Introducing Vietnam destination in Japanese market

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Saigontourist Group, in collaboration with Vietnam Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA), organized a promotion program to showcase Vietnam as a tourist destination in two major cities of Japan, Tokyo and Osaka. This is the largest tourism promotion event of Vietnam in this market since the heavy impact of Covid-19 on the tourism industry.

Japanese businesses find out information at an event promoting Vietnam’s tourism in this country – Japan. Photo: DNCC

According to information from Saigontourist Group, the tourism promotion program took place in Tokyo today (July 12) and will be held in Osaka on July 14. Alongside high-ranking officials from Japan, representatives from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) were invited to the event, along with numerous tourism and aviation business executives from large corporations in Japan. Additionally, representatives from various international and Japanese media agencies also participated in the program.

During the event, Vietnamese aviation and tourism businesses not only introduced the culture, cuisine, and tourism of Vietnam but also extended invitations for cooperation to enhance tourist exchanges between the two sides.

In particular, Saigontourist Group and Vietnam Airlines signed cooperation agreements with partners such as the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), ANA, Peace In Tour, and MS Tour, with a commitment to restore two-way tourism and develop new products for tourists from both countries, increase international flight routes, and promote tourism.

Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Chairman of Saigontourist Group, stated that Japan is a key market for Vietnamese tourism, particularly for Ho Chi Minh City, and is one of the top five important international markets for Saigontourist. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company served over 200,000 Japanese tourists annually. In the opposite direction, Saigontourist’s subsidiary, Saigontourist Travel Service Company, also sent tens of thousands of Vietnamese tourists to Japan each year.

According to Mr. Binh, the hotels, resorts, entertainment facilities, etc., under this company always have products, services, and preferential policies for Japanese tourists. These include a focus on accommodation, cuisine, entertainment, shopping, beauty and aesthetics, and golf. With travel products, in addition to cultural and historical tours, the company also develops various other tours such as sports tourism and golf tourism to cater to visitors from the land of the rising sun.

It is expected that after these two events, Saigontourist Group will collaborate with several partners to organize the Vietnam Food Festival in Tokyo in October of this year.

@Thesaigontimes

Special features at Ho Chi Minh City River Festival

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The Ho Chi Minh City River Festival will be held for the first time over three days, from August 4th to 6th, 2023, with the aim of promoting the development of the city’s characteristic tourism products, diversifying events, festivals for the local people and tourists.

This festival is a unique cultural, entertainment, and artistic event taking place along the Saigon River, combined with experiential activities, shopping promotions, and discounted tickets to artistic performances throughout Ho Chi Minh City.

The highlight of the festival is the art program with the theme “Saigon – The River Tells Its Story” at 8:00 PM on August 6th, 2023, at the Saigon Passenger Port. This program is not only the city’s first live-action show but also a reenactment of the formation of nature and human development through the periods of Gia Dinh – Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City, with the river as a grand witness.

The live-action art performance will utilize 3D technology, mapping onto the entire floor area of the setting on the riverbank; a programmable water music system; a remarkable flyboard show, combined with drone shows and fireworks in the sky, along with lights from dozens of large boats on the river.

A perspective of the art program with the theme “Saigon – The river tells the story”. Photo: Nguyen Phong

In addition, within the festival framework, a series of events will take place, such as the “On the Bank, Under the Boat” space in District 1 (at the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal, from Dien Bien Phu Bridge to Thi Nghe Bridge) and District 8 (along the embankment of Ben Binh Dong Road). These areas will showcase and introduce agricultural products, specialties, and fruits from different regions for locals and visitors to explore and shop. There will also be underwater sports activities such as boat racing, paragliding performances, water-propelled board performances, high-altitude paragliding art performances, canoe shows, SUP rowing interactive activities, taking place at the Bach Dang pier and the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe pier.

Furthermore, from 7:00 PM to 7:40 PM on August 4th and 5th, and from 9:00 PM to 9:40 PM on August 6th, there will be a spectacular procession along the riverbanks, with 30-40 boats decorated by tourism operators on the Saigon River, starting from the Saigon Port and heading towards Landmark 81.

Throughout the event, the park area at Bach Dang pier will host artistic light decorations, cultural and artistic spaces, and engaging folk games to serve the local people and tourists.

Additionally, there will be festival-related activities such as shopping promotions for tourists and locals during the festival, discounted tickets for artistic performances, the Southern Fruit Festival, a documentary film exhibition celebrating the 160-year formation and development of the Saigon Port, and festival-related activities in the districts across the city.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, shared at the event. Photo: Nguyen Phong

Speaking at the press conference introducing the event on the morning of July 12th, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said: “The program not only promotes the city’s history and cultural characteristics but also explores the values from the city’s river and sea resources, contributing to positioning the city’s brand as a culturally rich waterfront metropolis.”

@Thesaigontimes 

The Vietnamese women’s football team is well-equipped with high-quality gear for the upcoming World Cup match.

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Today (July 13), the Vietnamese women’s football team received the equipment provided by FIFA for the duration of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 held in New Zealand and Australia.

To provide the best conditions for training and competition for the teams, FIFA supplies equipment including coolers, water bottles, training equipment bags, match balls, tournament patches on player jerseys, and more. Other training tools will be directly provided by FIFA at the team’s main training ground in the coming days.

Previously, FIFA has provided significant support to the Vietnamese women’s national team regarding accommodation, transportation, and training facilities since their arrival in New Zealand. Sharing during today’s training session (July 13), team captain Huynh Nhu said, “Currently, the team’s health condition is very good, and we are actively preparing for the match against Spain. With the attention of FIFA and the Vietnam Football Federation, the team has excellent living conditions. Prior to this, the team also had a beneficial training camp in Germany with friendly matches. This will be an opportunity for the whole team to gain experiences and learn, thereby preparing the best for the upcoming tournament.”

“I hope everyone will always love and support the Vietnamese women’s national team. The whole team will strive to play their best to repay the trust of Vietnamese football fans,” affirmed Huynh Nhu.

Tomorrow noon (July 14), the Vietnamese women’s national team will have a friendly match against the Spanish women’s national team at 12:30 PM local time. The match will take place at Mc Lennan Park Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.

At the current moment, the Spanish women’s national team, led by the reigning Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, is considered a strong candidate for the World Cup 2023 championship. This continues to be an opportunity for Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team to learn a lot from a world-class women’s team.

After the match against Spain, the Vietnamese women’s national team will officially begin their journey at the World Cup 2023, with their opening match against the defending champions, the United States.

Coinbase Lawyers Argue Biden Student Loans Ruling Aids Defense Against SEC

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Asserting powers over the $1 trillion crypto industry would be of major significance, just like canceling student debt was, the exchange’s lawyers argue.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court judgment on student debt cancellation aids Coinbase’s fight against charges of operating an unregistered securities venue, lawyers for the crypto exchange argued in a Wednesday legal filing.

On June 6, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Coinbase with breaching federal securities law. The exchange says the lawsuit is a bid by the regulator to exert “extraordinary wholesale power” over the $1 trillion digital asset industry and represents a breach of powers of the kind judges recently ruled unlawful.

It’s referring to a Supreme Court ruling on June 30, just days after Coinbase sent its opening defense, that the Secretary of Education had overstepped his authority by canceling around $430 billion in student debt, reinforcing a legal doctrine that says that government agencies need clear support from Congress if taking a decision of major economic or political significance.

Coinbase says that “closely analogous” case, cited as Biden v. Nebraska, will have a bearing on its own, because lawmakers still haven’t set out clear rules for crypto.

“Far from granting the ‘clear congressional authorization’ required for the SEC to exercise such authority, Congress has expressly recognized that it has not yet delegated such regulatory authority and is actively considering regulatory structures for the digital asset industry,” said Coinbase’s filing.

U.S. lawmakers are considering a range of digital asset laws, including a recently revived bipartisan bill by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) which favors giving authority to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than the SEC.

The SEC has argued that digital assets including the tokens tied to Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Polygon (MATIC) constitute regulated securities, and that the Coinbase knew it was violating the law by failing to register its activities. The regulator has also made similar allegations against rivals Binance and Bittrex. All three companies have denied the charges, arguing the regulator has no jurisdiction.

The parties meet later Thursday for a preliminary hearing in a New York courtroom in a trial that could potentially drag on for years. In a separate case, Coinbase recently scored a Supreme Court victory when judges ruled that a lawsuit taken against the exchange by a user couldn’t proceed until after an appeal.

Stader Labs Debuts Ether Staking Product With 6% Yield

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Node operators can begin staking with just 4 ETH on Stader compared to the currently required 32 ETH.

Non-custodial multi-chain liquid staking platform Stader Labs has expanded to Ethereum this week with a product that it says gives the highest yield on ether (ETH) staking compared to other protocols.

Unlike native Ethereum staking, which requires holders to lock up a minimum of 32 ETH, Stader said it would let node operators maintain the network with just 4 ETH — or an 85% lower capital commitment. It’s a 4 ether bond, on which Stader issues an ETHx token, which can be used to represent the entire stake. The remaining 28 ether comes from liquid stakers.

Stader is offering its users a 50% reward boost resulting in a reward rate of over 6%. Meanwhile, with 8x leverage, node operators using Stader’s service can earn up to 35% more yields on their staked ETH.

Popular staking services such as Lido and RocketPool hold a cumulative $15.5 billion worth of ether, with yields ranging from 3% to 4% as of Thursday, data shows.

Staking refers to locking up tokens for a set period of time to maintain network operations of the blockchain, usually in return for token rewards. Such products are widely considered to be a passive investment strategy for investors, comparable to a savings bank.

However, the large presence of these protocols has drawn criticism from some developers, particularly with respect to centralization, which Stader is trying to address.

“While the Ethereum staking ecosystem is already mature and features multiple protocols and services, it’s somewhat centralized today as the top three entities have more than 50% ETH staked on them while the predominant liquid staking protocol has roughly 90% market share,” said Amitej Gajjala, CEO at Stader Labs, told CoinDesk in a message.

“To help alleviate these challenges and maintain our pledge to keep Ethereum decentralized, Stader has imposed a self-limit of 22% share of all staked ETH to mitigate centralization and promote a fair and balanced distribution of power among Ethereum staking solutions,” Gajjala added.

The popularity of liquid staking has been rapidly rising over the past months. In Q1 2023 alone, liquid staking was one of the fastest growing parts of the DeFi sector, showing a 210.9% increase in market capitalization, making it the third largest category in DeFi, according to CoinGecko.

Key Factors of How to Choose CRM Software in USA

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A high-quality CRM is made to effectively handle data across many client profiles and assure you to interact with them in a structured and expert way. Consider that a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) can help you establish and sustain long-lasting connections with contacts and clients. 

It is the most important tool in the sales team’s toolbox. Managing clients gives organizations a better chance to close more transactions, guarantee stronger lead creation, and increase total revenue.When a firm chooses to invest in a CRM system, ensuring it is the best fit for its purposes is important.

First, it’s preferable to consider how well a CRM software USA complements your regular company operations while selecting. It needs to include all the appropriate answers to the challenges and roadblocks you encounter daily or are likely to encounter.

 

Scalability and seamless accessibility

 

User convenience is a known need with any product, and Sales CRM systems are no exception. In addition to being accessible across many platforms, the perfect CRM needs to be cloud-friendly, providing access at any time you want it with lower overhead costs than on-premise alternatives.The most well-known CRM providers provide cloud access through phones, PCs, and any smart device as necessary. Users then can choose the platform they find most comfortable at any given moment, improving connection, usability, efficiency, and productivity. Scalability is another factor to take into account. Will it be simple to add users as your business expands?

 

Not Just for Sales

 

The CRM that is the best match for you is the one that compliments your style of working; there are several CRMs available. From acquiring a lead to finalizing a contract, it will collaborate with your team throughout the sales process.It needs to have the ability to be modified and changed in the future, thanks to built-in flexibility. Most importantly, it should boost every part of the company process, whether sales, customer accounts, marketing, or customer support, and extend its advantages across teams.

Reporting and Customization

 

Departmental processes within a firm differ substantially. Consequently, a top-notch CRM should provide extensive customization to meet the demands of any business.The sales system may be a priceless asset for the business if it can be tailored right down to the level of each user. Software that can provide you with insights into your data via comprehensive reporting is necessary if you want to increase your profitability.

 

Effortless Use

As most firms know, it takes enormous effort to persuade people to adjust to any new system. A user-friendly CRM is far more likely to be accepted and utilized, benefiting you and your staff more.

Most workers are willing to try new things when the design is straightforward to comprehend, utilize, evaluate, and interpret using basic analytics and reports. A basic system is also simpler to teach users since productivity must be increased, not decreased, by a correctly constructed system.

It enables integration with other applications and ERP

 

Any organization needs seamless connection because of the influence it has on costs. Companies utilize several tools to deliver a 360-degree perspective of sales and marketing. Therefore, connection with ERP is a crucial component of contemporary CRM software.

By saving time and effort, seamless integration allows you to engage with clients and colleagues more effectively. Additionally, it provides a clearer picture of client data, enabling difficulties and improving customer service. The best CRMs will seamlessly integrate with social networking networks and other third-party applications or sync all tools.

CRMs like Zoho and Salesforce make it simple to synchronize with ERPs thanks to Commercial SYNC, the top sales data integration tool that combines your ERP data with the CRM to improve the effectiveness of your sales system.

Among the ERP data you can access directly in your sales system are customer information, terms, serial numbers, inventory, bill-to and ship-to addresses, invoicing, branch/division details, and more. New orders and new or updated customers are synced from CRM to ERP.

 

Provider’s Reputation

 

Consumers are undoubtedly perplexed and overwhelmed since there are so many CRM solutions on the market. According to studies and assessments, dependability is a factor that cannot always be determined by size or cost. The stability or reputation of a company or supplier does, however, suggest that your investment is secure. Reputable software vendors support their products with first-rate support, instruction, and any additional tools required for easy usage. The benefit of selecting an established business over a fresher one is that you can be sure that all of your data is secure now and in the future.

 

Support

 

Even the finest software programs sometimes need support services. Depending on the CRM provider or the package, after-sales assistance may come with the license or individually. Additionally, all top CRM companies provide a database of qualified developers, enabling businesses to quickly access outside experts and their own support teams to address any difficulties that may arise.

When knowledge is freely accessible in the market, internal training may be easily handled. These consultants often have a good working connection with the CRM software provider and may provide solutions at a much lower price. Consequently, there are minimal disruptions to work.

Fee for the CRM

Everything has a budget, as we all know. Therefore, small and medium-sized businesses must consider the advantages and disadvantages of price when selecting a CRM.The aspects that the cost will cover and those that may need further expenditure must be carefully considered by businesses. Along with the down payment, the budget should allow training, after-sales support, and upgrades. Any necessary modification, integration, or additional equipment may be needed and have a cost.

Nghe An: A huge fire broke out in a pine forest

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Accordingly, on July 12, at about 9:30 a.m., a fire started in the pine forest region of Phu Loc hamlet, Thuong Tan Loc commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. The fire was discovered at a time when the sun was scorching and the wind was strong, causing the fire to spread to surrounding woodlands.

The temperature was scorching, and the foliage was dense, making firefighting difficult. Photo: TRAN SAM

Following information from the local government, hundreds of officers and soldiers from the Military Region 4 Marine Corps, including the 414th Engineer Brigade, the Ministry of Public Security of Nghe An province, and the Nam Dan district special-use forest management board, forest rangers, police, and numerous fire fighting vehicles arrived on the scene to work with local functional forces and people to put out forest fires.

Officers and soldiers tried to control the fire. Photo: TRAN SAM

The fire was mostly contained by 5:00 p.m. that day; but, due to the continued hot weather and dense vegetation, the fire flared up again that evening. According to initial estimates, the fire destroyed nearly the whole pine forest in Phu Loc hamlet, Thuong Tan Loc commune, Nam Dan district. It is anticipated that the overall burnt forest area is around 20 hectares.

Local authorities and military troops are already mobilizing forces and vehicles to fight the fire throughout the night.

@qdnd.vn

Proposed restoration of world’s most beautiful fishing village on Ha Long Bay

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The People’s Committee of Ha Long City has issued a document regarding the resolution of the proposal from the Management Board of Ha Long Bay to repair and renovate the Cua Van fishing village.

Today (July 12), the People’s Committee of Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province, announced that it has issued a document requiring departments of the city to plan for investment and repair of the Cua Van Floating Cultural Center, the fishing jetties of Cua Van Village, and Vung Vieng to serve the development of tourism products in Ha Long Bay.

Many wooden houses in Cua Van fishing village are sinking into the water

Accordingly, the People’s Committee of Ha Long City has assigned the Department of Finance and Planning to provide advice and carry out procedures for establishing investment and repair plans for the Cua Van Floating Cultural Center, the fishing jetties of Cua Van Village, and Vung Vieng to ensure compliance with regulations. This also includes the electrical system in the Dau Go Cave, the Dau Go Cave tourist site, and the Thien Cung Cave.

The iron frame that supports the wooden houses that have been corroded by sea water for a long time has rusted and been badly damaged

The document specifies that the Department of Finance and Planning will allocate funds from the Ha Long Bay entrance fees for investment and repair purposes in 2023.

Earlier, VietNamNet reported on the deteriorating condition of the Cua Van fishing village and the numerous damages it has incurred.

The iron frame is no longer able to bear the weight of wooden houses

Cua Van fishing village in Ha Long Bay, with its peaceful and picturesque beauty, was recently included by Bright Side, an educational, cultural, and tourism news site, in the list of the world’s beautiful fairytale-like villages.

According to Bright Side, Cua Van fishing village is an ideal destination for those seeking tranquility and wanting to immerse themselves in the stunning natural scenery. In late March, the famous travel magazine Travel + Leisure also proposed a list of the 16 most beautiful coastal towns in the world, which included Cua Van fishing village in Vietnam.

Due to damage in many places, Cua Van fishing village is now empty of visitors

However, according to VietNamNet’s observations, the current condition of Cua Van fishing village is severely deteriorating, with some areas gradually sinking into the sea.

@Vietnamnet

Bamboo Airways CEO resigns after 2 months

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Not only the CEO, but also the Board of Directors of Bamboo Airways undergoes reshuffle despite being newly elected in June.

Recently, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hai, the CEO of Bamboo Airways, submitted his resignation letter. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trong, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume the position of Mr. Hai in the near future.

It is worth noting that Mr. Hai’s tenure lasted only a mere 2 months before resigning.

The Board of Directors of Bamboo Airways has also approved the resignation of 4 members of the Board, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Oshima Hideki, the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Board of Directors, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trong, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Doan Huu Doan, and Mr. Phan Dinh Tue.

Additionally, Bamboo Airways’ Board of Directors has passed a decision to elect new members for the term 2023 – 2028 to replace the resigning members.

According to the results of the election for the new members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Le Thai Sam will assume the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Oshima Hideki will hold the position of Deputy Chairman of the Standing Board of Directors, and Mr. Le Ba Nguyen and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trong will take on the roles of Deputy Chairmen of the Board of Directors.

Therefore, Mr. Phan Dinh Tue and Mr. Doan Huu Doan will not be part of the new leadership team of the Board of Directors.

Bamboo Airways stated that the restructuring of the Board of Directors and the executive management team is part of the ongoing process to optimize the entire workforce as part of Bamboo Airways’ organizational restructuring efforts.

According to the plan, Bamboo Airways is expected to operate a fleet of 30-36 aircraft by the end of this year, maintaining a seat utilization rate of 81.5% and an on-time departure rate of over 90%.

With these plans, the airline expects its passenger and cargo transport revenue to grow by 15-20% compared to 2022.

In terms of route network, the airline plans to continue maintaining its domestic route network connecting all 22 airports within the country and expand its routes to target international markets in Europe, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

@Zing News 

End of operation for Management Board of Van Don Economic Zone

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Government has instructed the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province to terminate the pilot establishment of the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board after 3 years of experimentation.

A corner of Van Don Economic Zone (Quang Ninh province). Photo: Quoc Nam.

The government has recently issued Resolution 101 to end the pilot establishment of the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board under the jurisdiction of the Quang Ninh province People’s Committee.

In this Rrmination of the pilot establishment of the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board in accordance with current laws and regulations.

Previously, after the expiration of the 3-year pilot period for the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board, the Quang Ninh province People’s Committee proposed in a document to end the pilot model and transfer the responsibilities of this management board to the Quang Ninh Economic Zone Management Board.

The Van Don Economic Zone Management Board, under the jurisdiction of the Quang Ninh province People’s Committee, was established on April 21, 2020, with a pilot implementation period of 3 years.

Specifically, the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board is a subsidiary agency of the Quang Ninh province People’s Committee, responsible for direct state management over the Van Don Economic Zone.

This agency is responsible for managing and organizing the provision of public administrative services and other related support services regarding investment, production, and business activities for investors within the economic zone.

According to the report of the Quang Ninh province People’s Committee, during the 3-year pilot operation of the Van Don Economic Zone Management Board, investment attraction efforts have shown remarkable improvement compared to the previous period. Specifically, the economic zone has attracted additional capital investment of over 37.826 trillion Vietnamese dong from non-budget sources, which is 1.5 times higher than the registered capital in the previous period combined.

@Zing News 

Vietnam Airlines to dismiss pilots testing positive for banned substances

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Testing found banned substances in blood and urine of the pilot, which is unrelated to the use of the two pain medications that the pilot had declared.

On July 12th, Vietnam Airlines reported to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam regarding the coordinated results with the Aviation Medical Center (AMC) to clarify the case of pilot P.H.D. who tested positive for a banned substance.

According to the statement from the AMC, the presence of banned substances in the pilot’s blood and urine is unrelated to the use of the two pain medications that the pilot had declared.

Previously, based on the airline’s preventive testing results, the pilot P.H.D.’s test sample was found to contain banned substances. During the subsequent investigation, the pilot provided information about two pain medications being used, but there was no prescription from a doctor.

“Based on the report from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the airline will proceed with the disciplinary procedures and handle pilot P.H.D. according to regulations. This pilot will face the highest disciplinary measure, which is termination of employment,” said Mr. Dang Anh Tuan, spokesperson for Vietnam Airlines.

Vietnam Airlines reaffirms that ensuring operational safety, passenger health, and the well-being of their employees are their top priorities. Therefore, the airline actively conducts inspections and reviews to promptly detect and handle any violations of regulations and internal policies in this field.

In particular, pilot health checks are regularly and randomly conducted by the airline. Any misconduct is dealt with strictly and without cover-up.

@Zing News 

Ho Chi Minh City is promoting medical tourism

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Every year, around 300,000 international tourists come to Vietnam for medical examinations and treatment, with Ho Chi Minh City receiving 40% of them. The potential is huge. As a result, in order to attract international visitors, Ho Chi Minh City has created a sort of medical tourism with the participation of dozens of medical facilities.

Medical staff at Ho Chi Minh City Odonto-Stomatology Hospital have been planning for a long time to participate in the medical tourism program. Therefore, if there are international patients, the physicians, and nurses may quickly share treatment information.

In addition to providing human resources, the hospital has technological resources in place for connecting treatment throughout the process for patients returning home.

Ho Chi Minh City now has 13 public and private hospitals participating in the medical tourism program. There are hospitals with remarkable fields that are Vietnam’s medical strengths, such as maxillofacial surgery, infertility, traditional medicine, specialized techniques, etc.

There is both possibility and preparation. However, attracting and retaining international visitors is also a challenge. Medical tourism development requires the creation of self-improvement facilities.

According to tourism industry statistics, the number of international visitors traveling to Vietnam for medical treatment and tourism is continuously growing, with an annual income of around $2 billion USD. Therefore, the combination of tourism and health is likely to attract a large number of people interested in exploring this market potential.

@vtv.vn

Luke Nguyen and the culinary journey across Vietnam by train

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Luke Nguyen wants to show the world that his country is home to hundreds of other famous meals than pho and banh mi.

The series consists of ten episodes shot over the course of 35 days in Vietnam, each one related to a location along a 2,000-kilometer journey from south to north connected by the Thong Nhat railway.

Chef Luke Nguyen cooks Hoi An chicken rice in episode 4 of the documentary series – Photo: SBS

Luke Nguyen is both a tourist and an explorer on this adventure, discovering local culture and eventually preparing local foods with a little alteration according to his personal style.

Luke Nguyen describes it as “a sensory journey combining a love of Vietnamese food, travel, and culture.”

Luke Nguyen cooks popular dishes in each region on the spot – Photo: SBS

Luke Nguyen’s Railway Vietnam was produced by Australia’s SBS in 2019 and won the prestigious award for Best Lifestyle Program at the 25th Asia Television Awards (2020).

The film has been displayed in 150 countries worldwide, including Vietnam (where Netflix has just purchased the rights to release in June 2023).

Luke Nguyen – the owner of eight successful restaurants in Australia and Vietnam, author of eight best-selling culinary books, and host and producer of many culinary television shows around the world – has created one of the most interesting and original concept documentary series to celebrate Vietnamese food and tourism.

 

MicroStrategy Only Needs to Liquidate Bitcoin in Extreme Price Corrections: Bernstein

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A more robust bitcoin price means the company has a stronger balance sheet, a higher share price and easier debt repayment without the need to sell down its cryptocurrency holdings, the report said.

MicroStrategy’s (MSTR) plan to raise long term debt puts it under pressure to liquidate its bitcoin (BTC) holdings, but only in case of extreme price corrections, especially around its debt expiry which is due in mid-2025, broker Bernstein said in a report Tuesday.

Higher bitcoin prices means MicroStrategy has a stronger balance sheet, a higher share price and easier debt repayment without the need to sell down its cryptocurrency holdings, the report said. Furthermore, strong bitcoin prices and a higher stock price, allows the company to raise new debt or equity and to redeem existing convertible notes, the broker said.

Conversely, if bitcoin crashes and reaches “absolute depressed prices” and the value of MicroStrategy’s cryptocurrency holdings do not cover debt and certain covenants post June 2025, the “corporate structure would come under pressure from ‘spring forward’ clauses – 2028 due debt does have liquidity covenants which could spring forward the debt to 2025/26”, the report added.

“Given bitcoin’s volatility, using debt as a strategy is always precarious, and one-off forced liquidations can never be ruled out completely,” analysts led by Gautam Chhugani wrote.

MicroStrategy holds around 152,000 bitcoin, with a total cost basis of about $4.5 billion, and an average price of roughly $29,600, the note said. The market value of MicroStrategy’s cryptocurrency assets form about 0.78% of the total bitcoin in supply and account for around 20% of daily average BTC trading volume, the analysts wrote.

The market value of bitcoin assets form 95% of the market capitalization of MicroStrategy and net of debt raised to buy BTC, equate to about 49% of the market cap of the company, the report added.

MicroStrategy’s ability to refinance its debt maturities would be greatly enhanced if its share price, and the value of its bitcoin holdings, were to increase meaningfully, investment bank Berenberg said in a report on Monday.

U.S. Senate Finance Committee Asks Crypto Industry for Tax Guidance

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In a letter made public on Tuesday, Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo sought cryptocurrency industry comment around nine topics.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance sought the help of the cryptocurrency industry to better understand how Congress can address the tax challenges and opportunities presented by digital assets.

In a letter made public on Tuesday, Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo posed a series of questions around nine subjects including loans of digital assets, wash sales and staking and mining.

“In recent months, the Committee on Finance initiated a bipartisan effort to identify key questions that lie at the intersection of digital assets and tax law,” the letter said. “The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (IRC), draws distinctions between types of property, with no straightforward classification for digital assets. This uncertainty creates complex reporting issues for taxpayers …”

The Committee will collect answers until Sept. 8, 2023.

Last month, House lawmakers urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to promptly release planned crypto tax rules so the industry can be brought into full compliance. In April, an IRS official said the agency hoped to implement a new operating plan for dealing with cryptocurrencies in the next “12-ish” months.

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