What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday received a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headed by Sanjaya Panth, deputy director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, who are on a working trip in Vietnam for Article IV consultation, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

-- Vietnam and China concurred to actively promote strategic connectivity, accelerate joint work in building a high-quality 'Belt and Road' initiative, strengthen connectivity on border roads and railways, build a multi-modal and efficient logistics system, accelerate the upgrading and connectivity of their border infrastructure, and promote smart border cooperation, according to a joint statement both sides issued following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to China and attendance at the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin from June 25 to 28.

Society

-- A military court in Vietnam on Thursday sentenced a former Coast Guard commander to 16 years in prison for embezzlement in siphoning off US$2 million from military procurement deals.

-- Vietnam is prepared and will have an appropriate approach to the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Thursday.

-- Authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam have just approved a project to build a bridge over the local Tam Giang Lagoon at a cost of more than VND1 trillion (US$42.4 million).

Business

-- Vietnam's economy expanded 3.72 percent in the first half of this year, according to the General Statistics Office.

-- The U.S. exported almost US$4 billion worth of agricultural products and food to Vietnam in 2022, Consul General Susan Burns said at a ceremony to launch a program to promote American food in Vietnam on Thursday.

Sports

-- Vietnam place 95th in the world and 15th in Asia, according to the latest FIFA rankings announced on Thursday. 

World News

-- "France saw unrest spread to major cities in a third night of riots on Thursday as President Emmanuel Macron fought to contain a mounting crisis triggered by the deadly police shooting of a teenager of Algerian and Moroccan descent during a traffic stop," Reuters reported.

-- "One of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, according to two sources with knowledge of the process, pitting it against the food industry and regulators," according to Reuters.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!