HÀ NỘI — After the second quarter business result reporting season passed, the Vietnamese stock market is entering a quiet week as there is no key data to be released. However, analysts say the market is supported for the longer term by the positive economic outlook in the second half. On the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index closed last week at 1,232.2 points. However, for the longer term, the analysis team from Mirae Asset Securities (Vietnam) said that the domestic stock market is supported by the expectation that the economic results would improve in the second half of the year. However, short-term correction risks still exist, and the market may have stronger fluctuations in the near future.

HCM CITY — Pepper growers and exporters need to focus on improving quality and diversifying their products to sustain the country’s position as the world’s largest producer and exporter of the spice, according to the Việt Nam Pepper and Spice Association. Anh said pepper exports to the EU decreased this year though cinnamon exports increased by 26.1 per cent. To achieve success in the EU market, businesses must meet technical requirements such as contamination test and heat treatment, authenticity and purity standards, sustainable sourcing, and so on. Hoàng Thị Liên, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Pepper and Spice Association, said with sustainable production and consumption becoming increasingly important in the eyes of consumers, the association had a plan to develop the sector in a sustainable manner. The association has set targets for pepper and other spice export of US$1.8 billion by 2025 and $2.5-3 billion by 2030.

Vietnam’s economic growth projected to rebound from 2024 - Illustrative image (Photo: baodautu.vn)In the first scenario, Vietnam’s GDP is predicted to expand by 5.34% in 2023. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Vietnam’s economic growth is likely to rebound in 2024 and 2025, according to Dorsati Madani, Senior Economist at the World Bank ( WB ).Madani noted that Vietnam's major trading partners, including the US, Europe, and China, have all experienced negative impacts in recent times due to global instabilities and reduced demand.Low demand has dampened Vietnam's economic momentum , leading to a decrease in economic growth. The country is expected to enjoy a trade surplus of 9.1 billion USD.In the second one, CIEM expects the country's GDP will rise by 5.72%, with the export turnover decreasing by 3.66%, and the average CPI increasing by 3.87%. Accordingly, full-year exports will decrease by only 2.17%, while the average CPI increasing by 4.39%. The country will enjoy a trade surplus of around 6.8 billion USD.Phan Le Thanh Long, CEO of AFA Group, predicted that the exchange rate of VND/USD will slightly increase within 1%./.

At the meeting, many scientists expressed their willingness to cooperate and work with Vietnam They said Vietnam needs to take advantage its strengths to develop science and technology, while creating conditions for international scientists to live and work in Vietnam. President Vo Van Thuong highly appreciated the contributions to the development of science and eduction in Vietnam over the past 30 years the "Rencontres du Vietnam" Association (Meeting Vietnam), especially Prof. Tran Thanh Van, Prof. The Vietnam Records Organization (Vietkings) announced that the function set a record for being the largest yoga performance in Vietnam. “Let's Feast Vietnam brings a youthful and vibrant energy to the journey to discover the beauty of Việt Nam. Art collector Thúy Anh is the initiator of the Beauty-High Tea and Art event, aiming to honour the values of beauty in art.

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) on August 13 visited and presented aid in both cash and kind worth nearly 527 million VND (22,200 USD) to victims of flood-hit areas in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai. Besides, the Red Cross Society of Yen Bai province provided two households with seriously ruined houses with one million VND each and necessities. The Red Cross Society of Hoa Binh province donated 50 million VND to share difficulties with the victims of floods in Yen Bai province. Earlier, heavy downpours caused flash floods and landslides in the northern province of Yen Bai, killing four local people as of August 10. Amid huge losses of people in flood-hit areas, timely support from the community and society are great encouragements to help them overcome difficulties./.

Currently, more than 900 athletes from 21 countries and territories have registered to take part in the event with five categories available. They are 10km in the Oceanman, 5km in the Half Oceanman, 2km in the Sprint, a relay event of Ocean Team 3x800m and Ocean Kids of 800m. All are organised at Bãi Dài, which in 2010 was named one of the world top 10 most beautiful white sandy beach. The Ocean Team and Ocean Kids will be on September 9 and the main events are on September 10. The Oceanman series, which began in 2015 and has since been held 27 times in 23 countries, is the world's largest open-water swim.

HÀ NỘI — Businesses should carefully study their partners, following a range of trade frauds in Latin America in which Vietnamese firms were victimised, a senior official has said. In addition to coordinating with the Vietnamese Trade Office in information verification, the firms should cooperate with law firms and business associations in Mexico and Latin America as well to diversify the sources of information, Khang said. The Latin American region has for years been a potential market for Việt Nam, according to trade experts. In terms of Việt Nam’s trade exchange, the region has always been among the markets with the highest growth. In the bloc, Mexico is Việt Nam’s second-largest trading partner.

Karate tournament organised for overseas Vietnamese in Japan. (Photo: VNA)- A Karate tournament of the Vietnamese community in Japan titled "Suzucho Karate-do Kanto Open 2023" took place at Tokyo dojo on August 12, bringing together dozens of athletes from Vietnamese karate clubs across the country.The event was held by the Vietnam-Japan International Exchange Organisation (FAVIJA) in collaboration with the Vietnamese Karate Association, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.Nguyen Thanh Tai, head of the organising board, said that the event is not only a sports exchange event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties, but it is also an opportunity to test and evaluate the ability of athletes, thereby selecting qualified athletes to participate in major Japanese tournament s.Do Quang Ba, Chairman of FAVIJA, said that the formation of sports clubs, including karate ones, helps young people do practice in order to improve their health, and promote Vietnam-Japan exchange.Kirii Kimihito, a former Karate athlete and currently a coach of a number of Japanese Karate clubs, said he was surprised because this is a traditional sport of Japan, but many young Vietnamese people participate in practice and competition.Through the tournament, Japanese people have more opportunities to interact with Vietnamese young people who love sports, he added.Ikebukuro Karate club championed the tournament, followed by Tennoji and Ken Tokyo clubs, respectively./.

World Singapore fixes September 1 as presidential election day Singaporeans will go to the polls on September 1 to vote for the nation’s ninth President, should there be more than one eligible candidate, according to the Writ of Election, issued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on August 11. World Indonesia pushes for rubber partnership with Thailand Indonesia is seeking partnership with fellow rubber producer Thailand due to plummeting prices facing the country and the European Union's rollout of an anti-deforestation law. World 7th Cambodian NA to convene first sitting on August 21 The first sitting of the 7th Cambodian National Assembly (NA) will be convened on August 21, nearly one month after its election that took place on July 23.

HÀ NỘI — The HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE) on Friday officially put 5.1 million fund certificates of BVFVN DIAMOND ETF into transaction. This is the third ETF (portfolio exchange fund) that mimics the VN DIAMOND index on the market after the VFMVN DIAMOND ETF (FUEVFVND) and the MAFM VNDIAMOND ETF (FUEMAVND) to meet the selection needs of investors, especially foreign institutional investors. VN DIAMOND Index is announced and managed by HOSE, including a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 component stocks. The BVFVN DIAMOND ETF is a portfolio swap fund with no operating time limit, managed by Bảo Việt Fund Management Company Limited. Fund founders cum distribution agents include Bảo Việt Securities Joint Stock Company, Securities Joint Stock Company of Bank for Investment and Development of Việt Nam.

The entrance to Senté is through a small and deep alley, typical of the Old Quarter in Hà Nội. After waiting for about 10 minutes, enjoying the ancient paintings hanging on the walls, gently swaying along to some acoustic tunes, my Senté milk tea (Oolong lotus tea, lotus milk, pandan jelly and lotus pearls, VNĐ55,000) arrived. The next dish served was the 'Shrimp, pomelo flesh and lotus root salad' (VNĐ145,000). The basic ingredients were there – pomelo flesh, shrimp, and lotus roots – but the dressing was well-balanced. I appreciated how the pomelo flesh was cut into bite-sized pieces, ensuring it wasn't crushed when mixed, and retained its juiciness when bitten into.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)Phnom Penh (VNA) – The first sitting of the 7th Cambodian National Assembly (NA) will be convened on August 21, nearly one month after its election that took place on July 23. According to the NA’s announcement released on August 11, the solemn and historic event will be presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni. Senior dignitaries, foreign diplomats in Cambodia, and representatives of several non-governmental organisations are invited to the event. According to the official results announced by the National Election Commission of Cambodia, at the 7th National Assembly election on July 23, 125 candidates were elected to the legislative body. Of these, 120 were from the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and five from the royalist party FUNCINPEC./.

At Orion factory (Photo: VNA)- The sales revenue of the Republic of Korea’s Orion confectionary maker in Vietnam has surpassed 200 billion KRW (150 million USD) for the first time, further solidifying its highly positive growth trend in the Vietnamese market According to the data announced by the company on August 11, its total revenue hit 224.1 billion KRW in the first half, up 14.5% annually.If this growth trend continues, this year’s figure is projected to exceed 500 billion KRW for the first time, amounting to around 540 billion KRW. The 2022 revenue was 473 billion KRW.With a population of nearly 100 million people, Vietnam is emerging as a potential market that can serve as an alternative to China, with its estimated dairy market size of around 7 trillion KRW. For Orion, Vietnam plays a pivotal role as a bridge to tap into the Southeast Asian market and expand its reach in the region./.

The Government assigned the health ministry to guide localities in purchasing vaccines, ensuring thrift, efficiency, and safety. Launched in 1981, the national expanded programme on immunisation is providing vaccines to 12 preventable diseases, including tuberculosis, measles, and rubella. According to the World Health Organisation, the programme has saved 42,000 lives and prevented more than 6.7 million childhood diseases in Vietnam. The health ministry said new kinds of vaccines will be included in the programme in the coming time. Meanwhile, vaccines against pneumococcal disease, cervical cancer, and seasonal flu, will be supplied from 2025, 2026 and 2030, respectively./.

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will have more wholesale policies to create a more transparent legal corridor, making it easier for virtual mobile carriers to negotiate when buying traffic. Nguyễn Phong Nhã, deputy director of the Việt Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA), said that mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) was no longer a new concept. These are businesses that do not own telecommunications infrastructure but still provide mobile services by renting infrastructure from carriers. Up to now, MIC has licensed five businesses to provide virtual mobile network services in Việt Nam, including Indochina Telecom, Mobicast, ASIM, Digilife and VNSky. Virtual carriers only need to sign contracts to buy SIMs from other mobile carriers to be able to provide services.