United states coal

Rapid economic development often results in serious impacts on forests, evidenced by the alarming deforestation in Phu Quoc City in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang having plunged the city’s forests into a state of emergency. Forests are regarded as the living soul of residents on the 'pearl island.' However, the woods full of stone stakes and steel wires are disappointing tourists. The situation is becoming truly alarming. Forests seem empty after one unguarded night Deforestation and land encroachment in Phu Quoc City in mid-June 2022 were no longer overt and rampant, but it did not mean that forests stopped 'bleeding.' On the main path from Ham Ninh Commune to Thom Beach, people could easily see excavated mountainsides and forest land areas occupied with concrete stakes, zinc-coated barbed wire fences, and even well-built constructions. “Some gangs secretly encroached and built fences," complained N.X.T., a forest ranger. “During the forest land invasion … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc forests in state of emergency

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Quang Hiệu delivers an opening speech at the eighth ocean dialogue. — VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — The eighth ocean dialogue was held on Wednesday in Hà Nội on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of UNCLOS with the theme of promoting maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia. It drew the virtual and in-person participation of more than 250 domestic and foreign experts. The event was jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), the Australian Embassy in Việt Nam and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation (KAS). In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Quang Hiệu said the adoption of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 40 years ago is a historic milestone in the development of the international law of the sea. For the first time, a comprehensive legal framework, a "charter" of the sea was established. The convention has laid a foundation for the development of the … [Read more...] about Ocean dialogue promotes maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia

Japan's Sony is launching a new brand that will offer PC gaming gear, the company announced Wednesday, as it tries to compete for a share of the lucrative gaming peripherals market. Sony is looking to expand beyond its flagship PlayStation console and boost revenue from other sectors, including PC and mobile gaming. The gaming peripherals market of items used by players was valued at $3.88 billion globally in 2019 according to Grand View Research. Sony's first offerings from its new Inzone brand will be three wireless headsets and two monitors, the priciest of which will retail for a suggested $899.99 in the United States. "The market has been expanding with a higher interest in gaming with the spread of esports tournaments and the advancement of gaming entertainment," said Yukihiro Kitajima, head of Sony's game business and marketing office, in a statement. Sony is "very late" to the "hopelessly crowded" sector, said Serkan Toto, CEO of game industry consultancy Kantan … [Read more...] about Sony launches PC gaming gear, expanding beyond PlayStation

Vietnam urged to upgrade to attract big rubber funding, photo Duc Thanh As international purchasers increasingly demand products that adhere to strict ethical, legal, and environmental standards, analysts and foreign buyers, including those from the United States and Germany, warn that a lag in production is likely to jeopardise Vietnam’s rubber sector. Vietnam has the fifth-largest rubber cultivation area in the world with almost 940,000 hectares. However, the country ranks third globally for its output, producing some 1.26 million tonnes in 2020, according to a report by the Vietnam Rubber Association. According to the same report, exports of natural rubber products (rubber blocks and concentrated latex), rubber products (tyres, medical supplies, and shoe soles), as well as rubber timber, have increased dramatically from $2.9 billion in 2015 to approximately $9.5 billion in 2021. According to Jeff Martin, CEO of Yulex – a global company headquartered in the US, … [Read more...] about Vietnam urged to upgrade to attract big rubber funding

Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products, Photo: Duc Thanh Nguyen Vinh Phuong, the owner of a 150-hectare rubber plantation area in the south-eastern province of Tay Ninh has recently spent more time studying the process of obtaining the FSC certification. Although he is interested in cultivating sustainable rubber, he remains hesitant to implement this process. Phuong pointed out that the rule of a 10-per-cent conservation area seems to be an infeasible requirement for small operators of plantation areas. The rule would mean that Phuong would lose $1,500 over 10 days of rubber tapping if he saved 10 per cent of his 150-ha plantation area for conservation. Besides state-owned companies like Tan Bien Rubber and Tay Ninh Rubber, there are 12 private firms competing to source rubber. Phuong was certain that he would not lose VND105 million ($4,520) per month during the tough market caused by rising production expenses, the shortage of rubber tappers and the … [Read more...] about Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products

From May 24 to June 30, the Vietnam Private Sector Competitiveness Enhancement Project (USAID IPSC), has organised a 5-week training course called “E-commerce – a must in Industry 4.0”, as part of its cross-cutting market expansion support package for Vietnamese businesses. At the end of the course, participants attended the event “Connecting business with domestic and international e-commerce platforms” to learn from successful, real-world experiences from e-commerce platforms including Amazon Global Selling and Shopee. According to Nguyen Thi To Uyen, head of the building business management capacity at USAID IPSC, the project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with the support of the Ministry of Planning and Investment as the government partner. The expert also showed participants how to use analysis tools from Amazon as well as other platforms for conducting market research and store management. Lasting for five years, the … [Read more...] about USAID IPSC Project connects Vietnamese enterprises with e-commerce giants

"With this delivery of economic assistance, we reaffirm our resolute commitment to the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's war of aggression and work to sustain their economy," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. The payment, part of the $7.5 billion aid package signed by President Joe Biden in May, is set to be made through the World Bank. According World Bank estimates, the war, which began with Russia's attack of its former Soviet neighbor in February, could cause the Ukrainian economy to contract by up to 45 percent in 2022. The country is currently running a budget deficit that is growing by $5 billion every month, exacerbated by its inability to raise funds or to access financing on external markets. Allies have rushed to pump Ukraine with aid, with the G7 and the European Union also announcing commitments of $29.6 billion in further money for Kyiv, with $8.5 billion of that coming from the United States, according to the Treasury … [Read more...] about US disburses $1.3 bln of promised aid to Ukraine

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà gives a speech at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday chaired a conference to discuss a national action plan for Việt Nam's circular economy. Speaking at the conference, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà said that climate change, environmental pollution and natural ecosystem decline were crises for humanity today. Last month, the World Meteorological Organisation released four key indicators of climate change, including greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification. The indicators set new records in 2021, showing that human activities are causing planetary-scale changes on land, in the oceans, and in the atmosphere, with serious and lasting consequences for sustainable development and ecosystems. “This is the consequence of the unsustainable model: resource extraction - production - … [Read more...] about National action plan for circular economy to be set up

It is typical and traditional in the world of G7 that all happenings at the G7 annual summit would quickly fall into oblivion. This year's annual G7 summit was held in Germany's Bavaria, hosted by Germany's Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz. For him himself as well as for Japan's prime minister Fumio Kishida for the first time, for G7 for the 48th one. This political and media spectacle costed Germany approximate 170 millions Euro. Leaders of G7 members at the summit. Source: VNA The leaders of all G7 members - Germany as host, the US, France, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan - were there in-person. Representatives of the EU and some other non-G7-member states were invited to participate. All G7 members except Japan are Nato members and will gather again at the Nato summit in Spain right after the G7 summit. Therefore, many statements and announcements from G7 will be heard at the Nato summit afterwards. The G7 summit agenda was very ambitious: world … [Read more...] about G7 – More show than relevance

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets with Cao Dai dignitaries in Hanoi on June 29. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc appreciated Cao Dai followers’ contributions to the country throughout history while receiving leaders of the religion’s churches and organisations in Hanoi on June 29. He said Caodaism is a religion coming into being in Vietnam, and during its development process, it has helped diversify the country’s traditional culture and uphold solidarity when encouraging its dignitaries and followers to stand side by side with the nation. During the resistance wars for national independence as well as national development and defence efforts at present, Cao Dai followers have always upheld their patriotic spirit and contributed to national liberation and construction, he noted, adding that the Party and State always appreciate their dedications. The Party and State have paid great attention to and given support for religious activities, including … [Read more...] about President highly values Cao Dai followers’ contributions to country