Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong will pay an official visit to Vietnam on June 26, the Australian Embassy to Vietnam has announced. Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. Photo by the Australian Embassy According to a press release from the embassy, this will be the second trip to Southeast Asia of the new foreign minister since she took the position one month ago. The visit is expected to deepen these ties, building on existing partnerships for the benefit of the two countries and the region. In Vietnam minister Penny Wong will meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. "Ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, our discussions will focus on climate change cooperation, our shared trade and investment ambitions and Australia’s continued support for Vietnam’s COVID-19 recovery," the embassy said. After her visit to Vietnam, the … [Read more...] about Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Vietnam
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Protesters at U.S. Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
The sweeping ruling by the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, was set to alter American life, with nearly half the states considered certain or likely to ban abortion. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court's reasoning could also lead it to reconsider past rulings protecting the right to contraception, legalizing gay marriage nationwide, and invalidating state laws banning gay sex. As the day progressed, the number of demonstrators outside the Supreme Court increased substantially. The fenced-off area in front of the high court was filled largely with those demanding abortion rights. Crowds carried posters with slogans such as "Abort SCOTUS." One protester carried a placard that said "limit guns, not women" in reference to another Supreme Court decision this week expanding gun rights. Earlier in the afternoon, a supporter of Friday's ruling said: "The thing that 'my body, my choice' advocates don't get is that the aborted baby never had a choice." The … [Read more...] about Protesters at U.S. Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
Part 4: Towards a bright future
A priceless common asset of the two peoples Since Cambodia's revolutionary and armed forces were strong and capable enough to defend the country, Vietnam withdrew its volunteer troops and advisors in 1989 under the agreement between the two parties and states, successfully fulfilling the glorious international mission in the neighboring country. After the Paris Peace Agreement in 1991 and the General Election in 1993, the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship was lifted to a new stage in accordance with the actual situation in each country. With the motto of "good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability," Vietnam-Cambodia relations have been continuously consolidated and extensively developed in all fields, of which defense cooperation is an important pillar. The first Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange held in May 2022 vividly manifested the contribution of defense cooperation to enhancing mutual understanding and … [Read more...] about Part 4: Towards a bright future
Tran To Nga’s dioxin lawsuit receives encouragement
More than 90 people participating in the meal (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) – The committee in support of Tran To Nga who sued US firms for manufacturing the toxic AO defoliant used by US forces during the war in Vietnam on June 24 offered a charitable meal in Paris to raise fund for her lawsuit . The meal, the third of its kind after those in March and May, was participated by more than 90 people, including Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang and MP Sandrine Rousseau of the Europe Écologie les Verts (EELV) - Green Party. Nga said she was happy and felt touched when seeing a large number of overseas Vietnamese and French friends attending this event. She stated that this is a great honour and encouragement for her in this arduous and long battle. In 2014, Nga, who used to be a war correspondent in south Vietnam during wartime, sued the multinational companies, including Monsanto - Bayer, that produced or supplied herbicides for the US during the war … [Read more...] about Tran To Nga’s dioxin lawsuit receives encouragement
Wooden cabinet exporters advised to review activities related to US’s investigation
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam (TRAV) has recommended that wooden cabinet producers and exporters continue to review the export activities of their products subjected to the US Department of Commerce (DOC)’s anti-circumvention and anti-subsidy investigation. The recommendation was made given DOC’s fresh announcement on extending the time to submit comments and provide feedback to the case by one week. As such, the new deadline is 5pm of June 30 (Eastern Time) or 4am of July 1 (Vietnam time). The authority also requested the producers and exporters to study thoroughly the US’s anti-circumvention regulations and investigation procedures. They were also asked to fully comply with the US side’s request for information provision while working closely with the TRAV during the case settlement. On May 24, DOC launched a probe to find out whether or not wooden cabinets from Vietnam and Malaysia that include components … [Read more...] about Wooden cabinet exporters advised to review activities related to US’s investigation
WHO says monkeypox is not yet a health emergency
Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) ruled on Saturday, although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was deeply concerned about the outbreak. "I am deeply concerned about the monkeypox outbreak, this is clearly an evolving health threat that my colleagues and I in the WHO Secretariat are following extremely closely," Tedros said in a statement. WHO said in a separate statement that although there were some differing views within the committee, they ultimately agreed by consensus that at this stage the outbreak is not a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The "global emergency" label currently only applies to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, and the U.N. agency has stepped back from applying it to the monkeypox outbreak after advice from a meeting of international experts. There have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases of monkeypox and one death reported in … [Read more...] about WHO says monkeypox is not yet a health emergency
Boris Johnson seeks to stay in power until the mid-2030s
Earlier this month, Johnson survived a vote of confidence by Conservative lawmakers in which 41 percent of his parliamentary colleagues voted to oust him, and he is under investigation for intentionally misleading parliament. On Friday Conservative candidates lost two parliamentary by-elections held to replace former Conservative incumbents who had to step down, one after being convicted of sexual assault and the other for watching pornography in the House of Commons. The by-election defeats suggest the broad voter appeal which helped Johnson win a large parliamentary majority in December 2019 may be fracturing after a scandal over illegal parties held at Downing Street during coronavirus lockdowns. Under Conservative party rules, its lawmakers cannot formally challenge Johnson for another year, but overwhelming dissatisfaction or resignations by a series of senior ministers could make his position untenable. Britain is also in the midst of its deepest cost-of-living crisis in … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson seeks to stay in power until the mid-2030s
Huế’s Đông Ba Market revamped to lure tourists
MARKET OF BEAUTY: Đông Ba Market is a large trading centre imbued with the tradition of the ancient capital Huế. Photo from the market's Facebook page Mai Trang Linh Returning to the central province of Thừa Thiên Huế after more than two years of lockdown due to the pandemic, Lưu Hoàng Long and his wife, a Vietnamese Australian, chose first to visit Đông Ba Market, the biggest traditional local shopping centre in the ancient royal city of Huế. The couple and a group of overseas Vietnamese who started their trip through the country early this month from their native home in the northern coastal city of Hải Phòng could not help but be surprised at the changes in the market. Besides the usual crowded and busy atmosphere and familiar hospitality of sellers, the visitors were amazed at the changes, particularly the trade promotion programmes for traditional handicrafts -- one of the most attractions of the market. Looking at the pop-up booths displaying different kinds … [Read more...] about Huế’s Đông Ba Market revamped to lure tourists