Various activities were held nationwide to mark the 128th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh who devoted his whole life for Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation and national reunification. 

 The United Nations in Vietnam showed its support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community in its joint statement issued on May 17 on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT).

 The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has called for local travel agents’ registration for the 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum Travel Exchange (Travex), which will be held in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on January 16-18, 2019.

 Vietnamese beauty Nguyen Dieu Linh has won the Miss Global Tourism title after being named in the top 10 of the Miss Tourism Queen International 2018 held recently  in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Vietnam is expected to export 900 million USD worth of beverages by 2025, as heard at a workshop hosted by the Vietnam Beverage Association (VBA) in Ho Chi Minh City on May 18.

 Vietnam’s stock market recorded a memorable trading session on May 18 when total transaction value surpassed 35 trillion VND (1.54 billion USD) on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE).

 Sa Pa in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has become increasingly attractive to visitors in recent years, making it important for those who love the pristine beauty of the town to find a place where they can breathe in the fresh air.

 The Digital Vietnamese knowledge system, an ambitious Government funded open database similar to Wikipedia, now boasts more than 10,000 articles, alongside 3.5 million question and answers following its launch in January.

 The Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam held a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on May 18 to introduce the Honorary Consul of Mexico to HCM City, Vu Minh Anh, and inaugurate the Honorary Consul’s office in the city. 

 The Vietnam Airlines Corporation plans to build a logistics centre in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho this year, Deputy General Director Trinh Hong Quang said at a meeting with municipal leaders on May 18.

 The 14th-tenure National Assembly’s fifth session will open in Hanoi on May 21, with eight draft laws and one draft resolution expected to be passed during the event which will last for 20 working days.

 Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of the Vietnam Permanent Mission to the UN, the WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, has stressed that Vietnam protests the use of force in the Gaza Strip. 

 The southern province of Dong Nai has been working with agencies on a project to turn Bien Hoa I Industrial Zone into a commercial and service centre.

The rainbow colours, a widely-recognized symbol of LGBT people, have become popular among Vietnamese and it is not uncommon to see rainbow flags pinned to shirts and on car bumpers in the country.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed to the provision of 1.5 trillion VND (65.9 million USD) from the standby 2018 State budget for Mekong Delta localities to address urgent dyke erosion threatening life and property of local residents.

 The Vietnam Competition Authority (VCA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a decision on May 18 on its official probe into ride-hailing company Grab’s takeover of Uber Technologies’ Southeast Asia business.

 VietNamNet Bridge – An illegal logging site has been found in part of the Kon River protected forest – the fourth recorded case of logging violations in the central province since January.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A chemical factory project, originally set to be opened not far from the World Heritage of Ha Long Bay, is sparking public concerns in the northeastern province.

 The context of integration and the trend of the fourth industrial revolution are opening up many opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises, but they can only seize the opportunities if the human resources meet the requirements. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Local authorities have proposed adding tens of golf course projects to the program on golf course development, a move many economists oppose. 

In early May, Vietnam’s men broke out of division three to join division two of the World Team Table Tennis Championships after beating their Israeli opponents with a score of 3-1. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Five-year-old Bui Thi Hong Ngoc smiles and chats to her grandmother just like any other child of her age would do.

VietNamNet Bridge - A Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) report has found that most domestic logistics firms are small or very small with limited financial capability. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnamese rice export prices are increasing rapidly. 

 Vietcombank, PV GAS up co-operation, Retail sales, services revenue up by 10.1%, Hanoi apartment project accused of cheating customers, South Korea travel firms seek more Vietnamese arrivals