Enjoy your breakfast while skimming today’s news wrap-up on Tuoi Tre News.

Politics

-- During his five-day landmark visit, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong had a historic meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday (Vietnam time). The two statesmen discussed many issues of crucial importance regarding the two countries’ relation.

Society

-- The Vietnam Customs have requested customs departments in cities and provinces to work closely with relevant teams at international airports on stepping up surveillance of crew members’ luggage. The move comes after a number of air staffers were found illegally transporting goods on inbound and outbound flights.

-- Associate Professor Vu Minh Phuc, of Pediatrics Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, told a workshop on Tuesday that over 1,300 children with innate heart diseases are currently in line for surgery. Out of approximately one million Vietnamese newborns every year, around 10,000 suffer inborn heart illnesses, Phuc added.    

Business

-- Vo Hung Dung, deputy chair of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, said at a meeting on Tuesday that exports to the European Union – a major market of the Vietnamese pangasius industry – has shrunk, with volumes accounting for 19.3 percent of the total export turnover, which is a 15.6 percent year-on-year drop. Meanwhile, shipments to China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have seen an increase.

-- On Tuesday, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Da Nang City in the central region issued a code of conduct for tourism activities. The code will be applicable to individuals and organizations operating in the tourist industry and tourism-related fields; Da Nang residents; and visitors to the city.

Education

-- A number of Vietnamese students joined an exchange held on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City with 45 delegates from the Mekong Friendship Project 2015, which is a short-term exchange program organized annually by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University for students from five Mekong Sub-Region countries, including Vietnam. This year’s Mekong Friendship Project runs from last Thursday until July 17.

Lifestyle

-- Minh Hanh, a seasoned Vietnamese fashion designer, has won Japan’s Fukuoka Prize in the Art and Culture category. The award presentation ceremony and exchanges with winners are slated to take place in Fukuoka City in September. Founded in 1990, the awards honor the contributions of individuals and organizations to the preservation and promotion of Asian culture.

-- Hoi An City, located in the central province of Quang Nam, will offer free tourist entry into its UNESCO-recognized ancient town on Thursday in commemoration of the 55^th founding anniversary of Vietnam’s tourist industry.