi Taiwan visit

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said 118 flights operated by Vietnamese carriers will be affected by the Chinese live-fire drills, with 36 operated by Vietnam Airlines and the rest by Vietjet Air. With flights from Vietnam to South Korea and Japan, a Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said aircraft would have to fly into China's inland area to avoid Taiwanese airspace, adding 10-15 minutes to flying time. With flights to the U.S. the carrier was forced to change its route by flying over the Philippines, with the detour adding 35 minutes. Flights between Vietnam and Taiwan remain operational. A representative of Vietjet Air said the carrier has changed its routes for a series of flights connecting with Japan and South Korea. In addition to adjusting flight routes, some flights may be delayed, with detours increasing fuel costs. China on Thursday launched unprecedented live-fire military drills in six areas around Taiwan, a day after a visit by U.S. House of … [Read more...] about Over 100 Vietnamese flights to Northeast Asia, US affected amid China military drills

TAIPEI -- China fired multiple missiles around Taiwan on Thursday as it launched unprecedented military drills a day after a visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island that Beijing regards as its sovereign territory. Soon after the scheduled start at 0400 GMT, China's state broadcaster CCTV said the drills had begun and would end at 0400 GMT on Sunday. It said the exercises, the largest ever by China in the Taiwan Strait, would include live firing on the waters and in the airspace surrounding Taiwan. China's Eastern Theatre Command said it had completed multiple firings of conventional missiles on waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan as part of the planned exercises. The last time China fired missiles into waters around Taiwan was in 1996. Map showing the six locations where China will conduct military drills. Taiwan's defence ministry said several Dongfeng missiles had been fired in waters to the northeast and southwest of the island. Two … [Read more...] about China fires missiles in largest ever drills in waters off Taiwan

Besides disseminating about the humble life of Angolans, the Vietnamese man has blown a fresh breeze to the all-year-round hot and dry land. Pham Quang Linh, a 25-year-old lad from Vietnam, is an Asian YouTuber with a large subscriber count thanks to tenaciously uploading videos from Angola about the life of the locals and the work that he and his friends have been doing in this country. Born in Vietnam’s central province of Nghe An, Linh has starred in a beautiful story in Africa. After graduating from high school, Linh left Vietnam for Angola to find a new life as a construction worker in 2016. Linh has created a beautiful story in Africa. Photo: African team “When given the choice between Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Angola, I opted for Angola. Bringing Vietnamese culture to Africa has always been my aspiration. I am very happy that the Angolan people know more about the Vietnamese culture and I want to spread it more widely in Africa,” Linh … [Read more...] about A Vietnamese warm heart for Angola and Africa: better to give unasked

Hanoi said Vietnam adheres firmly to the “One-China Principle.” Vietnam maintains a “One-China Principle” and urges all parties to refrain from raising the level of tension in the Taiwan Strait, according to the foreign ministry’s statement on Wednesday. Le Thi Thu Hang, Spokeswoman for Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Baoquocte “Vietnam wishes for all relevant parties to exercise restraint, not to exacerbate tensions in the Taiwan Strait, contributing to maintaining peace and stability, and strengthening cooperation and development in the region and the world,” said Le Thi Thu Hang, Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). She asserted that Vietnam steadfastly upholds the “One-China Principle.” Hang made the statement following the visit paid to Taiwan by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Tensions around the Taiwan Strait were heightened … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for restraint on Taiwan Strait

"Quang Hai will gradually get better. He came all the way from Vietnam and his family is not here. He also cannot speak French or English, so everything was quite challenging. But Hai is a warrior. He has good skills with agility so I think he will quickly find an important position in the squad," Laporte-Fray told French newspaper La Republique des Pyrenees on Thursday. Hai’s debut in France’s second division Ligue 2 was not complete as Pau FC lost 0-4 to Guingamp. Hai played the last 30 minutes of the game and although he couldn’t make a difference, he was still the second highest-rated player of Pau FC in that game, with 13 touches, a pass accuracy of 100 percent and two chances from set pieces. Hai signed a two-year contract with Pau FC on June 30, becoming the first Vietnamese player to play in a professional football league in France. Pau FC have been supportive of the 25-year-old midfielder to adapt to a new environment. Currently, he is being assisted by a French … [Read more...] about French club president compliments Vietnam star midfielder after league debut

Photographer Lam Duc Hien of World Press Photo Contest fame sat down with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper during his time at the 2022 Hue Festival to reflect on the portraits that made his name, the life-or-death experiences, and the state of modern photojournalism after spending three decades in the ever-changing industry. How did you get your start in photography? At the beginning, I did not even plan to do photography professionally. It started when I joined a non-governmental organization (NGO) because I want to help people. I went to Romania with them in 1990 and they asked me to take pictures. [In 1990, the country was experiencing perpetual social unrest and political battles following the Romanian Revolution in December 1989]. The pictures were used in campaigns to raise money for Romanian children, and after that, the NGO said they got a lot of donations. It made me understand the power of a picture - a good one can help mobilize a lot of money. They [the NGO] then … [Read more...] about Invisible for portraiture: An encounter with French-Vietnamese photographer Lam Duc Hien

After a solid performance in the opening match of the French second division league against Guingamp FC, coach Didier Tholot picked Hai instead of Eddy Sylvestre to play as the main midfielder. Hai had joined the previous game as a substitute in the 60th minute when his club was trailing hosts Guingamp FC 0-4. He created two chances from set-pieces - one a low corner on the right wing in the 77th minute for midfielder Jean Ruiz and the second in the 81st minute when he passed the ball from a free kick for Jean Ruiz to head in. In the match against Dijon FC, the 25-year-old player had more possession of the ball and created many assists and offensive opportunities for his team. In the 12th minute, he had a shot at the goal, but his volley went wide. In the 20th minute, he created a chance to score for teammate Sessi D'Almeida, who also missed his shot at the goal. Hai attempts to make a volley kick during a match between Pau FC and Dijon FC on August 6, 2022. Photo … [Read more...] about Midfielder Quang Hai gets more play time in second match for French club Pau FC

Danny Le, CEO of Vietnam’s Masan Group, shared some insights on how the group could successfully achieve digital transformation and gave advice on where businesses should start to accomplish such goals. The COVID-19 pandemic changed consumer behavior and accelerated the digitization process, and the most resilient businesses are those that quickly applied necessary technology to boost their digital transformation. During the discussion session on developing the digital economy at the Business Forum 2022 organized by Forbes Vietnam, CEO of Masan Group Danny Le shared some insights on where businesses should start in their journey to achieve digital transformation. Where to start? Starting as a fast-moving consumer goods company, Masan entered the retail sector in 2019 and aims to transform into a consumer technology business in 2022. However, the technology factor is not enough to become an independent business model at Masan because it does not create enough of a use case … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Masan focuses on digital transformation to boost consumer retail

The depot area in Bac Tu Liem District, spanning 15 ha, has structures like operation centers and facilities for train storage, maintenance and electric works. Construction work on various facilities in the depot began in January 2013. It was supposed to be completed in 2018, but has been postponed until the end of this year. The administrative area is still under construction. It is said that construction of the depot is 77 percent complete. Le Tran Tuan, operations director of the Depot CP05 bidding package being implemented by the Hanoi Construction Corporation (Hancorp), said the most important factor in the delay was money. The package was supposed to cost around VND600 billion ($25.67 million), but this estimate has since ballooned to VND950 billion ($40.65 million). One floor of an administrative building stands partially complete with exposed electrical and ventilation systems. Hanoi had aimed to put the … [Read more...] about Hanoi second metro depot unfinished after 9 years