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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402944

Vietnam expects hospitality recovery in 2021: Savills

Feb 23. 2021The hospitalilty market’s average occupancy of 62 per cent country wide in 2019 collapsed to just 24 per cent in 2020. Photo danviet.vn

By Viet Nam News/ANN

HÀ NỘI – January started on a positive note, with city hotels seeing increased MICE and event bookings, while in some resorts corporate bookings started to return, according to Savills Việt Nam.

“The market in 2021 is expected to be broadly similar with most of 2020, at least until borders reopen to leisure and business trade. Hotels have adapted by considerably reducing operating costs to establish lower breakeven points. The good news is that several destinations are still performing at acceptable levels,” Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels APAC, said.

“Performance in December and January was positive for destinations like Phú Quốc or Vũng Tàu, which have the essential appeals to both local leisure travellers and year-end company trips. In addition, over the past few months there has been very encouraging growth of MICE demand in city hotels. Some city hotels have used promotions, such as “staycation” packages, or F&B deals to nurture local demand, which have supported performance.”

Mauro said: “The market is in a slow recovery. Local demand, even if delivering a strong rebound, has not proven steady enough to support hotel and resort performance. Weekends have been acceptable, but weekday demand is low. Most hotels, by cutting costs, have tried to find lower operational breakeven points, and only a few will be able to see a decent result for 2020. Expectations for 2021 are positive but mainly focused on the third quarter and fourth quarter when travel restrictions are anticipated to be eased, with corporate guests and independent travellers from neighbouring countries able to return and partially support the hotel and resort market.”

The recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in Hải Dương and Quảng Ninh have seen preventative measures reinstated across the country. Vân Đồn International Airport was closed after 10 security personnel were found to be infected.

In many localities, containment measures are back, with greater focus on hygiene, mask wearing, washing hands, urging limitation of unnecessary travel, and restrictions of social gatherings, according to Savills.

Hà Nội has ordered events and festivals celebrating Tết to be cancelled while authorities in HCM City immediately raised public awareness following a confirmed infection connected to Hải Dương.

“There has been an immediate impact on the hospitality business with several cancellations across the country, not only in the affected destinations but anywhere with access via an airport. Prior to these local transmissions, the industry was anticipating increased travel demand during and after the Tết holiday, which would have been a good start to the year, however, the situation has changed everything,” Mauro said.

Travel interests are diminishing in a mist of uncertainty with air travel demand dropping 15 per cent immediately after the news release. Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport estimated a sharp drop of 26.5 per cent in air passenger traffic over the Tết holiday compared to last year. Online flight search demand to Đà Nẵng and HCM City during this “peak period of the year” dropped 35 per cent and 34 per cent week-on-week respectively, according to OTA Insight.

“Some companies immediately enforced travel restrictions, with requests to limit attending events or large gatherings. This has directly affected MICE business in city hotels, where several conferences have been put on hold or delayed. Drive-to destinations have also been affected by weekend cancellations,” Mauro said.

“The resurgence of local COVID-19 transmission once again demonstrates its immediate impact on the tourism industry. Travel agencies and hotels are no longer surprised with “the unexpected” but this happening right before the Tết holiday has hurt public travelling interests.”

“With the Government speeding up vaccine testing and imports, I hope the situation is soon under control. Hospitality is highly vulnerable to adverse effects. It will only be when people feel confident and safe enough to travel will recovery truly be underway,” Mauro Gasparotti added.

COVID-19 has caused significant disruption to the Việt Nam tourism industry. In 2020, international arrivals of just 3.8 million were down 78 per cent compared to 2019, while the 56 million domestic travellers were down 34 per cent.

Performance of hotels and resorts slumped, with many forced into temporary closure. Occupancies and average daily rates (ADR) both dropped, resulting in revenues being down 70 per cent compared to 2019.

In Hà Nội, average occupancy was 32 per cent in 2020 compared to the average of 80 per cent in 2019, while in HCM City, it dropped from 72 per cent to 23 per cent. The average occupancy of 62 per cent countrywide in 2019 collapsed to just 24 per cent in 2020.

According to a report on the real estate market of the Ministry of Construction, the number of licensed tourism and resort projects nationwide fell sharply in the third quarter with 47 per cent from the previous quarter.

There were almost no changes in number of licensed projects in the North and the South. However, those projects in the Central region increased significantly, adding 37 projects, about six times higher than the previous quarter.

The Central region is also the region with the most resort projects in the country, with about 18,600 serviced apartments and 6,100 tourist villas under construction. VNS

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402943

Singapore begins islandwide Covid-19 vaccination drive for seniors aged 70 and above

Feb 23. 2021An elderly couple receiving their Covid-19 vaccination at Senja-Cashew Community Club on Feb 22, 2021. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

By Shabana Begum
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – Since receiving the smallpox vaccine as a young boy, Mr Tan Hong San, 78, has become a strong believer in the importance of inoculation to prevent disease.

This was what prompted him to have his Covid-19 shot on Monday (Feb 22) at Senja-Cashew Community Club after receiving his letter last week inviting him to sign up.

After receiving the vaccination, his heart rate increased for a bit but went back to normal within a few minutes.

“I feel okay, normal. I wanted to take a vaccine now rather than later. It’s our way of overcoming the pandemic,” the retiree told the media.

Mr Tan, who has diabetes and high cholesterol, earlier consulted his family physician, who gave him the green light to take the vaccine.

Those with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, and those with medical co-morbidities who are at risk of serious, life-threatening disease and death from Covid-19 are encouraged to take the vaccine.

Mr Tan was one of many seniors who were inoculated on Monday as Singapore began its nationwide vaccination programme for seniors aged 70 and above.

This next phase in the inoculation drive comes after a pilot in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar vaccinated more than 5,000 elderly people in the same age range from Jan 27.

Seniors are at a higher risk of severe disease or complications from Covid-19 infection, and have been prioritised for vaccination.

With three more vaccination centres at community centres and community clubs starting operations by today in Bukit Timah, Marine Parade and Taman Jurong, this brings the total number of vaccination sites in Singapore to 56. They include 14 vaccination centres in the heartland, 20 polyclinics, and 22 Public Health Preparedness Clinics.

By mid-March, 31 vaccination centres will be in operation, with at least one in each town.

In total, there will eventually be around 40 centres, with each planned for an estimated capacity of 2,000 jabs a day.

The 14 vaccination centres are currently open from 9am to 5pm, and will progressively be open from 8am to 10pm.

All seniors will be able to receive their vaccination by mid-March.

By the first week of March , seniors aged 70 and above will receive personalised letters inviting them to sign up for vaccination. Those living near polyclinics or vaccination centres will receive their letters first.

Vaccination for seniors aged 60 to 69 will start from around the end of March, and they will receive their letters from the middle of the month.

The vaccination centre in Senja-Cashew Community Club’s sports hall is operated by Thomson Medical, which runs another centre in Bishan Community Club.

Some of the seniors who turned up to receive their shots at Senja-Cashew Community Club on Monday had them deferred until further notice because vaccination was not recommended for them at this time.

People with severely compromised immune systems or a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions are not advised to take the Covid-19 vaccination. Those who have untreated cancer, or are undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy, should defer vaccination as well.

Some of those whose jabs were deferred at the vaccination centre in Senja-Cashew Community Club had a history of severe drug allergies, said Dr Lin Zhi Yong, the medical officer in charge.

“The vaccine is currently not recommended for those with severe allergic reactions, or those on blood thinning medication that causes their platelet level to be too low. For these cases, we will defer them from vaccination until further notice from the Ministry of Health,” added Dr Lin.

“We will advise these individuals to continue wearing their masks, practise good hand hygiene and encourage those around them to get the vaccination done when their chance comes.”

Before the seniors get vaccinated, they have to register and undergo screening, where healthcare workers at the registration counter will ask them about their medical history and questions such as whether they are on blood-thinning medication or if they have food or drug allergies.

“If some of them are unsure about their medical history, we can check the National Electronic Health Record. Some of the residents will bring their own medical records, like their latest blood test reports and medication lists,” Dr Lin added.

As at last Thursday, more than 5,000 seniors from Tanjong Pagar and Ang Mo Kio have received their first dose of the vaccine.

Those who had the jab at Senja-Cashew Community Club said they felt good afterwards, and had no adverse reactions. Some of them learnt about the vaccination drive from their children and from the news.

Madam Ng Sam Mui, 74, who took the vaccine with her husband, Mr Tan Kew Sing, 78, said: “I feel safe now after getting the vaccine. There is nothing to be scared about. It’s just an injection.”

After his jab, cleaner Cheng Choon Kiang, 78, said: “I don’t feel anything at all, normal. No pain, nothing. I don’t feel feverish. It would be even better once I take the second jab for full protection.”

The coffee-shop cleaner added that he plans to encourage his neighbours and co-workers to take the vaccine.

“I meet a lot of people in the coffee shop. I will tell them to come for the jab. I’ll show them my jab also,” he said, animatedly.

As at last Thursday, about 250,000 people have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Of those, more than 110,000 have also received their second dose.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402942

WHO head urges wealthy nations not to undermine COVAX program

Feb 23. 2021Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO. [Photo/Agencies]

By Bo Leung
China Daily/ANN

The head of the World Health Organization, or WHO, has called on richer countries not to undermine the United Nations-led COVAX program, which supports a global equitable sharing of COVID-19 vaccines, and to ensure poorer countries do not miss out on available doses.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, said some high-income countries are entering contracts with vaccine manufacturers that undermine the deals COVAX has in place, and reduce the number of doses it can buy.

On Friday, leaders from several G7 countries and the European Union committed $4.3 billion in new funding to finance the equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19.

Tedros thanked them for the contributions but warned that “money is not the only challenge we face”.

“If there are no vaccines to buy, money is irrelevant,” the WHO chief said. “Even if we have the funds, we can only deliver vaccines to poorer countries if high-income countries cooperate in respecting the deals COVAX has done, and the new deals it is doing.”

He pointed out that it is in the interest of all countries, including wealthy nations, “to ensure that health workers, older people and other at-risk groups are first in line for vaccines globally”.

“To achieve this, we need more funding, we need countries to share doses immediately, we need manufacturers to prioritize contracts with COVAX, and we also need a significant increase in the production of vaccines,” Tedros said.

He also commented on the pledge by France’s President Emmanuel Macron to share five percent of the country’s doses with COVAX, and added that “more vaccines are being developed, approved and produced. There will be enough for everyone”.

“But for now and for the rest of this year, vaccines will be a limited resource,” he said. “We must use them as strategically as we can.”

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402902

Fast underground train rolls into Guangzhou

Feb 22. 2021A subway train is hoisted onto a sidetrack in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Saturday. The train, the first to operate on the city’s lines 18 and 22, will run at up to 160 kilometers per hour. The lines are expected to begin operating in June. [Photo/Xinhua]

By ZHENG CAIXIONG
China Daily/ANN

An underground train that will reach speeds of more than 160 kilometers an hour was transported to a depot in Nansha district of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Sunday.

The train, manufactured by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive based in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, was delivered as the depot became ready to host trains.

The train will initially operate between Nansha and downtown Guangzhou after a few months of safety tests are completed.

It will become the first underground train traveling at 160 km/h to be put into use in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Bay Area includes nine cities in Guangdong’s Pearl River Delta, plus Hong Kong and Macao.

The fast underground train will help shorten travel times between the Nansha Pilot Free Trade Zone at the mouth of the Pearl River and Guangzhou’s central business district.

It will also play a role in further promoting the economic construction of Nansha district, the site of one of Guangdong’s three pilot free trade zones. The others are Qianhai in the Shenzhen special economic zone that borders Hong Kong, and Hengqin in the Zhuhai special economic zone, which is next to Macao.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402901

[Myanmar] Facebook removes Military True News Information Team page

Feb 22. 2021

By Eleven Media/ANN

Facebook announced on February 21 that it had removed the Myanmar military’s True News Information Team page, after two protestors were killed, as it broke its standards for inciting violence.

Since February 21, it can no longer be found on the global social media platform. 

Facebook had came under harsh criticism for failing to stop hate speech from spreading on its platform and in recent years, Facebook had dicussed with civil societies, political parties and activists. It started taken action against the military afterwards. 

In 2018, the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, along with other top brass of the military, saw a total of 19 Facebook accounts removed. Pages and accounts numbering in the hundreds found to be operated by the military were also removed. 

Facebook also removed a total of 70 accounts and pages that were either pro-military or are critical of Aung San Suu Kyi and her party. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402900

Dell launches US$50m Singapore R&D centre, 1st team outside US to focus on user experiences

Feb 22. 2021Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing (right) at the launch of the Dell Technologies hub at International Business Park on Feb 22, 2021. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

By Kenny Chee
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – American tech giant Dell Technologies officially launched a new US$50 million (S$66 million) research and development centre here on Monday (Feb 22) that will, for the first time outside the United States, have a team dedicated to improving user experiences.

This includes developing a wellness tracker application built into a laptop that captures a person’s seating posture and delivers prompts and alerts to encourage the user to move or make adjustments to address challenges from working from home like neck and lower back pain.

The centre – dubbed a Global Innovation Hub and is one of several in the world – will focus on making advances in digital transformation and experiences.

Dell’s investment in the hub, located in International Business Park in Jurong East and Changi Business Park, will also create more than 160 jobs – mostly for Singaporeans – in emerging tech, including for designers, developers and strategists.

Over 75 per cent of the positions have already been filled in the last one year, and the PC maker expects to hire the remaining employees for the hub by the end of the year.

This complements Dell’s announcement on Feb 10 that it launched initiatives to help train 3,000 students, fresh graduates and mid-career professionals here in practical digital skills in cloud computing, data protection and management, data science and data analytics over the next two years.

The innovation hub’s R&D areas include augmented reality to enhance customer experiences; cybersecurity to monitor threats and prevent security incidents; and digital analytics.

Other areas it will look into include edge computing, or computing at or near where the data is located, which will take advantage of the roll out of 5G mobile networks. Another area is cloud-native architecture, or software and systems designed specifically to be deployed over a network, which can be used to support building smart nations and to help modernise a workforce.

Mr Amit Midha, Dell Technologies’ president for the Asia-Pacific and Japan, and Global Digital Cities, said that the company’s innovations in edge computing “will be driven from Singapore”.

He noted that in the next decade, edge computing is going to dwarf cloud computing, or the delivery of computer services and applications over networks.

“Next generation innovation will be driven and built from Singapore for the world,” he said.

Edge computing will become important in future, especially for smart cities, as it can, among other things, be cheaper to process and analyse reams of data where it is being collected and then send the results or selected data over a network.

This contrasts with sending a massive amount of collected data over the network to be analysed elsewhere, which can also be difficult if there is poor or limited network connection.

While Dell has other innovation hubs globally, the Singapore one is the first outside the US to have an Experience Innovation Group that does R&D to improve user experiences, including conceptualising and developing futuristic concept products and solutions.

The Singapore team works closely with the US team on this, including the wellness tracker application and an AR assistant that people can call up, by scanning a QR code located on all Dell servers, to guide them step-by-step on fixing and maintaining their enterprise hardware.

The US team was also behind such products as Dell’s Concept Ori foldable dual-screen laptop prototype showcased at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The device can act like a 13-inch tablet and then fold down the middle to be used like a laptop with a virtual keyboard on the bottom half.

Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, who launched the Singapore hub on Monday at International Business Park, said that the opening is timely as it complements Singapore’s efforts to emerge stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic in two main ways.

These are leveraging digital capabilities to enhance the country’s supply chain resilience, and innovating to support industry and workplace transformation.

Mr Chan noted that as the pandemic disrupted supply chains globally, Singapore rolled out programmes such as the Research, Innovation and Enterprise plan to deepen companies’ R&D capabilities in supply chains.

In line with this plan, Dell successfully used tech to help keep Singapore supply chains resilient. The company’s artificial intelligence and analytics team modelled historical demand data from past pandemic events and ramped up consumer hardware supply.

This helped Dell to move stock quickly to fulfil orders for consumers.

The pandemic also accelerated many companies’ plans to transform digitally to reach a larger customer base, as well as have measures to work remotely, like working from home.

For Dell, the Global Innovation Hub here will support the servicing of users remotely such as on IT issues; allow workers to collaborate across devices and workplaces; and support the well being of users by monitoring their posture and mental wellness during work.

This is on top of the digital transformation work the hub will look into.

“The Government will continue to support and invest in such capabilities, to ensure that Singapore is able to distinguish itself on the global stage even amidst the pandemic,” said Mr Chan.

While Dell did not disclose if it received co-funding from the Government, it said the Singapore Global Innovation Hub is supported by Digital Industry Singapore, a joint office of the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore and Infocomm Media Development Authority that engages with the tech sector.

The US$50 million investment that went into the hub was done over three years since 2019, of which US$23 million will be invested this year.

The hub also houses existing R&D facilities for the development of digital products and solutions, such as the Singapore Design Centre that designs Dells products like its monitors, keyboards and mice; a hardware prototyping lab dedicated to product design and innovation; and an AI Experience Zone.

On why Dell chose Singapore to open a Global Innovation Hub, Mr Midha noted that Dell has been committed to the Republic over the years – the company has been here for over two decades since 1996 and the country is the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, which has close to 2,000 staff here.

He believes Singapore is becoming a global hub, such as for finance and tech, adding that the country has great rule of law, as well as university and banking infrastructure.

“There is a significant opportunity in…using Singapore to create global innovation,” said Mr Midha of the new innovation hub here.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402899

Drive-in vaccinations trialed in Japan

Feb 22. 2021A medical worker administers a vaccine to a recipient in a car at Matsunami General Hospital in Kasamatsu, Gifu Prefecture, on Friday. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

By The Japan News/ANN

KASAMATSU, Gifu — Matsunami General Hospital in Kasamatsu, Gifu Prefecture, conducted a trial of drive-in inoculations on Friday in preparation for the full rollout of the vaccination campaign.

The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Hidetoshi Matsunami devised the initiative, in which vaccines were administered to recipients while they were seated in their vehicles. According to Matsunami, it was the first such trial to be conducted in Japan.

During mass vaccinations in venues such as gymnasiums, large numbers of people undergo consultations at the site to check for such conditions as allergies, a process that is time-consuming and raises the problem of infection prevention.

In this new drive-in style, however, because the vaccine is administered without recipients having to leave their vehicles, time is saved, and the risk of infection drops significantly.

In the trial, a plastic sheet was attached to the window of recipients’ vehicles, a medical worker carried out brief consultations, and the vaccine was then administered through a hole in the plastic sheet. Next, cards indicating when 3, 7, and 15 minutes had elapsed were shown to recipients in the vehicles, and they were told to indicate with hand signals if they had experienced an adverse reaction.

Based on the results of the trial, the medical associations of Kasamatsu and Ginan are planning to carry out mass vaccinations at large sites and drive-in venues.

“We feel that time can be saved by asking recipients to bring medical questionnaires provided by their home doctors and wear clothing that allows ease of access for vaccinations,” Matsunami said.

“It could be possible to vaccinate as many as 60 people in an hour [at drive-in sites], which is much faster than inoculating people at a large site.”

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402898

S. Korea’s exports grow 16.7% in first 20 days of Feb.

Feb 22. 2021South Korea’s exports (Yonhap)

By The Korea Herald/ANN

South Korea’s exports rose 16.7 percent on-year in the first 20 days of February on strong shipments of chips and autos amid the pandemic, customs data showed Monday.

The country’s outbound shipments stood at $30.4 billion in the Feb. 1-20 period, compared with $26 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

Imports advanced 24.1 percent on-year to $31.6 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $1.21 billion, the data showed.

By sector, outbound shipments of memory chips, a key export item, increased 27.5 percent on-year during the cited period, and exports of autos jumped 45.9 percent.

Semiconductors accounted for about 20 percent of exports by South Korea, home to Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest memory chipmaker, and its smaller rival SK hynix Inc.

But exports of petroleum products declined 5.7 percent on-year, and those of computers and related devices fell 4.8 percent.

By country, shipments to China — South Korea’s largest trading partner — rose 32.7 percent, and exports to the United States gained 14 percent, the data showed.

The South Korean economy is on a mild recovery track on the back of improving exports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January, exports, which account for half of Asia’s fourth-largest economy, rose 11.4 percent on-year on the back of brisk demand for chips and autos.

Last year, exports fell 5.4 percent on-year due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On a monthly basis, the pace of the slump has eased since June last year as global demand recovered following months of border lockdowns.

The finance ministry forecast the country’s overseas shipments to grow 8.6 percent on-year this year on strong shipments of semiconductors and cars. (Yonhap)

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402882

Domestic property market sees recovery: ministry

Feb 21. 2021

By Vietnam News / ANN

A view of Hà Nội. In 2020, the real estate sector contributed about 4.42 per cent of the national GDP. Photo vneconomy.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Construction (MoC) believes the domestic real estate market has overcome the most difficult period due to positive developments in the market as well as the whole economy in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The industrial property segment can be considered a bright spot of the domestic market for many reasons such as the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) coming into effect and plans for the relocation of many multinational corporations to Việt Nam, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam’s successful disease control is also an important factor to attract more foreign investment.

Those factors would set a good foundation for the real estate market to develop stably in 2021, a representative of the ministry said.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, most businesses in the real estate sector started operating again.

Although the market still faces many difficulties, real estate developers have offered solutions to attract customers like changing areas for developing property projects to catch up with trends of shifting FDI inflows and urbanisation in localities outside big cities, according to the ministry.

Thanks to product handover activities, project share transfers, asset liquidation and the development of industrial real estate, some real estate businesses gained record profits.

Nearly 80 large listed real estate companies achieved or exceeded their after-tax profit goals.

The domestic real estate market in the fourth quarter of 2020 strongly increased compared to the deep reduction in previous quarters of last year due to the rapid recovery of the housing and industrial zone segments, helping the property sector maintain positive growth for 2020.

In 2020, the real estate sector contributed about 4.42 per cent of national GDP.

In 2020, the real estate industry also had changes in businesses. Accordingly, the number of newly-established enterprises was 6,694, down 15.5 per cent compared to 2019, while 978 enterprises completed dissolution procedures.

According to the Ministry of Construction, the total outstanding debt of the real estate sector in 2020 increased quarter by quarter. Specifically, the debt reached VNĐ8.3 trillion (US$361 million) in the first quarter and hit VNĐ8.5 trillion in the second quarter and VNĐ8.6 trillion in the third quarter. As of December 31, 2020, the debt reached more than VNĐ8.8 trillion.

Besides banking loans, property companies in 2020 attracted capital from other sources such as individual investment capital, remittances and capital from issuing stocks and bonds.

Regarding supply and transaction of real estate products, the ministry’s representative said by the end of the first quarter of 2020, apartment inventories on the market were estimated at nearly 13,000 units.

In the second and third quarters, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as problems in terms of mechanisms and policies, affected the progress of implementing investment procedures of property projects and also the progress of implementing those projects. So, the market did not have significant growth of new supply in those quarters.

However, the real estate market was still a safe investment channel so apartment inventories reduced to 6,000 units at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Entering the fourth quarter, the market had a new supply of nearly 30,000 apartments and transactions were still quite stable. 

The ministry reported that last year, the domestic market had a total inventory of apartments of about 9,000 units nationwide. Of which, the localities with large inventory included  Đà Nẵng, Khánh Hòa, Kiên Giang and Bình Dương.

Meanwhile, the property market in Hà Nội, HCM City, Quảng Ninh and localities with strong urbanisation such as Cần Thơ, Long An and Đồng Nai maintained stable development with a moderate level of apartment inventories. — VNS

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https://www.nationthailand.com/ann/30402881

John Kerry invites Bangladesh to join US climate conference to voice concerns

Feb 21. 2021

By The Daily Star / ANN

Special US Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has invited Bangladesh to attend the US Climate Summit while acknowledging the threat of climate change and highlighting the risks faced by Bangladesh.

The summit will be held on April 22 in Washington DC.

Stakeholder nations, such as Bangladesh, need to join developed nations’ climate conferences and bring up their concerns, Kerry said while responding to a question from Shafqat Munir, a research fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) and head of Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research (BCTR), at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held virtually yesterday.

Munir talked about the threat of rising sea-level at the coast of Bangladesh and how this would cause displacement of nearly 30 million people, leading to broader security impacts.

Kerry said they would not be able to host everyone but his invitation to Bangladesh, among others, clearly shows the US’ commitment to and emphasis on working with the nation for climate security.

Munir is the first Munich Young Leader from Bangladesh.

US President Joe Biden participated in the Munich Security Conference making him the first US president to speak at the forum since its inception.