Latest news with #VNA
The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Vietnam sees seafood exports surge rather than plummet
Seafood exports turnover to the United States reached US$905mil in the first six months of the year. — VNA/VNS HANOi: Unstable US tariff policies is causing Vietnam's seafood exports to surge rather than plummet in the first half of the year. Seafood exports turnover to the United States reached US$905mil in the first six months of the year, marking an impressive growth rate of 17.5%. Le Hang, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said that the growth momentum mainly came from businesses rushing to fulfil orders in May, aiming to complete transactions before the United States' scheduled retaliatory tariffs on July 9. This short-term acceleration is clearly reflected in monthly data. After stable growth in March and April, exports to the United States surged by 61% month-on-month in May. Immediately afterwards, as the tariff deadline approached and a 'wait and see' mentality prevailed, exports suddenly dropped sharply in June, by nearly 18% year-on-year. The three main product groups including shrimp, pangasius and tuna, continued to lead, accounting for 77% of total turnover with a value of more than US$700mil. A notable development was the shift in market rankings. The leading market for many years, the United States now accounts for only 17% of the market share, losing its top position to China, which imported US$1.1bil of Vietnamese seafood, a sharp increase of 45% compared to the same period last year. 'This is considered an inevitable consequence of an unstable trade environment due to US tariff policies,' Hang said. 'Since April this year, the Trump administration has continuously used retaliatory tariffs as a negotiating tool, issuing a series of announcements and rapid changes in tariff rates, implementation times and affected parties.' Initially, the tariff roadmap was set for July 9, but just before that date, Trump unexpectedly announced a postponement to August 1. — Viet Nam News/ANN
The Star
21 hours ago
- The Star
Recovered body in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay identified as boat accident victim
Authorities bring the body found in Ha Long Bay ashore for identification. - Photo: VNA/VNS HANOI: A male victim of last weekend's fatal tourist boat accident was recovered from Ha Long Bay on Tuesday (July 22), according to the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee. Local authorities on Tuesday afternoon confirmed he was a victim of the tourist boat Vinh Xanh 58 accident, following postmortem analysis and identification at Bai Chay Hospital. Search and rescue forces found him in an area between Bai Chay Beach and Dau Go Cave, near the waters where the vessel capsized on July 19. Vinh Xanh 58 was on a sightseeing tour with 49 people on board in Ha Long Bay when it was hit by a sudden thunderstorm and overturned in strong winds and rough seas. Only 10 people survived the accident, while two people remain missing. Identified bodies have been handed over to their families for funeral services. The search mission has been hindered by Typhoon Wipha, which made landfall in northern Vietnam on Tuesday morning. - Vietnam News/ANN
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Vietnam among world's Top 10 countries in AI awareness, readiness
HANOI: (Bernama-VNA) Vietnam has jumped to sixth place out of 40 countries in the World AI Index 2025, marking its first entry into the global top 10 for AI awareness and readiness, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. The rankings, released by the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN), are based on survey data from 40 countries. In Vietnam, the survey was conducted by Indochina Research with 900 respondents across four major cities between December 2024 and January 2025. Vietnam scored 59.2 out of 100, surpassing many developed nations. The score reflects an average of seven indicators namely AI usage, trust, acceptance, efficiency, usability, comfort and interest. The country ranked third globally in AI trust with 65.6 points and fifth in AI acceptance at 71.6 points. Indicators such as comfort and efficiency also exceeded global averages, signalling growing optimism among Vietnamese urban residents. However, actual AI usage remains low, with a score of 37.6, ranking 17th out of 40. While 60 per cent of residents in major cities have tried AI, only 3 per cent use it daily. Only 36 per cent of Vietnamese expressed concern about AI generating misinformation, such as deepfakes -- the lowest among all AI-related concerns. The report recommends expanding AI access in non-urban areas and among older populations, improving public education on AI's benefits, and building trust through transparent and secure AI systems. Despite Vietnam's high ranking, a large segment of the population still lacks access to AI, presenting opportunities to scale up usage and innovation, the report said. - Bernama-VNA
The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
Boy's body recovered by rescuers, death toll in Vietnam's Ha Long boat tragedy hits 36
QUANG NINH, Vietnam (Bernama-VNA): Rescue teams on Monday morning recovered the body of a six-year-old boy, one of the last four remaining victims unaccounted for following the tragic capsizing of the Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat on July 19 in Ha Long Bay, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh. Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported the provincial People's Committee said the boy's body was found near Ti Top Island during an expanded search operation. The child had been travelling with his family as part of an eight-member group. His mother and two other relatives died in the incident. After the body was brought ashore, it was transferred to a medical facility for necessary post-mortem procedures. So far, the maritime disaster has claimed the lives of 36 people, with 10 survivors rescued and three individuals still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing under difficult conditions, as Quang Ninh also braces for the arrival of Typhoon Wipha, the third of its kind to enter East Sea so far this year. Vinh Xanh 58, registration number QN-7105, departed from the Ha Long International Passenger Port in Bai Chay ward at around 1:30pm on July 19 with 49 people on board, including 46 passengers and three crew members. It was en route along Tour Route 2 of Ha Long Bay when it was hit by a sudden, violent thunderstorm near Dau Go Cave. The storm capsized the boat within a few minutes, plunging dozens of passengers into the sea. Emergency response teams and local residents quickly mobilised in a race to rescue survivors. Authorities continue to expand the search radius and deploy drones and divers as they work urgently to find the remaining missing individuals. - Bernama-VNA
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Boy survives Vietnam boat sinking that killed dozens by sheltering in air pocket
HANOI — A boy survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam which killed dozens of people by sheltering in an air pocket of the overturned vessel, it has emerged. The 10-year-old had been traveling with his family in Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay when the vessel they were sailing on became caught in a sudden storm. Trapped in the boat as it capsized, the boy found refuge in an underwater air pocket, where he stayed and waited for help. He was eventually found by rescue teams relatively unharmed, although he was suffering from mental distress. He was warmed up and transferred to a nearby hospital, local outlet VietnamNet reported. 'Everything happened so fast,' the boy said. 'I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.' Search and rescue efforts are continuing for missing passengers and crew after sightseeing ship the Wonder Sea capsized in a squall on Saturday but have been hampered by bad weather. At least 36 people are confirmed dead from the sinking, state media reported on Monday. Vietnam News Agency said there were 53 passengers and crew on board and 10 people had been rescued. Three people remain Monday, rescue teams recovered the body of a six-year-old boy who had been traveling with his family, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency. The child's body was found close to a nearby island, VNA reported, citing local survivor, a 36-year-old Vietnamese man, described escaping the overturned boat by dumping his life jacket and swimming through an underwater extinguisher salesman Dang Anh Tuan described the moment the vessel suddenly capsized during bad weather, leaving little time for those on board to react.'It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,' Tuan told the Associated said that the boat quickly filled with water and he lost all orientation.'I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,' he along with several others who had been on board, clung onto the overturned boat and waited for another two hours in pouring rain until emergency crews been holidaying in Vietnam's popular tourist bay with 11 university friends. Only three of their group Express reported that the Wonder Sea was caught in a storm around 1.30 p.m. local time (2.30 a.m. ET), which caused it to of the passengers were from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and traveling as families, according to VN Express, which reported the eldest passenger as 53 years old and the youngest as just 3. Over 20 children were on board, VNExpress capsize reportedly happened near the Dau Go Cave – one of the largest in the Bay is a popular tourist hotspot and a UNESCO world heritage site comprising about 1,600 limestone islands and islets. — CNN
