Vietnamplus

A 6.4-magnitude quake hit Mindanao in the south of the Philippines on October 16.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has further slashed its economic growth forecast for the Philippines for 2019 and 2020 to 5.7 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively, as the economy slowed down in the second quarter and external environment worsens.

Japanese electronics giant Hitachi Ltd. launched a sales and service unit in Laos, eyeing a five-fold increase in its local elevator and escalator market share as it expands its business in Asia and the Middle East.

Indonesia and the Republic of Korea have signed a preliminary agreement on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Japan’s MOS Food Services Inc. on October 15 announced that it will train 350 Vietnamese students over four years so that they can work at its MOS Burger stores across the country.

The Vietnamese U22 men’s football team has been drawn to Group B with U22 Thailand and U22 Indonesia at the upcoming 30th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games, according to the drawing results announced by the Olympic Council of Asia.

Vietnam needs a long-term strategy to increase the quality of its rice exports to create sustainable growth in the future, experts say.

The Hanoi People’s Committee on October 10 held an award presentation ceremony for winners of an international photo contest themed “Proud of Hanoi” on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the capital.

An ASEAN ministerial meeting in Manila, the Philippines, has agreed that five ASEAN nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – will launch a joint bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

More than 2,000 US and Philippine military personnel, along with a small number of Japanese soldiers, on October 9 began annual combat exercises aimed at responding rapidly to crises and natural disasters and affirming their commitment to keep the region "free and open."

The 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME 15) and related meetings concluded in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on October 9 and released a joint statement.

The international exhibition and workshop Hanoi Art Connecting 2019 will take place in the capital city from October 14-18, as part of activities celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the University of Industrial Fine Arts.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) said on October 7 that the country and Indonesia plan to hold the 10th round of negotiations for their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Bali this week as the Northeast Asian economy continues efforts to expand its export portfolio in the Southeast Asian market.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) is working hard to conclude free trade talks with Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia before November when leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meet for the ASEAN-RoK Commemorative Summit in the country.

Taiwan (China) and Japan are expected to remain the top destinations for Vietnamese workers this year with 90 percent of all overseas employees working there.

The 4th International Experimental Theatre Festival is underway in Hanoi, with foreign and domestic troupes staging a series of enticing plays.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte recently called Russia a priority trade and investment market for the Philippines, adding that the Southeast Asian country has worked to bolster the bilateral ties.

A record number of Vietnamese athletes will compete at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines later this year, and they are all gunning for glory.

The Southeast Asian internet economy has expanded by 39 percent this year to hit 100 billion USD for the first time, according to a recent report by Google, Temasek and new partner Bain & Company.

Several of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted clean-energy policies, and yet the use of coal continues to increase in the region.