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Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska (centre) speaks at the press meeting on August 11. (Photo: VNA) Binh Dinh (VNA) – Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska will be present at the finale of Miss World Vietnam 2022, scheduled to take place in Quy Nhon city, the central province of Binh Dinh, on August 12 evening. At a press meeting in Binh Dinh on August 11, Pham Kim Dung, head of the beauty pageant’s organising board, said the Miss World 2021 will also join charitable activities in Quy Nhon. Karolina Bielawska said this is the first time she has set foot in Vietnam, and that she can feel the warm welcome for her from all people. She comes to the contest’s finale to show her support for all contestants so that they can achieve their goals, she added. With 37 contestants, the finale is set to begin at 8pm on August 12 at Hai Giang Peninsula of Quy Nhon city. Miss World Vietnam 2022 is the second edition of the Miss World Vietnam pageant. In 2019, Luong Thuy Linh, a … [Read more...] about Miss World 2021 to attend finale of Miss World Vietnam 2022

Illustrative image (Photo: ledgerinsights.com) Bangkok (VNA ) – The Bank of Thailand (BOT) on August 10 raised its key policy rate by 25 basis points (0.25%) to 0.75%, aiming to keep the country's increasing inflationary pressures in check. The BOT forecast that Thailand's economic growth this year will be 3.3%, up 0.1% from its previous projection. For 2023, it predicted growth of 4.2%, down 0.2%. The central bank also maintained its forecast that the annual inflation stays at 6.2%. Raising the interest rate signaled that the BOT was shifting its focus by tightening monetary policy in order to prevent spiraling inflation that could weigh on economic growth . The BOT also noted that the Thai economy is recovering after the COVID pandemic was controlled./. VNA … [Read more...] about Thailand’s central bank hikes rate for first time in four years

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto (Photo: republika.co.id) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia ’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announced on August 11 that the government is preparing to stop allocating the budget for COVID-19 handling and national economic recovery ( PC-PEN ) from the end of this year. According to him, based on Law No. 2 of 2020 concerning State Finance and Financial System Stability for COVID-19 Handling Efforts, the state budget deficit has been allowed to exceed 3 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP) for three years till 2022 The government will not allocate a budget for COVID-19 handling and national economic recovery, but this does not mean that it will not continue its programmes in the health and social protection sectors, the minister clarified, adding that the fund will entirely be returned to each sector like before the COVID-19 broke out. Earlier, Finance Minister Sri … [Read more...] about Indonesia announces end of pandemic handling fund

Illustrative image (Photo: https://www.medcom.id/) Jakarta (VNA) – The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) of Indonesia is targeting to add 1.8 million workers to the green economy sector by 2030, spreading across energy, electric vehicles, land restoration, and waste treatment. Green Economy Index one of the macro development targets, and include it in the mid-term and long-term national development planning documents. Indonesia , including average gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.1–6.5% per year until 2050; and reducing 87–96 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions during 2021–2060, and a 68%-reduction in emissions intensity by 2045. green economy could also help Indonesia increase the area of mangrove forests to 3.6 million ha by 2060, Arifin said./. VNA … [Read more...] about Indonesia targets 1.8 million more jobs to green economy by 2030

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (middle) giving a speech after a plenary cabinet session regarding the Financial Note and the 2023 Draft State Budget at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on August 8. (Photo: ANTARA) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia n Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani has said that the country's state budget for 2022 is better than the previous year. This is reflected in the financial debt and budget deficit which are projected at below 4% of the gross domestic product ( GDP ) by the end of this year, she said at a government meeting on the state budget on August 11. Mulyani said she expects the budget deficit can be at 3.9% of GDP compared to the previous forecast of 4.5%. state budget that is beginning to improve./. VNA … [Read more...] about Indonesia’s state budget in 2022 exceeds expectations

Illustrative image (Photo: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) – Thousands of troops from Indonesia, the US, and allies held a live-fire drill on August 12 as part of the Super Garuda Shield 2022. The Super Garuda Shield 2022 is being organised on Indonesia’s Sumatra island and Riau island province near Singapore and Malaysia, with army, naval and air forces taking part. At least 4,000 Indonesian and US soldiers are joining the two week-long drill aimed to improve the capacity of responding to challenges, including issues related to security, disasters and humanitarian missions. The US side said the drill is the largest-ever in history and meant to affirm the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific . The Super Garuda Shield 2022 also saw the participation of troops from Australia, Singapore and Japan, while Canada, France, India, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the UK joined the drill as observers. Only four countries, namely the US, Indonesia, … [Read more...] about US, Indonesia hold live-fire drill

Wind turbines and solar panels (Illustrative photo: Getty Images) Jakarta (VNA) – The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) under Indonesia ’s Finance Ministry is planning to provide incentives for new and renewable energy production companies. DJBC Director Untung Basuki said authorities are reviewing types of incentives that will be given to new and renewable energy producers. The incentives will be applied to all types of energy, from geothermal power, hydro power, marine thermal power, solar power to wind power. The top target is to promote the exploitation and use of green and environmentally friendly energy sources, he noted, but the incentives will only be given to the firms that cooperate with certain ministries/agencies, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. By providing incentives, the government hopes that the number of companies producing clean energy will increase so that the target of reducing carbon emissions in … [Read more...] about Indonesia moves to promote renewable energy development

Children are exposed to increased risks of online harms, especially during the outbreaks of the COVID-19 with increased screen time. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The National Children's Hospital has recently received more child patients with mental illnesses attributed to the increased screen time they spent during the COVID-19 pandemic when outdoor physical social activities were limited. Doctor Ngo Anh Vinh, deputy head of the hospital's Department of Adolescent Health, said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children coming to check for mental illnesses related to social networks increased. "Many of them need treatment for social media addiction. Some children are admitted to the hospital after they have attempted suicide," Vinh said. "Currently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers social network addiction and game addiction as a mental illness with consequences that severely affect the child's mental and physical health and quality of … [Read more...] about Rise of screen time puts children at high risk of social media addiction

At the conference on August 11, MPI Minister Dung said that thanks to the control of the pandemic and the maintenance of macroeconomic stability, the business sector has reported a positive recovery recently. As of July, the whole country had about 871,000 operating enterprises with tax incurred, an increase of nearly 13 per cent compared to 2021. In the first seven months of 2022, the number of enterprises entering and returning to the market, as well as additionally registered capital into the economy, increased sharply. The number of enterprises entering and re-entering the market was over 130,000 enterprises, an increase of 26.8 per cent on-year, 1.4 times higher than the number of enterprises withdrawing from the market. The total registered capital added to the economy in the first seven months of 2022 reached over $143 billion, an increase of over 37 per cent on-year. According to reports from business associations, the market has recovered over 75-85 per cent compared … [Read more...] about Utilising every opportunity to grow and overcome challenges

An unidentified highly toxic substance in the Oder river, which runs through Poland and Germany, appears to be the cause of a mass die-off of fish, the German state of Brandenburg's environment ministry said. An analysis of river water taken this week showed evidence of "synthetic chemical substances, very probably also with toxic effects for vertebrates," the ministry said on Thursday, adding that it remained unclear how the substance entered the water. According to local broadcaster rbb, the state laboratory found high levels of mercury in the water samples. The head of Poland's national water management authority told private broadcaster Polsat News that the presence of mercury in the water had yet to be confirmed, however. "At the moment, these are press reports. We have no confirmation regarding mercury in the Oder," Przemyslaw Daca, the head of Polish Waters, said. The ministry in Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin, said it had not yet been possible to assess … [Read more...] about Mass fish die-off in German-Polish river blamed on unknown toxic substance