Countries to travel without passport

Construction is due to start on Vietnam's first green hydrogen plant next month, the government said on Wednesday, as the Southeast Asian country seeks to boost the use of cleaner energy while reducing dependence on coal in its power mix. TGS Green Hydrogen will build the plant in the southern province of Ben Tre, with trial operations due to start from the first quarter of next year, the government said in a statement. Hydrogen is categorised 'green' when it is extracted from water using electrolysis powered by renewable energy and is seen as crucial to help decarbonise industry, though the technology is still expensive and at an early stage of development. The 19.5 trillion dong ($840 million) plant will initially produce 24,000 tonnes of green hydrogen, 150,000 tonnes of ammonia and 195,000 tonnes of oxygen a year, the government said, adding that capacity would be more than doubled in a later stage. Vietnam, a regional manufacturing powerhouse, wants to nearly double its … [Read more...] about Vietnam company to invest $840 mln in country’s first green hydrogen plant

Vietnam gained an overall score of 4.1 out of seven points, rising by 4.7 percent to leap from 60th in 2019 to 52nd out of 117 economies in the 2021 index released on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The index measures the factors and policies that will enable sustainable and resilient development of tourism from business, safety and health conditions, to infrastructure and natural resources, environmental, socioeconomic and demand pressures. The WEF report further ascribed Vietnam’s improved ranking to its achievements in Covid pandemic prevention, flexible adaptation as well as continuous efforts to develop safe tourism. Vietnam performed well in price competitiveness, safety and security, air transport and port infrastructure as well as natural resources. However, the country still needs to improve factors like tourist service infrastructure, prioritization for travel and tourism, and environmental sustainability, the report said. Japan tops the ranking, with … [Read more...] about Vietnam tourism development ranked among three biggest global improvers

Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyen Huy Dung says Vietnam and Egypt have numerous opportunities to foster their economic and trade ties as both countries are now moving into the post-pandemic period. Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung takes part in a live broadcast of Egypt National Radio. Speaking on the Egypt National Radio, Dung noted that Vietnam, after three decades of implementing its Renewal process, is now the 21st largest export economy in the world on its strong commitments to foreign trade opening. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam recorded a positive economic growth rate of 2.91% in 2020, one of the highest in the world. Vietnam and Egypt have great potential for expanding economic-trade ties, especially in tourism, said the ambassador, pointing to the fact that Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization while Vietnam also boasts an age-old civilization dating back thousands of years, along with many attractive tourist attractions. … [Read more...] about Ample room for Vietnam – Egypt economic cooperation

It’s estimated to cost US$330 million to provide housing for climate-vulnerable in 28 coastal provinces in Vietnam. Dozens of vulnerable people in Quang Binh, one of Vietnam’s localities heavily affected by natural disasters, will soon benefit from a housing program supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Share, and local authorities. Phan Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Binh Province, at the ground-breaking ceremony on May 19. Photos: UNDP As many as 73 poor households will receive the houses which are scheduled to be handed over at the end of July 2022, marking the second time that UNDP, the Korean non-governmental organization World Share , and the People’s Committee of Quang Binh Province build storm- and flood-resilient houses for local coastal residents. The first handover of 39 safe houses took place in December 2021 to poor families severely suffering from the floods in 2020. In 2020 alone, … [Read more...] about UNDP supports flood-resilient houses for Vietnam coastal residents

The festival will show the cultural, natural, and human beauty of ASEAN countries. Hanoi's audiences will have a chance to watch typical cinema features from seven ASEAN countries at the annual ASEAN Film Week 2022. Based on popular writer Nguyen Nhat Anh’s novel of the same name, “Dreamy Eyes” depicts the love story of Ngan, a rural boy, and his childhood friend during their school years. Photo:  Galaxy Media & Entertainment The cultural event will take place from May 27 to June 1 in Hanoi and from May 28 to June 2 in Ho Chi Minh city. According to the organizers, the ASEAN film week this year will introduce seven motion pictures from ASEAN countries, including: “Fear” from Cambodia; “Filosofi Kopi 2: Ben and Jody”- Indonesia; “Dearest Sister”- Laos; “The Journey”- Malaysia; “The Great Myanmar” - Myanmar; “Pad Thai: The Secret Recipe”- Thailand; and “Dreamy Eyes”- Vietnam. These films will be screened at 6 and 8pm from May 27 to June 1 at the … [Read more...] about ASEAN Film Week 2022 to debut in Hanoi

Established in the 12th legislature, the group has grown into a forum for female legislators to share experience and support each other to fulfill their role, he said. In the 15th-tenure N.A., the group of female deputies has 151 members or more than 30 percent of the total number of lawmakers. Hue asked the group to further reform its operational methods, focusing on specific activities to help its members fulfill their duties, contributing to improving the operational quality and efficiency of the NA. The top legislator suggested the group put forth annual operational programs, which, he said, should be aligned with working programs and contents of the NA’s sessions. Female deputies should show their role in building and perfecting policies and laws on gender equality, and speak for women in the process of making decision on important matters of the country and protect the rights of children and disadvantaged groups, he continued. He also urged the group to step up … [Read more...] about Top legislator lauds contributions of female N.A. deputies to nation

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted Tuesday that the new AirPods would be mass produced in Vietnam from the second half of this year. "The shift in AirPods Pro 2 production can be attributed to the relatively uncomplicated supply chain and Vietnam’s better production environment (such as infrastructure and workforce) vs. most countries outside China." But he said that since the product introduction process of the device is still on in China, it is not easy to establish a complete non-China production site. Apple has told some of its contract manufacturers that it wants to boost production outside China, citing Beijing’s strict anti-Covid policy among other reasons, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. India and Vietnam, already sites for a small portion of Apple’s global production, are among the countries getting a closer look from the company as alternatives to China, it said, citing people involved in the discussions. Apple had been seeking to diversify … [Read more...] about Apple could get AirPods Pro 2 made in Vietnam: report

Chris Yeo, who heads Grab's payments and rewards business and has been with the company for nearly six years, is leaving along with Jeffrey Goh, who leads the payments gateway business, the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters . Both Yeo and Goh worked at the Grab Financial Group's GrabFin unit, which provides digital payments, financing, insurance, rewards, and wealth management services, and is an important plank of Grab's regional growth strategy. The latest executive departures come as Grab's losses rose to $3.6 billion in 2021 from $2.7 billion a year earlier, while revenue rose 44 percent, with investors focusing on how the firm plans to stem losses. Grab narrowed its loss in the first quarter. Since listing on Nasdaq in December after a record $40 billion merger with a blank check firm, Grab's shares have shed three-quarters of their value against a backdrop of plunging tech stocks and its continued losses. "Many business groups within GrabFin have … [Read more...] about Two senior Grab executives quit as company rejigs unit to stem losses

The sum, approved Tuesday by provincial legislators, is half of the total cost needed for clearing that section. Stretching almost 54 kilometers (33 miles), Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway will connect the southern industrial provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which are home to several seaport logistics complexes. It will run 34.2 kilometers across Dong Nai. Ba Ria – Vung Tau, home to beach town Vung Tau, had previously agreed to pay VND670 billion, or half the cost to clear the provincial section site. The rest of the sum for site clearance will be extracted from the state budget. As approved, the expressway will cost around VND18 trillion of the public funds and be completed by 2025. In its first phase, the route will have four to six lanes and allow vehicles to travel at 100 kph. It is one of three expressways the government plans to build to meet the urgent transportation needs of the southern key economic region, which comprises Ho Chi Minh City and the … [Read more...] about Dong Nai contribute $111 mln to expressway linking with beach town Vung Tau

Việt Nam has administered some 219,796,318 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Photo baochinhphu.vn HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam registered 1,344 new COVID-19 infections, all domestically transmitted, and two deaths on Wednesday. The capital Hà Nội again led the number of new daily cases with 316, followed by Vĩnh Phúc Province with 94. The other localities reporting new transmissions were Bắc Ninh (90), Nghệ An (76), Phú Thọ (63), Quảng Ninh (55), Yên Bái (55), Đà Nẵng (44), Tuyên Quang (41), Lào Cai (37), Quảng Bình (36), Hồ Chí Minh City (35), Thái Nguyên (31), Bắc Kạn (29), Thái Bình (27), Nam Định (23), Hà Nam (21), Hà Giang (19), Lâm Đồng (18), Sơn La (18), Quảng Trị (17), Lạng Sơn (17), Cao Bằng (16), Hưng Yên (14), Khánh Hòa (13), Bắc Giang (13), Hòa Bình (13), Lai Châu (12), Bình Phước (12), Đắk Nông (11), Thừa Thiên Huế (10), Hải Dương (10), Thanh Hóa (9), Tây Ninh (7), Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu (7), Điện Biên (6), Quảng Ngãi (6), Ninh Bình (5), Phú Yên (4), Vĩnh Long (4), Bến Tre (3), Bình … [Read more...] about Việt Nam logs 1,344 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths on Wednesday