Respect-paying, memorial and burial ceremonies for former State President Tran Duc Luong
The funeral of former Politburo member and former State President Tran Duc Luong is held in the national mourning etiquette on May 24-25. His remains is laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi city. The burial ceremony will take place from 3pm on May 25 at the hometown cemetery in Pho Khanh commune, Duc Pho township, Quang Ngai province.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests that national flags be flown at half-mast at all government offices, public buildings, and Vietnamese representative missions abroad during the two-day mourning period for former State President Tran Duc Luong.
Former President of Vietnam Tran Duc Luong passed away at his home at 22:51 on 20 May, aged 88, following a period of illness despite the dedicated efforts of the Party, State, medical professionals, and his family. His passing marks a great loss to the Party, the State, and the people of Vietnam.
Former President Tran Duc Luong, who devoted his life to the Vietnamese revolution, is remembered as a steadfast and principled leader. A former Politburo member and head of state, he consistently upheld the ideals of the Party, serving with loyalty, resolve and humility. His legacy spans decades of diplomatic milestones, nation-building, and tireless service to the Party and the people.
The Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), founded by UNESCO in 1961 in Bangkok, brings together 41 member agencies from 35 countries, producing two-thirds of the world’s news output. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a member since 1969, has actively contributed to OANA and served on its Executive Board for four consecutive terms since 2013.
The 19th OANA General Assembly, along with the 55th and 56th Executive Board Meetings, will be held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from June 17 to 21, 2025, under the theme "News Agencies and Challenges in the Modern World."
Lang Son Geopark has just been honoured with the UNESCO Certificate recognising it as a UNESCO Global Geopark, marking a significant milestone in the journey to preserve and promote the natural and cultural values of the northern province of Lang Son.
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Vietnam hosted more than 9.2 million international tourists in the first five months of the year, rising by 21.3% against the same time of 2024, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 2 chaired a conference to implement the National Assembly's Resolution 201/2025/QH15 on piloting special mechanisms for social housing development and review progress in the first five months of 2025.
Following his official visit to the Republic of Estonia and activities in France, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Spouse, together with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Sweden on June 12-13, at the invitation of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. This was the first visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Sweden in six years, aiming to further deepen the relationship between the two countries.
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President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda and Spouse are paying an official visit to Vietnam on June 11 - 12 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong. This is the first high-level visit by a Lithuanian head of state to Vietnam in many years, marking a highly significant diplomatic event that demonstrates the two countries’ appreciation of their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.
According to the Government’s proposal, amending the legal provision on the number of children is one of the measures to maintain replacement-level fertility and prevent a continued decline in fertility rates in the years to come.
Themed “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean," the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) is taking place from June 9 to 13, 2025 in Nice, France, with 10 plenary sessions and thematic dialogues.
Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi has been ranked 11th among the world's top 15 cities most favoured by tourists in 2025, according to a recent article by Time Out titled “The cities tourists are ditching and where they’re heading instead.”
In celebration of World Bicycle Day on June 3, digital travel platform Agoda has introduced five cycling destinations across Asia that offer unique experiences for travelers. Among them, the ancient town of Hoi An is featured as one of the top five cycling spots for World Bicycle Day.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam, the banking sector’s digital transformation has recently achieved encouraging results, contributing to the overall development of the national economy. In particular, cashless payment activities have been widely implemented and witnessed remarkable growth.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, pay an official visit to Estonia on June 5-7, 2025. This is the first visit to Estonia by a Vietnamese government leader since 1992 – when the two sides established diplomatic ties. Over the past years, the two countries have maintained a sound traditional relationship, actively supporting each other on multilateral forums.
Building on the success of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2024, the DIFF 2025 is taking place from May 31 to July 12 under the theme "Da Nang – New Era," featuring 10 participating teams. This year’s festival is more than just a spectacular showcase of light art; it also holds special significance as it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the city’s liberation, embodying the aspirations for Da Nang’s vibrant and prosperous future.
The 21st Southern Fruit Festival is underway at the Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Area in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Continuing its mission to honor farmers, this year’s festival, taking place from June 1 to August 31, features a wide range of innovative activities, with a strong focus on celebrating Vietnamese agricultural products in the era of global integration.
Fetal intervention specialists and pediatric cardiologists from Tu Du Hospital and Children’s Hospital 1 successfully performed a complex in-utero heart procedure on May 28 for a 22-week-old fetus of a Singaporean woman diagnosed with aortic atresia, a severe congenital heart defect. This was the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in Ho Chi Minh City and was considered the most technically challenging to date due to the fetus’s very early gestational age and the critical nature of the condition.
