Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) in June expanded by 0.61 percent over May, the highest pace over the past six years, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on June 29.

 The Chairman of the Kyowakai Medical Corporation of Japan, Kiso Kenzo, was bestowed with the honorary citizenship of Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, on June 29.

 Nine new laws will become effective on July 1, 2018, including the Law on Public Debt Management; Law on amendments and supplementations to some articles of the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Preventing Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks on national critical information infrastructure was the main topic of a seminar and drill on cyber security in Da Nang on June 29.

 Anti-drug police in Ha Long city of the northern province of Quang Ninh on June 29 discovered an illegal garden of marijuana in the city, seizing 62 marijuana plants.

 The central province of Thua Thien-Hue kicked off the Lotus Festival 2018 themed “Legend of a flower” on June 29, as part of a series of activities to promote Hue, a festival city of Vietnam. 

General Director of the General Statistics Office Nguyen Bich Lam urged sectors and localities not to take it for granted that the yearly goal of 6.7 percent GDP growth is within reach.

A crowd of 3,000 sang the national anthem and stood in line to form a 45m x 25m national flag in Ly Son Island, on June 29. 

  The southernmost province of Ca Mau plans to build 2,100 metres of sea embankments over the next three months to protect dykes at high risk of erosion.

 The Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee on June 30 announced the outcomes of its 27th session in Hanoi on June 27 and 28, including conclusions on wrongdoings at a number of Party organisations.    

 Customs officers at Tan Son Nhat airport on June 29 discovered 4kg of marijuana carefully hidden in 20 vacuum-compressed nylon bags in a package of food and personal belongings sent from the US. 

 More than 100 players from eight countries and territories will compete in the 32nd Open Golden Racket International Table Tennis Tournament 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City from July 4-7. 

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will announce a list of prestigious exporters of 2017 on July 3.

VietNamNet Bridge - The delay of the implementation of ATIGA (ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement) for two years will bring more opportunities to Vietnam’s sugar industry, giving Vietnamese enterprises time to improve competitiveness. 

 Private libraries, which have been established by individuals in rural areas over the past few years, are providing free access for local people and encouraging reading among children.

VietNamNet Bridge - The US and China are two important trade partners of Vietnam. Any interruption in exports will have a big impact on the national economy.  

 Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez, former second Secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy to Vietnam, has won second prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2017 with his book about Vietnam. 

VietNamnet Bridge - Weaving is believed to be the weakest link in Vietnam’s textile and garment value chain, but denim fabric is a strong point of local producers.

It would be no surprise if one day Vietnam imports pho, its most well-known food. It is an inevitable result of globalisation and is no different from the way Koreans import kimchi.

 Floating restaurants which have been removed for polluting Hanoi’s West Lake have been left to rust while awaiting a decision on their future by the municipal authorities.