North Korea on Tuesday appointed Ri Seung Guk as the country’s new ambassador to Vietnam after years of delay due to North Korea's COVID-19-related border shutdown. This post had remained vacant since Ri’s predecessor Kim Myong-gil returned to North Korea in April 2019, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing North Korea’s foreign ministry. Ri has never before been mentioned in North Korea’s state-run media. North Korea on Tuesday also appointed Ri Kil-song as the country's ambassador to Singapore. It marked the first time in about more than three years that North Korea had named new ambassadors following the appointment of Ri Ryong-nam, North Korean ambassador to China, in 2021.

HÀ NỘI Miss World Việt Nam 2019, Lương Thùy Linh, has launched a project to renovate school facilities and donate study materials to students in the northern province of Cao Bằng. The project, entitled Vẽ Tương Lai (Painting the Future), is the first in the series of activities that Linh has planned to make in 2024, which marks the fifth anniversary since she was crowned Miss World Việt Nam. “I’m very happy that I can return to Cao Bằng and carry out community activities on the occasion of the five-year anniversary of winning Miss World Việt Nam 2019,” Linh wrote on her Facebook page. Prior to this, the Painting the Future project were carried out in Nam Trà My District, Quảng Nam Province, where two schools were renovated and re-painted. Linh was crowned Miss World Việt Nam 2019 and represented Việt Nam at the Miss World 2019 beauty pageant when she was just 19 years old.

The basket boat tour in Hội An has been ranked 19th among the top most captivating boat tours for travellers worldwide in 2024. The small round bamboo boats gently ferry the visitors across the waters, navigating through the lush, verdant coconut palm groves. The price for the basket boat tour experience starts from just US$20 per person. Tourist Hayley from Australia commented on Tripadvisor: “Amazing experience!! The spinning of the boat is absolutely amazing, so much talent and catching the small crabs is fun.

According to a report from MOLISA, the drowning rate among Vietnamese children has been steadily decreasing, with an annual reduction of 3-5 per cent, equivalent to 100 fewer cases of children drowning each year. The child drowning rate in the country is higher than that of countries in the Western Pacific region and is ten times higher than that of developed countries. The child accident and injury prevention programme for the 2021-2030 period includes comprehensive, multi-sectoral interventions aimed at reducing child drowning fatalities. To accelerate the progress of the child drowning prevention programmes and achieve the goals set by the Prime Minister for preventing child injuries, the Inter-sectoral Coordination Plan for Child Drowning Prevention for the period 2022-2030 has been signed between the MoLISA and nine other ministries and relevant organisations. Research indicates that for every VNĐ1,000 (US$0.04) invested in drowning prevention, there is a benefit of VNĐ9,000.

HÀ NỘI — President Tô Lâm on Thursday hosted a red-carpet welcome ceremony for President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta who is paying a state visit to Việt Nam from July 31 to August 3. This is the second trip to Việt Nam by José Ramos-Horta following the first in 2010, and the fourth by a high-ranking leader of Timor-Leste. Việt Nam, together with other ASEAN nations and the ASEAN Secretariat, has always supported Timor Leste to fulfil the criteria necessary for ASEAN membership. Two-way trade between Việt Nam and Timor-Leste remains modest, mainly driven by Việt Nam's rice and garment-textile exports to Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste holds substantial potential for Việt Nam's exports like rice, processed food, milk and dairy products, footwear, beverages, household utensils, and machinery.

One of his new friends is Ren Yin, 27, who owns a coffee shop in Hongcun village located near Jingshan Temple. In early 2023, she opened the coffee shop, which is named Lai Yin. About 40 square meters in size, the coffee shop, designed by Ren, is a two-floor building constructed from two shipping containers. The coffee shop has a parking lot to cater for them. As Ren has settled back into a bucolic lifestyle, her once-racing mind has gradually attuned itself to the gentle rhythms of rural life.

At the seminar, representatives from Yamanashi, Kanagawa, and Aichi prefectures briefed participants on their respective locality’s efforts to attract foreign labourers, particularly those from Vietnam. Under the Party chief’s leadership, Vietnam successfully negotiated and signed many bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with partners, he said. About 4.8 million people in Vietnam were exposed to AO/dioxin, statistics showed. They have stepped up international cooperation in the area, and received positive assessment from international organisations. More Japanese enterprises are choosing Vietnam as an investment destination, he said, also noting the development trend of Vietnamese enterprises in Japan.

HÀ NỘI — A national anti-scam mobile application has been launched by the National Cybersecurity Association (under the Ministry of Public Security). The free app, named nTrust, is to help people detect signs of scamming by verifying phone and bank account numbers, as well as website links and QR codes. Following its beta version released in June, the app has been updated to better scan for malware and optimise its performance. nTrust is currently available on Google Play Store for Android devices and on the App Store for devices running on iOS. If users detect any signs of scamming, they can report suspicious phone numbers, bank account numbers, website links or software via the app.

HÀ NỘI — Heavy rains and landslides over the past few days have wreaked havoc across northern Việt Nam, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. According to reports from northern provinces, the torrential downpours from July 29 to 30 have resulted in the tragic loss of six lives, with one person missing and two others injured. The provinces have also experienced extensive damage to infrastructure, with 82 houses reported to be destroyed or damaged and a further 18 requiring urgent evacuation. In Lào Cai Province, heavy rains and flooding have caused the Red River to overflow, reaching its highest level this year. In response to the situation, local authorities have worked tirelessly to provide aid and support to the affected communities.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage arrived in New Delhi late Tuesday evening (local time), starting a state visit to India to further boost multifaceted cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership with the South Asian country. The visit, set to last through Thursday, is made at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Welcoming PM Chinh at the Palam military airport were Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margerita and Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is seen waving upon his arrival at the Palam military airport in New Delhi, India, July 30, 2024 (local time). Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shakes hands with one of the representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in India upon his arrival at the Palam military airport in New Delhi, India, July 30, 2024 (local time).

In the seven-month period, most of Vietnam’s tourist source markets reported an expansion with Asia surging 57 percent. In Asia, South Korea remained the largest source market of Vietnam’s tourism with nearly 2.6 million South Korean arrivals to Vietnam, making up 26 percent. It was followed by China with 2.1 million tourists. The top ten source markets of Vietnam’s tourism also included Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and others. Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh said the target of 17-18 million international tourists this year was lower than Vietnam’s tourism potential.

Items made of metal risk rusting but these can be saved by soaking the rusted areas in vinegar and later scrubbing them with a wire brush. Any submerged devices should be looked at by a professional. However, it’s a different story when they’re completely submerged for long or are exposed to dirty water (as is the case with most floods). Rinse and repeat, that’s pretty much all you can do for any other devices and items in a flood. If these items were left wet for too long and/or were completely submerged, it’s safe to say that it’s best to move on from these.

DHAKA – Indian rapper Badshah’s popular rendition of Kala Chashma, featuring Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra from Baar Baar Dekho (2016) has surpassed one billion views on YouTube. This is the first time an Indian rapper has reached such a milestone. “Achieving a billion views for Kala Chashma is a surreal moment. It’s just the beginning, and there’s so much more to come.”The original song was composed by Prem Hardeep and Kam Dhillon, while Badshah composed the remixed version. With its infectious beats, energetic vocals, and iconic music video, “Kala Chashma” has captured the hearts of millions.

SINGAPORE -- At Singapore's House of Seafood restaurant, the fish-head curry comes with a side of crunchy crickets, the tofu has bugs crawling out of it and the patrons can't get enough. Restaurant owner Francis Ng serves satay sprinkled with house crickets to invited food tasters at the House of Seafood restaurant in Singapore July 16, 2024. Restaurant owner Francis Ng shows squid ink pasta and satay sprinkled with house crickets during a showcase of insect-based dishes at the House of Seafood restaurant in Singapore July 16, 2024. Restaurant owner Francis Ng shows the different types of worm and cricket ingredients that he will use for insect-based dishes at the House of Seafood restaurant in Singapore July 16, 2024. Restaurant owner Francis Ng displays different types of worm and cricket ingredients that he will use for insect-based dishes at the House of Seafood restaurant in Singapore July 16, 2024.

Police in Vietnam have detained three young Chinese suspects who allegedly killed a taxi driver and then stole his cab on Saturday. In Quang Tho Ward, the cab collided with a motorbike ridden by a local woman but continued driving. Police escorted the three Chinese nationals in the car to the Ba Don police station for investigation. This image shows the Mai Linh taxi cab whose driver was allegedly killed by a group of three young Chinese nationals in Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam on July 27, 2024. The investigation into the motive of the three Chinese suspects in the murder and robbery case is underway.