Cultural exchange

The exchange rate in the interbank market has been stable in May, hovering in a tight range around the State Bank of Vietnam's (SBV) reference dollar buying price. In the global market, the greenback is forecast to continue to weaken. Accordingly, the US Federal Reserve raised the base rate by a quarter of a percentage point in the early May meeting, but many forecasts believe that this might be the last base rate hike before it trends sideways, and that it is likely that the Fed will start cutting the rate in the second half of this year. Accordingly, the SBV reduced the diverse regulatory rate by 0.5 per cent from May 25. Commenting on the impact of the rate change, Nguyen Hung, CEO of tech-driven TPBank, said that although it might go counter to the world trends, there were positive signs supporting the move, such as the Fed or several central banks might stop adjusting interest rates, and the local economy had acquired enough resources to control the situation. … [Read more...] about Softer exchange rate loom in H2

Illustrative image (Photo: Dai bieu nhan dan newspaper) Hanoi (VNA) - The State Treasury raised 162,952 billion VND (nearly 6.94 billion USD) worth of Government bonds via auctions on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) in the first five months of 2023, up 188.4% year-on-year. The amount was equal to 48.4% of the issuance plan in the second quarter, and 40.74% of the plan set for 2023. In May alone, as many as 23,269 billion VND, or 75.06% of the total G-bonds on offer, was mobilised via 17 auctions on the HNX. Most of the total volume offered in the month was 15-year and 10-year bonds, accounting for 43.4% and 32.1%, respectively. Interest rates continued their downward trend in all terms, with a decrease of 27-35 basic points compared to the last session of April. In the last auction of May, the interest rates for 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year terms were 2.4%,  2.95%, 3.05%, 3.19% and 3.4%, respectively. On the secondary market, the State Treasury … [Read more...] about Nearly 6.94 billion USD raised through Gov’t bond auctions in five months

A working session between VWU delegation and Begona Lasagabaster, Director of UNESCO Division of Gender Equality. (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) led by its Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong paid a working visit to France from May 30 to June 1, during which they met and discussed with representatives from international organisations and Vietnamese associations in France. On June 1, the delegation and Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, met Chairperson of the UNESCO's Executive Board Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili and Begona Lasagabaster, Director of UNESCO Division of Gender Equality. A working session between VWU delegation and Chairperson of the UNESCO's Executive Board Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili. (Photo: VNA) VWU Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong informed the UNESCO officials about the guidelines and policies of Vietnam and the country’s socio-economic development in recent … [Read more...] about Vietnam Women’s Union delegation pay working visit to France

The performance of the Vietnamese team (Photo: VNA) Da Nang (VNA) - The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 officially kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on June 2 evening with performances by the Vietnamese and Finnish teams. After three years of hiatus, over 5,000 fireworks enthusiasts were once again able to witness the magnificent displays of light and sound along the Han River, creating a familiar and dazzling "feast" for the eyes. This year's festival features teams from the UK, Poland, Canada, France, Finland, Australia, Italy, and Vietnam, all of which have a long-standing tradition in the art of firework displays. These teams will come together to tell stories through light, music, and the soaring heights of artistic expression and emotions, promising to deliver unforgettable surprises and impressions. The host Vietnam took the stage with their presentation showcasing a story of peace and friendship under the theme "Da Nang – The Sound of … [Read more...] about Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2023 kicks off

Tourists visiting a grape orchard in Ninh Hai district’s Vinh Hai commune in Ninh Thuan province.  (Photo: VNA) Ninh Thuan (VNS/VNA) - The south-central province of Ninh Thuan has introduced new grape varieties and advanced farming techniques to improve farmers’ incomes. The country’s largest grape producing province has more than 1,000ha under the fruit and an annual output of 26,000-28,000 tonnes, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. It grows mostly two table varieties, Red Cardinal and NH 01-48, and the wine grape Syrah. To add value, the province has developed models of growing high quality grape to Vietnamese and global good agricultural practices ( VietGAP and GlobalGAP), and organic standards, and used advanced farming techniques in recent years. Some 31 per cent of the grape growing area sees the use of advanced techniques such as automatic irrigation and polygreen houses, and quality standards like VietGAP and GlobalGAP, … [Read more...] about Ninh Thuan province develops grape eco-system

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Cambodia (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ’s visit from June 3-4 is expected to further promote the sound relations between the two countries in all fields, including peacekeeping, education and training. This is the first official visit to Vietnam by Anthony Albanese since taking office and only two months after the state visit by Australian Governor-General, showing Australia's great attention to the Southeast Asian nation. Highlighting the Vietnam-Australia partnership in peacekeeping operations, Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that Australia was one of the first countries to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vietnam in UN peacekeeping activities in 2015. The MoU laid a foundation for the two countries to … [Read more...] about PM Anthony Albanese’s visit hoped to lift up Vietnam-Australia partnership

Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam’s national flag carrier, was named one of the world’s top 25 airlines for 2023 by Australia-based AirlineRatings.com, an aviation safety and product review group. The carrier sits at number 20 in the rankings, above Turkish Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines. The first five positions on the list respectively went to Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines. To prepare its annual round-up, AirlineRatings.com considered major safety and government audits, as well as looked at airline fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product and services, and staff relations. To make it to the top twenty-five, airlines must achieve a seven-star safety rating and demonstrate leadership in innovation for passenger comfort, according to AirlineRatings.com. “We are focused on leadership and airlines that innovate to make a real difference to the passenger … [Read more...] about Vietnam Airlines among world’s top carriers for 2023

The Vietnam Space Week will be organized in three Vietnamese localities next week, making Vietnam the first Southeast Asian country to hold such a NASA event. The collaboration for the event involves the People’s Committees of Hau Giang Province, Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Dinh Province, alongside the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Hau Giang Convention Center in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang will kick off the first two days of the multi-day event on June 5 and 6. The Student Culture House in Ho Chi Minh City, located at the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City in Thu Duc City, will host the third day’s activities on June 7. The final two days of the event, June 8 and 9, will take place at the Binh Dinh Convention Center in the south-central namesake province. The objective is to motivate the young generation through captivating stories of astronauts and to … [Read more...] about Vietnam to host inaugural NASA Space Week next week

Tourists in central Da Nang City can now easily find the locations of public toilets thanks to the Danang Smart City app on smartphones. The city has integrated the 'free public WC' feature with the addresses of public restrooms in the city into the Danang Smart City app to facilitate residents and tourists, Tran Ngoc Thach, deputy director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, said on Friday. These free toilets are provided by local enterprises, restaurants, hotels, and eateries participating in the 'Comfort as Home' program. The locations of 294 toilets, including 228 in Hai Chau District and 66 in Son Tra District, have been featured in the app. The number of public toilets is expected to rise further in the coming time, Thach added. To find the locations of public toilets in the Danang Smart City app, users just need to choose the 'free public WC' tab in the app to be recommended public toilets near them. After choosing a toilet, the name of … [Read more...] about Da Nang integrates map of public toilets into app