Mosconi Cup star Jayson Shaw will defend his Hanoi Open Pool Championship title in Vietnam later this year, live on Sky Sports. The tournament will feature a stellar line-up, including local luminaries and top Asian players. With a prize fund of $200,000, the event aims to build upon the overwhelming success of last year’s tournament. The Hanoi Open will follow a similar format, with 256 players competing for a grand prize pool.
Southern and central Vietnam have been experiencing scorching heat, leading to a massive fish die-off in a reservoir in Dong Nai province. The extreme temperatures and water management issues are believed to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish, causing distress among locals and prompting an investigation by authorities. The reservoir, a vital water source for crops, has seen declining water levels as a result of efforts to divert water for irrigation and renovations to remove sediment. Despite attempts to increase water levels and provide more space for the fish, the efforts proved futile as many succumbed to the extreme conditions.
Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has resigned amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Hue’s resignation follows the arrest of his assistant on charges of power abuse. The move marks the latest in a series of high-level resignations in Vietnam, including that of former President Vo Van Thuong.
Bear Grylls embarks on a thrilling adventure in the heart of Vietnam in Man vs. Wild Season 4. Battling blood-sucking leeches and a deadly spitting cobra, Grylls showcases his extraordinary survival skills in the face of extreme wilderness challenges. The season also features Grylls navigating simulated urban disasters, highlighting the difficulties of finding clean drinking water and navigating treacherous environments. With stunning visuals and expert commentary, Man vs. Wild Season 4 offers a gripping look into the art of survival in the most unforgiving terrains.
Mohammed Yusuf Ansari, a 25-year-old from Mumbai, fell victim to a job scam that took him to Cambodia and Vietnam. Suspecting something was wrong, Yusuf ran away from the fraudulent activities he was pressured to engage in and made his way back to India with the help of family and friends. He revealed the details of the deceitful scheme, highlighting the manipulation and financial exploitation involved.
China’s demand for durians continues to surge, prompting domestic producers to increase their output and processors to innovate with value-added products. Thailand and Vietnam, the major suppliers to China, are also enhancing their durian industries to maintain market dominance.
Vietnam, a significant rice exporter, has pledged to reduce methane emissions in the rice industry. Recent research reveals annual industry losses exceeding $400 million, highlighting the urgency of reshaping the sector. Farmers like Vo Van Van are implementing innovative techniques such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation and drone fertilization to reduce water usage and methane emissions. These practices have demonstrated cost savings, increased yield, and access to premium markets. Furthermore, the Loc Troi Group, a leading rice exporter, is expanding the adoption of these methods to achieve Vietnam’s target of growing high-quality, low-emission rice on 1 million hectares of farmland by 2030.
The inaugural Ho Chi Minh Film Festival (HIFF) showcased over 100 films and attracted 280,000 visitors, setting its sights on becoming the largest film festival in Southeast Asia. Industry professionals praised the festival’s scale and ambition, which included a script lab, workshop, and project market. Despite some challenges, such as a lack of a major cinema center and censorship issues, the festival received positive feedback from international attendees and is poised to contribute to the growth of Vietnam’s film industry. The Vietnamese film industry had the highest box office revenue in Southeast Asia in 2023, surpassing Indonesia, and HIFF aims to promote Ho Chi Minh City as a regional film hub.
Vietnam’s FPT will establish a $200 million AI factory utilizing Nvidia’s technology to bolster AI research and develop applications in fields such as generative AI and autonomous driving. The partnership aims to transform Vietnam into an AI hub.
Vietnam, the world’s third-largest rice exporter, is facing a paradox: rice is vulnerable to climate change but also contributes to it by releasing methane. To address this, Vietnamese farmers are adopting new techniques such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), which reduces water usage and methane emissions. Drones are being used for precise fertilizer application, and rice stubble is no longer burned, but collected for other uses. These methods help farmers reduce costs, increase yields, and contribute to environmental sustainability. Vietnam is also working to expand the use of climate-resilient rice varieties and improve drying facilities to adapt to changing weather patterns.
