France aids five Southeast Asian countries in COVID-19 fight

The French Development Agency (AFD) has announced a grant aid of 2 million EUR (2.19 million USD) for the COVID-19 pandemic response in five Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.
France aids five Southeast Asian countries in COVID-19 fight ảnh 1Samples for COVID-19 testing at the HCM City Pasteur Institute (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The French Development Agency (AFD) has announced a grant aid of 2 million EUR (2.19 million USD) for the COVID-19 pandemic response in five Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.

In a recent statement, it said the funding will be provided for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines to strengthen the COVID-19 surveillance, diagnosis and response systems in the countries.

The AFD noted it hopes the countries’ laboratories will benefit from direct support for the response phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in such aspects as reinforcement of equipment, purchase of diagnostic kits, and acquisition of personal protective equipment./.

VNA

See more

Malaysia establishes ‘war room’ to ensure water security

Malaysia establishes ‘war room’ to ensure water security

The establishment of the war room reflects the Malaysian government’s commitment to shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive, data-driven one in managing national water challenges, particularly amid increasingly unpredictable weather conditions caused by global climate change

Indonesia diversifies supply sources to ensure energy security

Indonesia diversifies supply sources to ensure energy security

Indonesia is facing significant supply pressure as crude oil consumption reaches approximately 1.6 million barrels per day, much lower than the domestic production at only around 600,000 barrels per day, forcing the country to rely heavily on imports.

Indonesian-branded cosmetic and personal care products are available at supermarkets and shopping malls (Photo: VNA)

Indonesia aims to master cosmetics industry value chain

Key drivers include its large population, expanding middle class, and rapidly rising demand for beauty products, especially among young consumers. The market has reached billions of US dollars and is projected to maintain strong growth in the medium term.

The Anthropic logo is seen in this illustration taken on Mar 1, 2026. (File photo: Reuters)

Singapore warns of cyber risks from Frontier AI models

According to CSA, advanced AI models – among the most cutting-edge systems today – can significantly shorten the time needed to identify system vulnerabilities and develop exploitation tools, reducing the process from months to just hours.

Helicopter carrying eight reported missing in Indonesia

Helicopter carrying eight reported missing in Indonesia

Indonesian authorities are urgently conducting a search and rescue operation after receiving reports that a helicopter carrying eight people suddenly lost contact on the morning of April 16 in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.

Malaysia’s job losses surge 47% in the first quarter of 2026 (Photo: AFP)

Malaysia's layoffs rise 47% in first quarter

The report, based on figures from Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation, showed layoffs peaked in January with around 10,700 cases before easing to 7,500 in February and 5,900 in March. Despite the slowdown toward the end of the quarter, the total remained significantly higher than the roughly 16,500 layoffs recorded in the same period of 2025.