Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency. – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered faster administration of the third and fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine as part of measures against the unpredictable pandemic situation, especially when the sub-variant BA.5 has appeared in Vietnam and raised the risk of a new wave of coronavirus infections. According to the Government Office, to enhance pandemic control and create favourable conditions for socio-economic recovery and development, the Government leader has assigned Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam to continue directing the Ministry of Health, other ministries and sectors, and 63 provincial-level localities to drastically carry out anti-pandemic measures, especially accelerating COVID-19 vaccination. Read full story - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's visits to Hungary and the UK from June 26-30 concluded successfully, thus greatly promoting the … [Read more...] about ☀ Morning digest on July 4
English newspapers
Two Vietnamese tricked to work in Cambodia rescued
Puih Phu, 16, and Puih Thai, 28, were taken back home in La Grai District of Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands on Sunday. Early this year, they got in touch with Tran Quang Quyet, 21, a native of the region’s Kon Tum Province, on Facebook. Quyet offered to help them get decent jobs with high salaries in Cambodia. However, once they arrived in Cambodia, they were forced to do all the hard work while their employers frequently beat them with rods and power cables. They were also threatened to be sold away or killed. Struggling to survive, Puih Thai asked to be sent home. The people who had tricked and sold him to Cambodia requested him to contact his family and pay bail of VND90 million ($3,854). Through his family, border guards in Gia Lai launched a special operation to track down the human trafficking ring, rescuing both Thai and Phu. Border guards have collaborated with police to expand the operation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last week that … [Read more...] about Two Vietnamese tricked to work in Cambodia rescued
Northern Vietnam hit by massive power outages
Around 1 p.m., power went out in Hanoi’s inner districts like Ba Dinh, Cau Giay, Nam Tu Liem, Hai Ba Trung, and Hoang Mai. Nghia, manager of an office building in the Cau Giay District, stated that the power was restored after about 30 minutes. However the voltage spiked to more than 240 kilovolts (kV), causing some electrical equipment to be damaged. The damage is being assessed by building management. An employee of a media company in Hai Ba Trung District reported that while eating lunch at the office, power suddenly went out then came back on and then went out again. The loss of power recurred 10-15 minutes, causing many company equipment to be "turned on and off multiple times." Hanoi University of Science and Technology, located in Hai Ba Trung District, had to announce that "the entire school lost power due to a power grid failure in the city. We hope teachers and students understand for this inconvenience." The power was restored around 2:40 p.m., and normal … [Read more...] about Northern Vietnam hit by massive power outages
HCMC short of textiles, footwear labor
Thanh Cong Textile Garment - Investment – Trading JSC in Tan Phu District is in need of more than 1,000 workers. The employees are to make up for those that have already submitted their resignation and to serve the company’s plan to expand 20 of its branches in various cities and provinces. Yet the company has had trouble recruiting new employees unwilling to work on assembly lines and deal with the pressure of meeting product quality and quantity. Nguyen Huu Tuan, the firm’s human resource manager, said the textile-garment sector is no longer attractive to laborers. He said "a significant number" of staff at the company has either quit or is about to, without revealing the specific figure. In most cases, those employees switch to work in other industries that can guarantee them higher salaries or move back to their hometown now that the living cost in the city has grown increasingly expensive. "With a monthly income of VND8-9 million ($340-385), workers would not be able … [Read more...] about HCMC short of textiles, footwear labor
Bamboo Airways to triple fleet size in 6 years
The airline is set to receive its 22nd narrowbody Airbus A321 jet and fourth widebody Boeing B7s87 this quarter, CEO and chairman Dang Tat Thang told shareholders at the recent extraordinary shareholders’ meeting of its parent company FLC. The airline currently has 29 jets, comprising 21 narrowbody aircraft, three Boeing B787s and five Embraer 190 regional aircraft, according to aviation data website Planespotters. Its competitors Vietnam Airlines operates 99 aircraft, and Vietjet 77. Thang became the new chairman of Bamboo Airways and FLC in March to replace Trinh Van Quyet who was arrested for alleged stock manipulation. The airline saw revenues rising 150 percent between the first and second quarter this year as travel resumed, Thang said. Bamboo Airways now operates nearly 200 flights a day on 60 domestic routes and 12 international routes, he added. It has recently increased pilot wages by 20 percent, he said. While FLC is set to experience a complete restructure … [Read more...] about Bamboo Airways to triple fleet size in 6 years
European business sentiment declines in Vietnam driven by global headwinds
Vietnam's potential growth is also being viewed with less favor by European business leaders, as 60 percent of respondents predicted that the Vietnamese economy would stabilize or improve in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 69 percent who held this belief entering the second quarter, according to a report released Monday by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham). But most European business leaders remain upbeat about investing more in Vietnam, with 76 expecting their company to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam before the end of this quarter. Positive views were expressed about Vietnam's prospects for green growth too, with 79 percent of participants saying their assessment of Vietnam's green development potential improved from the first quarter. Regarding the link between green growth and FDI, nearly 90 percent of respondents believed Vietnam should increase green sector development to attract more foreign investment. Some barriers … [Read more...] about European business sentiment declines in Vietnam driven by global headwinds