According to the online travel platform Agoda, the number of searches about this new policy increased by 33% within two weeks after its approval by the Vietnamese National Assembly. Among them, the highest increase in the number of accommodation searches came from tourists from France, with a 72% hike compared to the two weeks earlier. The survey data also indicated positive signs towards achieving Vietnam's target of attracting 8 million foreign visitors by the end of this year. Since the beginning of this year, Vietnam has welcomed about 5.57 million foreign tourists. Following the visa policy change, India rose from the 8th place to become the second largest international market for hotel bookings in Vietnam, only behind the Republic of Korea./.

From left, Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Yamada Takio; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông; Goodwill Ambassador of Japanese Cuisine Tomisawa Hirokazu, and chef Nguyễn Bá Phước at the launching ceremony of “Taste of Japan” in Hà Nội. As the Ambassador of Japan, I am very pleased that this event helps to promote further the Japanese culinary culture,” he said. Goodwill Ambassador of Japanese Cuisine Tomisawa Hirokazu and Chef Nguyễn Bá Phước slice sashimi from the fresh bluefin tuna. According to the Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Yamada Takio, a total number of 2,422 chefs around the world have been awarded the badge, of which, only 22 received gold ones. “The gold badge that chef Nguyễn Bá Phước received has proved the enthusiasm and efforts that Goodwill Ambassador Hirokazu has devoted to transmitting his knowledge to the young generations,” he said.

– As an active and responsible member of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia ( PEMSEA ), at the regional level, Vietnam strongly supports the negotiations on a global treaty on plastic pollution, an official said on July 26.Addressing a Hanoi workshop to look into regional cooperation towards a global treaty on plastic pollution, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Agency of Seas and Islands (VASI) Truong Tri Duc also said the Vietnamese Government always attaches importance to the protection of maritime and insular environment, especially the issues related to marine biodiversity conservation, maritime and coastal environment, plastic waste, and marine plastic pollution. The workshop is held by the Vietnam Agency of Seas and Islands and the UNDP on July 26. Another is that the treaty must include legally binding obligations to help effectively minimise plastic pollution.The EPPIC, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, has invited innovators from across ASEAN to share their breakthrough ideas to deal with plastic pollution. It was launched in Vietnam and Thailand in 2021 and then expanded to Indonesia and the Philippines in 2022, and Laos and Cambodia this year.At the workshop, participants agreed on the importance of joint efforts to combat plastic pollution . A common document was also devised to draft a cooperation strategy for handling this problems, helping with the building of a global treaty on plastic pollution./.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 26 July 2023 - Recently, well-known computing power operator Nut Techy launched a new business called "Computing Power Investment," which is expected to bring a new direction to Web3. Nut Techy, a well-known computing power operator headquartered in Singapore, has achieved significant milestones in the past year, including reaching a market value of billions and acquiring over ten million users. "Computing Power Investment" is one of Nut Techy's new businesses, and according to Jack, one of the company's founders, users can participate in various investment opportunities through investment in computing power to gain profits. About Nut TechyHeadquartered in Singapore, Nut Techy was founded by Jack and Dr. Lai with the aim of establishing a Web3 digital entertainment ecosystem that spans the autonomous organization DAO across GameFi, DeFi, SociaFi, NFT, and Metaverse. Nut Techy is dedicated to innovating technology and improving user experience by providing interesting, secure, and innovative digital entertainment experiences.

Politics Vietnamese, Italian leaders co-chair press conference after talks President Vo Van Thuong and Italian President Sergio Mattarella co-chaired a press conference on July 26 afternoon to inform about the results of their talks earlier. Politics Vietnamese, Italian Presidents agree on major measures to enhance strategic partnership Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong and his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella discussed and agreed on major orientations and measures to strengthen the Vietnam – Italy strategic partnership at their talks in Rome on July 26. Videos President holds talks with Italian counterpart President Vo Van Thuong held talks with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on the morning of July 26 after a welcome ceremony at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome. Videos Vietnam, Israel sign Free Trade Agreement Vietnam and Israel signed the Vietnam - Israel Free Trade Agreement in Tel Aviv on July 25 in the presence of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

With a new vía policy in place on August 15, many foreign travellers have planned to book longer tours to Vietnam. After Vietnam introduced an e-visa policy for Indian citizens, India has leapt six notches, becoming the international tourist market with the second largest booking volume in Vietnam, behind only the Republic of Korea. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the new visa policy will provide the tourism industry a strong boost when the peak international tourism season is coming. Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai affirmed that the relationship between Vietnam and India is prosperous in all fields, particularly in economy, trade, investment, and tourism. Vietnam Social Security warns fake public service portalThe Vietnam Social Security has recently detected a fake website of its public service portal through monitoring and inspection.

This was also when he started to spend lots of time playing online games, likely to escape the harsh reality around him. On days off, he spent the whole time playing games, eating instant noodles, and drinking energy drinks at his game desk. Q. is among an increasing number of adolescents who are addicted to online games and visit healthcare centres for treatment for mental health issues. They experience withdrawal symptoms when not playing games such as restlessness, irritability and anger, he said. “Internet addiction is classified as a behavioural addiction, which can negatively affect mental development, reducing the ability to retain information in the brain.

HÀ NỘI — Although "Buy now, Pay later" (BNPL) - a type of financing that allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them over time - is growing in popularity in Việt Nam, experts worry it could pose some financial risks if left uncontrolled. Huy said with BNPL, consumers can pay for items, normally of less than VNĐ10 million (US$423), in a series of interest-free instalments. This is an approach that could result in default risk underestimation. Although data-sharing has been legally regulated, specific rules for the BNPL industry have yet to be put in place. Senior Lecturer Huy said BNPL non-performing loans could soar if the industry is left to its own devices without governmental control.

The Party chief said with the past achievements, the literature and art sector has played a significant role in the task of building a cultural environment. He said the Party and State always encourage artists’ exploration and respect their freedom of artistic creativity, and advocate issuing special mechanisms and policies for literature, art and artists in line with the country's socio-economic development. He asked artists to regularly draw valuable lessons from previous generations to move forward with greater confidence and steadfastness. The leader proposed that Party committees and authorities at all levels should be fully aware of the important role and position of culture, literature and arts in the cause of renovation, national construction and defence./.

Việt Nam and the US have maintained regular high-level exchanges and contacts. Việt Nam has become the seventh-largest trading partner of the US worldwide. Attracting more US tourists to Việt Nam and supporting Vietnamese and those with Vietnamese roots in the US is also important. He noted that the US is helping Việt Nam reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 while powering sustainable development and strengthening public health systems. The US diplomat has expressed optimism about the future of the US-Việt Nam relationship in his address.

Visitors to Plastics & Rubber Vietnam 2023 that opens in Hanoi on July 25 (Photo: VNA)- Plastics & Rubber Vietnam 2023, an international plastics & rubber technologies and materials exhibition, kicked off at the International Centre for Exhibition in Hanoi on July 25.The 10th event covers an exhibition space of 3,300 sq.m. and features more than 100 booths from over 10 countries and territories, including five international pavilions – Italy, Taiwan (China), Singapore, K Alliance, and China.Held by Informa Markets Vietnam and Messe Düsseldor, it aims to help businesses access cutting-edge technologies supplied by world leading companies, seek partnerships, and stay updated with the latest trends and knowledge in the plastics and rubber sectors.The exhibition also includes several seminars giving multidimensional views of the circular and recycled plastics and rubber industries in Vietnam.Lasting through July 27, it is expected to welcome more than 3,500 individual and group visitors.BT Tee, General Director of Informa Markets Vietnam, told the opening ceremony that in recent years, the plastics sector has been asked to review the entire life cycle of plastics. The industry supports production processes that use less natural resources and emit less toxic gases, along with recyclable products.Innovative technology is the solution, which is what the exhibition hopes to bring to Vietnamese firms, he noted, expressing his hope that enterprises can access scientific advances and opportunities to invest in new technologies to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing industries, increase economic benefits, and meet growing demand./.

HÀ NỘI — Stocks were divergent on Tuesday but benchmark indices still inched higher, lifted by large-cap stocks, especially in the banking industry. The VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) extended its recent rally to the third day in a row. The market's breadth, however, entered negative territory as there were 188 stocks declining, while 132 stocks finished higher. The 30 biggest stocks in the VN30-Index also edged higher to 1,198.01 points, a gain of 4.87 points, or 0.41 per cent. The HNX-Index on the Hà Nội Stock Exchange (HNX) also finished Tuesday higher at 236.93 points, a rise of 0.4 points, or 0.17 per cent.

– Italian media ran many articles highlighting the State visit to Italy by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong from July 25-27, stating that this event aims to leverage strengths and potential to promote cooperation between the two countries.In an article, Agenzia Stampa Italia newspaper stressed that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on March 23, 1973, the Vietnam – Italy relationship has developed rapidly.After setting up a strategic partnership ten years ago, the two countries have actively promoted practical and effective cooperation in all fields, especially advancing political and diplomatic ties, the article said.Within the framework of the strategic partnership, the two countries have coordinated to hold political consultations and meetings of the joint committees on economic cooperation, and science and technology cooperation Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, the bilateral relationship has been maintained and sustained through the flexible and adaptive efforts of both sides.Italy has consistently promoted multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam, considering Vietnam as a priority in the Southeast Asian region to develop relations.At multilateral forums, Italy and Vietnam often collaborate and support each other, and advocate peace, stability, security, freedom of navigation and aviation, and respect for international law.The newspaper also reviewed other cooperation areas between Vietnam and Italy, including connections in culture and education, science – technology, tourism, and cooperation between localities.The two countries regularly coordinate to organize various activities and initiatives to introduce and promote their culture, helping bring Italian culture closer to the Vietnamese people and vice versa.The two sides have developed a science and technology cooperation plan for 2021-2023 with 11 joint research projects, promoting science-technology as a pillar of cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership.In Vietnam's tourism development strategy, Italy is identified as one of the key markets with great potential. The number of Italian tourists visiting Vietnam grew at an average rate of 15% during the 2015 - 2019 period.Meanwhile, L’Identità Newspaper stressed that the Vietnamese state leader will have meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.According to the newspaper, after half a century, the bilateral relations have flourished across all fields, both in bilateral and multilateral cooperation.It also highlighted cooperation between Vietnamese and Italian localities, citing the twinning relations between Hanoi and Lazio, Binh Duong - Emilia-Romagna, Ho Chi Minh City - Turin, and Vinh Phuc - Tuscany.Vietnam is a key trading partner of Italy in ASEAN, while Italy is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam within the European Union (EU). In 2022, the two-way trade hit a record high ever at 6.2 billion USD, representing a year-on-year increase of 11%.According to the newspaper, the Italian government has included Vietnam in its list of 20 countries to continue promoting trade and investment ties until 2030. Many Italian investors operating in the processing sector have invested effectively and gained success in the Vietnamese market./.

Vietnam will face hosts France at 10 p.m. on July 27 (Vietnam time). The contest was organised by the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc in collaboration with Nhan dan (People) newspaper, Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Radio the Voice of Vietnam and Communist Review. The collective prizes will be awarded to 15 Party organisations under the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc. The contest was organised by the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc in collaboration with Nhan dan (People) newspaper, Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Radio the Voice of Vietnam and Communist Review. The collective prizes will be awarded to 15 Party organisations under the Party Committee of the Central Agencies’ Bloc.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Pham Viet Anh speaks at the exchange. (Photo: VNA)Ambassador Pham Viet Anh and the participating students in a group photo (Photo: VNA)The Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands has held an exchange with international students from The Hague Academy of International Law, introducing them to Vietnam's foreign policy and activities of its diplomatic representative agencies abroad.Nearly 20 students of various nationalities – France, Senegal, Italy, Japan, and Vietnam, among others – participated in the event. Most of them, including two from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, were in the final year of their Master's or Ph.D. law programmes, with some already working in courts or foreign ministries.Ambassador Pham Viet Anh had an open discussion with the students about Vietnam’s key foreign policy principles and fundamental diplomatic pillars, as well as the basic functions and main activities of the country's diplomatic representation abroad.The students showed their interest in and raised many questions about the international situation, Southeast Asia region, Vietnam 's perspectives, and its approach to current global issues. Their queries were clearly answered, reflecting Vietnam's consistent position of respecting international law, supporting peace, cooperation, and reconciliation, and choosing what is right and just, not taking sides.They also expressed their appreciation of the nation’s foreign policy of independence, proactiveness, openness and active international integration that contributes to building a world of peace, justice, and prosperity based on international law./.