Veteran soldiers offer flowers to commemorate their fallen comrades at the event (Photo: VNA)The Tan Trao Association in Germany on July 30 organised a requiem for Vietnamese soldiers who laid down their lives in the struggles to defend and reunite the homeland as part of a meeting to commemorate the 76th anniversary of Vietnam War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).Venerable Thich Phap Nhan, the head of the Pho Da Pagoda in Berlin, together with other dignitaries, Buddhists monks, nuns and followers from the Phuc Lam, Tue Quang, and Dong Tam pagodas, conducted the prayer ceremony with Buddhist rituals.Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh emphasised that the Vietnamese people never forget the great contributions of the heroes, war invalids, veterans, who made a glorious part in the nation’s history.The diplomat said this meaningful activity reflects the profound gratitude and sincere appreciation for those who have fallen or sacrificed their blood and bones for the independence and freedom of the country.Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, President of the association Le Hong Cuong, said the event also serves as an opportunity to educate the younger generations about the patriotic traditions and the indomitable heroic spirit of their ancestors. It also demonstrates the care, sharing, and encouragement toward the families of martyrs, war invalids, and veterans./.

In July alone, Vietnam welcomed roughly 1 million international visitors, up 6.50 percent, the highest monthly figure since early this year. Meanwhile, the UK, France and Germany topped European markets with the highest visitor numbers to Vietnam in the first seven months. These solutions have helped to improve the water environment and deal with illegal coral exploitation. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh praised achievements made by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment over the past 20 years. Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should advise the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to strictly manage and efficiently use natural resources, especially land resources.

And could you share how you used this inspiration to implement your strategy at Marico SEA? This inspiration has been instrumental in shaping my strategy at Marico SEA. Additionally, we implemented "GOWIN" (GOWIN Culture Code - The Foundation of Success), our local culture framework promoting Growth Mindset, Result Oriented, Winning together, Integrity, and Nurturing talent. Marico SEA's three-pillar strategy has guided its significant achievements. Today, our leadership team is predominantly female, and that is not by design but simply a testament to the talent available in Vietnam and our commitment to giving everyone an opportunity to grow.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed more than 6.6 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2023, hitting 83 per cent of the year’s target, according to the latest report from the General Statistics Office. Among the 6.6 million tourists, 87.6 per cent came to Việt Nam by air (5.8 million), 11.6 per cent by road (765,300), 0.8 per cent by sea (55,100). South Korea remained the largest source market of Việt Nam tourism in the first seven months of this year with 1.9 million visitors, accounting for one-third of total international visitors to Việt Nam. Among the top ten source markets of Việt Nam tourism, four are in Northeast Asia – South Korea, China, Taiwan (China), and Japan, and three in Southeast Asia – Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. During the first seven months, the industry also served 76.5 million domestic tourists – including 12.5 million in July (peak summertime holiday).

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will bring Giselle - one of the greatest romantic ballets to audiences in Hà Nội downtown on August 2 & 3. "We as the national ballet theatre have performed popular ballets like Swan Lake and La Sylphide," said Phan Mạnh Đức, VNOB's director and the ballet's art director. "Giselle is a romantic ballet loved by all dancers and ballet lovers. "The role requires both excellent dance skills and a deep understanding of Giselle's complicated soul. She won the best dancer at National Dance, Sing and Music Festival in 2021.

HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam (CAAV) has just submitted a report detailing challenges arising during the trial of using the e-identification app VNeID for domestic air travel. The pilot programme allows users with eID accounts at level-2, which means their information has been verified by authorities, to use the app for security checks for domestic flights. However, the CAAV reported that several airports in mountainous areas or on islands have unstable connections, which is an obstacle to using VNeID. According to a report by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Vân Đồn International Airport, on average, 0.64 per cent of air passengers use VNeID for domestic flights. A passenger using traditional papers usually passes through direct security checks in around six seconds.

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese stock market posted a positive week last week, with the VN-Index officially surpassing the key psychological level of 1,200 points. Experts expect that the market may struggle this week but gradually head toward new highs. The Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) ended last week at 1,207.67 points, hitting a ten-month high, while the HNX-Index on the Hà Nội Stock Exchange (HNX) was at 237.54 points. Both benchmark indices set another weekly gain, of which the VN-Index climbed 1.1 per cent, gaining for the fourth consecutive week. Liquidity increased strongly with the average trading value of the market up 15.5 per cent over the previous week to more than VNĐ23.5 trillion (US$992.1 million).

Thailand warns of escalating cybercrime (Photo:thethaiger.com)Bangkok (VNA) – The Research Department of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has provided a stark warning about the escalating threat from cybercriminals. It has emphasised the necessity to address this pressing issue as global damage from cybercrime threats continues to balloon. Predicted to top 8 trillion USD by 2023, the urgent necessity to curtail cyber threats is globally acknowledged. The country recorded 218,210 complaints relating to cybercrime threats within just one year. A report by Thailand’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) reveals that 551 cyber threat incidents occurred from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with 100 outstanding voluntary blood donors nationwide on Saturday, who are in Hà Nội for a special programme honouring their good deeds. The Party and State always created favourable conditions for blood donation, he said, citing Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s blood donation appeal in April 2020 when COVID-19 was developing. Since the establishment of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation in 2008, more than 16 million blood units have been collected, 99 per cent of which have come from voluntary donors. All cities, provinces and districts have set up their own steering committees for voluntary blood donation. Up to 1,500 blood donors have been commended over the past years.

It said during high-level talks, Italy has always affirmed its determination to promote comprehensive relations with Vietnam, considering Vietnam a priority for developing relations in Southeast Asia. Vietnam continues to be one of the ten emerging countries that Italy prioritises to develop trade and investment cooperation by 2030. Nguyen Thanh Tri, former member of the Lai Chau provincial Party Committee, member of the provincial Party Committee's Inspection Commission and chief inspector of Lai Chau was also in the list. The event was jointly held by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the NA Office on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Vietnam Trade Union. Nguyễn Văn Phong, secretary of the Thới Sơn Party Committee, said the commune has 585 cages.

At the scene of the incident (Photo: Khmer Times)Hanoi (VNA) – A clash occurred in Phnom Penh on July 29, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old Vietnamese citizen, reported the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia. Cambodian authorities are conducting an investigation to clarify the incident and are seeking the suspect. Upon learning of the news, the embassy promptly took citizen protection measures to identify the victim as directed by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry. It also asked the Cambodian side to investigate and arrest the perpetrator, and work with relevant domestic agencies to inform the victim's family and provide them with guidance on necessary procedures following the incident./.

HCM CITY - Designer brands have joined HCM City’s promotion programme “Shopping Season”, taking place between August 25 and 27. Recently, the People's Committee of HCM City approved to run “Shopping Season” until September 15, instead of July 15 as was the initial plan. According to deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, sales events of designer brands are usually organised in department stores or supermarkets, without the necessary links to bring impactful shopping results. Tours that introduce the new shopping experiences have been prepared by the city Department of Tourism, with the participation of five tourism agencies. The first phase of the city’s “Shopping Season”, joined by over 3,000 businesses with about 7,200 promotions, successfully ended on July 15.

Located just 44 km from downtown Hanoi, the village is an open-air museum housing interesting cultural values, landscapes, and architecture that are typical of rural areas in the Red River Delta. To boost interest in art and introduce a new tourism product from his hometown, lacquer artisan Nguyen Tan Phat opened a free traditional art class, where children and visitors to Đường Lâm can try creating artwork with their own hands. The experience of making woodblock and lacquer prints presents a unique opportunity for tourists to discover local cultural values through the lens of traditional art. Along with a fixed schedule every Sunday morning, Phat is also available to hold classes during the week, depending on whether groups of students and visitors register to attend. Those attending the class will be guided in the necessary techniques and skills to create their artworks, which they can take home with them as souvenirs of Đuong Lam.

Muay ThaiThanh HàVietnamese fighters have set new milestones after winning two belts in the first-ever professional World Boxing Council (WBC) International Muay Thai event recently organised in Việt Nam. And at the same time, it brings opportunities to lift Vietnamese Muay Thai globally, nearly six years since Nguyễn Kế Nhơn’s WBC world title in 2018. She is a two-time International Professional Combat Council World Champion and the 2023 WBC Minimum-weight Muay Thai World Champion. The WBC Muay Thai has arrived in the country and has picked promoter Jenny Đỗ as WBC Muay Thai committee chairwoman for Việt Nam. We have had to ask for training supervision and assistance from the WBC Muay Thai.

Introducing policies to come up with the global minimum tax was essential for Việt Nam to ensure tax revenue but remain attractive to foreign investors as many countries are adopting the initiative. The global minimum tax of 15 per cent is part of a two-pillar initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). Countries receiving foreign investment, including Việt Nam, are studying policies to complement the global minimum tax. If Việt Nam does not apply the global minimum tax, it still has to accept that other countries will apply it and have the right to collect top-up taxes on MNEs paying a lower tax rate than the global minimum tax for their investments in Việt Nam. The tax authority estimated that about 112 MNEs in Việt Nam would be affected by the global minimum tax if it was applied from 2024.