Whats closed on election day

Gay couples took the historic step of registering as married, the culmination of a three-decade fight for equality. Shane Lin and Marc Yuan, a couple who fell in love at college, were the first to arrive at a government office in downtown Taipei. Dressed in matching suits, they embraced and kissed in front of a huge media scrum before signing their marriage certificates. They were followed by playwright LiYing Chien and her girlfriend, a cartoonist who goes by the pen name Cynical Chick. Taiwan made history last week when it became the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage, sparking jubilation among huge crowds of gay rights supporters on the streets of Taipei. But the issue has also caused deep divisions on an island that remains staunchly conservative, especially outside of the cities and among older generations. Some 300 same-sex couples are expected to register on Friday, according to local authorities, around 150 in the capital Taipei which boasts a thriving and vocal gay … [Read more...] about Taiwan holds first gay marriages in historic day for Asia

The 2019 Day of Pho, the third edition of an annual Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper-backed program to honor the world-renowned food, has found out the top ten pho brands most loved by consumers in Vietnam and the country’s best pho chefs. December 12 was officially designated as the Day of Pho in celebration of Vietnam’s effective traditional dish in 2018, one year after the first ‘Pho Day,’ an initiative by Tuoi Tre, was held. Pho is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and beef. In celebration of the third Day of Pho, a competition was organized to search for the best pho makers in Vietnam. The contest was open to both local and foreign chefs who currently work at eateries, restaurants or hotels across the country, as well as non-professional cooks. Besides, the Day of Pho 2019 also featured a vote-based competition to choose the top ten pho brands most loved by consumers in the country. Tuoi Tre editor-in-chief Le The Chu speaks … [Read more...] about Best pho chefs, brands honored at 2019 Day of Pho

In pencak silat standing, Tran Thi Them won a gold medal in the women’s 50-55 kg category. Her teammate, Nguyen Dinh Tuan, won a silver in the same category for men, conceding gold to Singapore’s Muhammad Hazim. Pham Thi Tuoi and Nguyen Ngoc Toan won bronzes in the women’s 45-50 kg category and men’s 60-65 kg. In swimming, Nguyen Huy Hoang broke the second tournament record this year in the 1500 m freestyle race, bettering his own 2017 time at 14 minutes 58.14 seconds. Another swimmer, Tran Hung Nguyen, making his SEA Games debut, won gold medal in the men’s 200 m individual medley with a time of 2 minutes 2.56 seconds. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, nicknamed Vietnam’s Little Mermaid, won silver in the women’s 50m backstroke at 29.26 seconds, losing to Singapore’s Elena Peterson. Nguyen Huu Kim Son bagged a bronze medal in the men’s 1500 m freestyle swimming contest with a time of 15 minutes 18.87 seconds. In the men’s petanque … [Read more...] about SEA Games: Vietnam stays second with 14 medals on day 5

After many years of investing heavily and enduring losses to acquire its dominant share of the retail market, Vingroup, Vietnam’s biggest private conglomerate, is withdrawing from the business. The merger deal that it has signed with food giant Masan Group will integrate its network of 2,600 Vinmart and Vinmart+ minimarts into a merged entity operated by the latter. Vingroup will remain a shareholder in the merged entity, it said Tuesday. Although retail is a major asset in Vingroup’s commercial ecosystem, which includes real estate, education and shopping, it has not engaged heavily in backwards integration, i.e. the production of consumer goods. Masan, on the other hand, with its core business in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), can potentially make much better use of the retail network that Vingroup has built. And with Vingroup retaining an undisclosed stake in the new entity, its network could still be used to support the conglomerate’s core business in … [Read more...] about What Vingroup and Masan hope to acquire from their retail merger

  The strike is expected to hit inter-city rail services, with operator SNCF warning of potentially dangerous overcrowding. — AFP/VNA Photo PARIS — French commuters and tourists braced for a fifth day of public transport chaos on Monday as the government prepared to respond to widespread anger over pension reform that has sparked open-ended walkouts. President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and senior cabinet ministers met late Sunday to discuss the contentious reform, which the country's powerful labour unions claim will force many to work longer for a smaller retirement payout. As both the government and unions vowed to stand firm, businesses started counting the costs of the strike which began last Thursday when some 800,000 people took to the streets across France in a mass rejection of plans to introduce a single, points-based pension scheme, unifying 42 existing plans. The stoppages stranded commuters, closed schools, and hit tourism and … [Read more...] about Day 5 of public transport chaos as French strike bites